Officials Toe The Line As Mystery Ailment Leaves Kewell On Crutches

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday June 28, 2006

Matthew Hall

KAISERSLAUTERN: Harry Kewell arrived at Fritz-Walter Stadion on crutches. Whispers immediately flew around the ground. Guus Hiddink, even though he had hinted at fears for his star player's fitness on Sunday morning, was fronting the biggest hoax of this World Cup (and with the referees Australia encountered, that's a big call).

Hiddink, a theory went, was foxing and attempting to lure his Italian counterpart Marcello Lippi into thinking Kewell would not take the pitch. Absorb Italian pressure for 45 minutes, with Luke Wilkshire holding the fort, and then unleash secret agent Kewell on Italy with the score at 0-0. Hiddink is unpredictable and this would have shown him at his genius best.

Unfortunately, the crutches were genuine. Kewell had been unable to train since the Croatia game, many believing his troublesome groin had flared up after his man-of-the-match performance. As ever with Kewell, the truth was more complicated than any fantasy.

According to some of his teammates, Kewell had gout and they had known for two days he would not play a part in this game. Captain Mark Viduka, asked by reporters after the match whether this was true, checked back with Football Federation Australia media officer Stuart Hodge - standing next to him - if he could tell reporters the truth.

Hodge said nothing, suggesting Viduka refer to Hiddink's earlier media conference where he was non-specific about the situation.

Viduka had something to say but did not want to break the team's Kewell code of silence. But Viduka could not help himself and agreed his former Leeds teammate had gout but that he knew only on game day Kewell would not play a part against Italy.

Assistant coach Graham Arnold was non-committal: "I think I would leave it up to the medical staff to explain exactly what is wrong."

The scoop: no one really knows what the problem is. Gout was feared but with the help of antibiotics should have cleared up by the afternoon of the Italy match. It is likely not gout, but the problem with Kewell's big toe on his left foot, certainly feels like gout.

"It has been described as dipping your toe in boiling water and then having barbed wire dragged over it," Kewell's manager Bernie Mandic said.

Rather than gout, Kewell's pain is believed to be caused by an infected blister.

Injury had also cut short Kewell's involvement in the 2005 Champions League final and the 2006 FA Cup final. On those occasions, his team won without him. Third-time unlucky.

Our last image of Kewell at this World Cup will be, like the rest of Australia and pretty much anyone not Italian, shaking his head in disbelief and mouthing unprintables. Right now, not just the toe hurts.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home