Return of the king

Totti penalty seals Italy's win

ESPN.com: Winger Harry Kewell, man of the match in the 2-2 draw with Croatia that earned Australia a place in the final 16, missed the game with what turned out to be gout in his foot. He supported himself with
crutches as he watched from the bench.

Gout? The disease of Henry the VIII? In a professional athlete? Okay.... More on the condition from the Podiatry Channel:

Gout is a systemic disease (i.e., condition that occurs throughout the body) caused by the buildup of uric acid in the joints. An elevated blood level of uric acid (called hyperuricemia) occurs when the liver produces more uric acid than the body can excrete in the urine, or when a diet high in rich foods (e.g., red meat, cream sauces, red wine) produces more uric acid than the kidneys can filter from the blood. ...

Regularly drinking alcohol interferes with the removal of uric acid from the body and can increase the risk for developing gout.

Like any good story, there's more to it. Kewell, whose Wikipedia entry says is arguably the most famous Australian football player ever, apparently has a history of injury, and it seems the Aussie team was a bit dodgy about exactly what was going on with him before the Italian match; it may not even have been gout.

Before the loss, he was even being referred to as 'King Harry'--unironically--by Australia's idiot prime minister , John Howard.

Talk about tempting the fates.

Adidas photo of Kewell found in multiple places online.