World Cup Football Playoffs - OUTRAGE

[Seanie]

Hey all,

 

Okay so what I call football you call Soccer. Im from Ireland, and we just played France last week in a 2 game playoff to see who goes to South Africa to take part in the World Cup next summer.

 

So what? I hear you cry. Well, read on. France are a pain train in football (note: insert soccer where you see this. Im not gonna lower myself to call it that) so for a team like Ireland who dont exactly play very well, this is a mountain to climb.

 

Saturday 14 November: First playoff game, in Ireland. 80,000 people turn the stadium green to intimidate France, and it works. They dont play very well, but in order for us to defend against them, we had to pretty much abandon and structured attack in case they countered, which they're very good at. And guess what happens. Nicholas Anelka takes a frustrated shot from 30 yards. It deflects off an Irish defender into the net. 1-0 to France, game ends

 

Wednesday 18 November: Second playoff game, in France. 20,000 Irish turn out to support Ireland to do the improbable - beat France by scoring at least 2 goals in their home territory. We beat them up and down the pitch, winning 1-0. It goes to extra time. And this happens. Just remember all that rested on this game:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2D6LdNakzE&feature=related

 

France are going to the World Cup, on the back of the most sickening display of cheating I have ever seen. Just wanted to get it off my chest.

 

Rant over!

[WWWwombat]

At least it wasn't the Hand of God again.

[Seanie]

well... probably worse than that - that goal made it 2-1 on aggregate and we lost. Hand of the Dark One more like... Thanks for acknowledging the pain though.

[WWWwombat]

I'm part French and I've always loved Henry so I have mixed feelings about it but yeah it's just kinda crappy for everyone involved.

[Majsju]

I do not think it is really fair to put too much blame on Henry, he did what 99% of the worlds football players would have done. He saw a chance, he took it, and hoped the ref would not catch him. Happens in every game today.

The ref on the other hand, he is to blame since it is his and his assistants bloody responsibility to catch these things.

 

Roy Keane put a rather good perspective on it,

Ireland had their chances in the two games and they never took them, they've never performed. In the first game we've stood off France but it's the usual FAI reaction – 'we've been robbed, the honesty of the game'.[...]I'd focus on why Ireland didn't clear it. I'd be more annoyed with my defenders and my goalkeeper than Thierry Henry. How can you let the ball bounce in your six-yard box? How can you let Thierry Henry get goalside? If the ball goes into the six-yard box, where the hell is my goalkeeper?.

[Seanie]

Bah, Roy Keane. Bitter failed manager is what he is! No I accept that that ball should never have fallen at Henrys feet but... Jesus, thats probably the cardinal rule in football - if you handle the ball deliberately like that its a red card. Im just angry because FIFA have done their best to push france through, first with the seeded draws (what a joke) and with their refusal to acknowledge even that there was a handball in the first place! Now, im not asking for a replay but Henry should be cited and punished! Simple as! In rugby its called bringing the game into disrepute and that certainly fits the bill here. Yeah, he took a chance but thats outrageous, blatant cheating and even if the ref didnt pick it up there is a system (albeit very weak) to cite post match.

[Majsju]

Actually, deliberate handball is a yellow card. Unless FIFA has a different rulebook than UEFA, which would not surprise me with that corrupt bastard Blatter running the show.

 

And unfortunatly, the system does not allow for further punishment, since the World Cup means a fresh start, ie all previous cards are nullified. Punishing Henry by suspending him for one or more games in the World Cup would mean punishing him for an offence committed in a different tournament, and that only happens when the FA gets the chance to slam United (couple of years ago, Scholesy got a 3 game suspension in the PL for a red card in a friendly tournament in Amsterdam... ::)))

 

But of course FIFA rather saw France and Portugal in the WC than Ireland and Bosnia. All those fat wankers care about is money. We true fans long ago became irrelevant. As long as we watch the games, and bring in the cash, FIFA and UEFA has no reason whatsoever to care what we think.

[Seanie]

apologies, obviously, when i get into a mad rage i just fabricate things!! but the sheer injustice of it all is horrible, i mean, i dread to think if it had been in reverse, not only would we be playing a playoff now, but keane would probably be banned for life by bladder himself!

 

I was at the game and I was in tears at the end, horrible drive back 500 miles from paris to dublin the next day...

 

Totally agree with you about true fans, as abba said, its all money money money...

[Majsju]

I think you might have seen handballing in the own box resulting in a straight red, and got confused by that. In such occasions, it is not the handball itself, but the consequences that causes the straight red. Ie, stopping a goal chance.

 

I must say though, that I kinda agree with Keane. Ireland ossed the game in Paris, and should have killed the game. Had they taken advatage of just one of all the chances they got, Henrys foul would not have mattered. First and foremost, football is about taking responsibility for your own game.

 

Gah, I am torn right down the middle by this game, and was even before it started. Normally I support France, but this time at least part of me hoped they would lose, just to get rid of that clown Domenech. He is ruining the French team, by picking the wrong players, and the players he does pick he does not know how to use.

[Mablir Dorlig]

;D

 

Look at it this way France are the Said-in the World Cup and so they're progress has been tainted by the Dark Ones touch  ;)

[Corki]

Well, the governing bodies of football are simply encouraging cheating. Until players are made examples of, it will continue. Well, they did make an example of Arsenal's Eduardo earlier this season, then retracted it. Complete and utter joke.

[SinisterDeath]

What, Soccer doesn't have thousands of cameras and the referrees can't go back and review the footage if the coach of the other team contests it? Jeesh, you guys are in the stone age. ;)

 

Course, looking at that footage, its hard to tell if the hand actually made contact, and even if it did its hard to prove intent. :P

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Theres no debate its a handball, Henry himself came out and admitted it after the game, and he also said that he was sorry, and ALSO that the refs should have caught it. I don't think he's too happy about the situation either, but yeah, for ireland, that sucks big time.

 

If it makes you feel better, Australia got knocked out of the WC last 16 by a diving italy last time around...That sucked also.

 

Tough break man. I feel for you.

[Majsju]

Well, the governing bodies of football are simply encouraging cheating. Until players are made examples of, it will continue. Well, they did make an example of Arsenal's Eduardo earlier this season, then retracted it. Complete and utter joke.

 

Though, after that incident, Arsenal has not won a single penalty, and part of that might be because the refs have the Eduardo situation in the back of their heads.

[Seanie]

yeah i remember ronaldo for utd getting the same treatment, when he first got here he was doing some outrageous acrobatic performances and the refs stopped awarding him anything. Soon stopped it after he realised that he wasn't gonna get anything out of it!

 

And yeah the eduardo thing is a great example of an argument I had with my friends on the way home from that game where henry handballed:

 

There is a weak citation system existing in football. Naturally as completely unbiased people ;) ;) ;) we wanted henry punished for a professional foul and bringing the game into disrepute. The example of diving was raised and we agreed that the only way to banish diving/cheeky handballing etc. is to simply punish absolutely every incident, even if footage has to be reviewed. From any league, top to bottom in order to stamp it out! Top players need to be made examples of, imo

 

In Germany they have a thing where the ref asks the player accused of cheating "did you do it?" and notes his response (Y/N). If he says no, the ref takes his word and allows play to resume. After the game footage of the incident is reviewed and if the player is found out to be lying then a match ban is given, as opposed to a yellow if he had admitted fault during the game.

 

Seems a bit naive but if you examine it it looks pretty good...