Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Suspended player gets praise from team, nation

YOKOHAMA, Japan -- Germany is in the final thanks to a player who won't play, suspended for a necessary evil: the professional foul.

It's when a player, determined to stop a possible goal, brings down an opponent with no eye for the ball, a foul well known in World Cup history.

German midfielder Michael Ballack joined the list when he pulled down South Korea's Lee Chun-soo just outside the penalty box during the semifinals. Ballack earned his second yellow card of the knockout round and an automatic one-game suspension.

Four minutes later, he scored the winning goal. And instead of being criticized for the foul, he got nothing but praise.

"The whole of Germany should take its hat off to him," coach Rudi Voeller said. "He knew he'd be out of the final, but he still did it. He had to do it. It was a tactical foul. He did a great service to his team and to Germany and not only by scoring goals."

One of the most famous professional fouls came during the 1982 semifinal, when West German keeper Harald Schumacher ran at full speed and crashed feet and fists first into France's Patrick Battiston, who had a breakaway.

Battiston was carried out on a stretcher with a broken jaw and needed oxygen. The play wasn't called a foul, and West Germany won on penalty kicks.

Despite being called a hero, Ballack was devastated, crying in the locker room after the game.

"Thanks, now you got me out of the final," Ballack shouted at referee Urs Meier, the ref told Swiss newspaper Blick.

Voeller's words were echoed in the German press.

"Tragic hero," Wednesday's newspapers wrote, from the mass-circulation Bild to the serious Frankfurter Algemeine.

PELE'S VIEW: Brazil shouldn't fear Germany's leading scorer because he's not in the same class as Ronaldo and Rivaldo, Pele said.

The three-time World Cup winner acknowledged his former team had to watch out for Miroslav Klose because of his five goals but said the Brazilians have more "soccer intelligence."

"With Klose ... you must respect him but not worry about him," Pele said.

"It's better to concentrate on the player who gives him the ball."

EGYPT UPSET: Egypt criticized FIFA for excluding its referee from the final, saying he is a victim of politics.

Gamal el-Ghandour came under heavy criticism after Spain's loss to South Korea in the quarterfinals, in which two Spanish goals were disallowed.

"He was qualified to officiate the final match, but his assistance was weak and caused him much troubles in the match," said Hamada Emam, the Egyptian Football Association's vice president.

FUTURE CO-HOSTS? Despite complaints about ticketing problems and other logistics issues, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he is pleased with the first co-hosted World Cup and such an arrangement could be considered again.

Germany hosts in 2006. South Africa is the front-runner for 2010, but other African nations, such as Morocco, might bid.

CLEANING UP: Blatter vowed to put FIFA back on track in 100 days after financial problems and allegations of corruption marred his re-election campaign.

At an executive committee meeting, he promised reforms to make FIFA less secretive.

BIG MONEY: British bookmakers estimate more than $375-million will have been bet on the tournament by the final.

Bookmakers William Hill and Coral made Brazil 2-5 favorites to win with Germany at 7-4. Germany was 16-1 to win when the tournament began.

RATINGS: Despite middle-of-the-night games, ESPN averaged more viewers than in 1998. It averaged 963,000 households for 24 telecasts, up from 691,300 for 27 broadcasts in 1998.

ESPN2 averaged 489,700 for 34 telecasts, up from 322,900 for 23 broadcasts in 1998.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright