This may be a bit late, but due to the hand of Thierry Henry Ireland were forced out of the world cup qualifiers. Should they be allowed back in or plainy refused? If they are allowed in how will they work with 33 teams?
The simple thing to do after the stupid referee made the dcision in the first time would have been to let there be a rematch, except this rematch would be done differently. Ireland would have 1 goal and France would have 0. Then you'd have the same time limit as an ordinary extra time match. It's the only fair option for Ireland, who deserved the win.
They shouldn't complain. They're lucky that they're even being given a second chance. This is why I like ALOT more other sports then Football (Soccer). In the Sports I like, there are Video Referees that make sure blatant incorrect decisions by on field referees are fixed.
Why should Ireland be a goal up... and why is putting Ireland a goal up the only fair thing to do... You're making a generalization that the whole of france is to blame, even though it was the actions of one man. Ok, say we bring in video refs... if I was the English FA, the first thing I'd do is order a rematch from when Maradonna handled the ball. Video refs would take all the joy and misery away from football and that is what essentially makes football the game it is, imagine losing on a saturday and not being able the blame the referee for being a useless ****, i think Ireland needs to grow up and move on, see you're not the only one who can generalize, if Ireland act professionally they'll get all the sympathy they want, but if they keep moaning to the papers with idiot conspiracy thoeries, such as "Fifa only want teams with Adidas Kits at the World Cup, thats why they allowed us to be cheated out", the sympathy will fast wear out and quickly turn to annoyance. That quote came from Damien Duff, a man who gets payed over £100,000 a year just to wear adidas boots, now I'm sorry if i dont feel anything for these overpaid ball chasers, and this comes from a fan of the sport, QUIT CRYING... it's just a game.
Ireland should be a goal up because it was Ireland 1 vs France 0 before the terrible decision was made. No I am not. Why would I blame France for a decision a referee made? Why should the fans of Ireland have to suffer seeing their country NOT be in the WC due to the worst decision made in the modern game? How would video refs take the joy and misery away from football? Do you like seeing blatant handballs and dives not being given the right decision? I certainly don't...and that's why I have a list of much better sports then Football. Tell me where I am "generalizing"? I'm saying how the wrong decision was made and that the country of Ireland should not have to suffer in which a game they won in. I guess you'd only understand if it was the country you support was the country that was hard done by. To be honest, I'm not even a fan of the sport for the reason it is the only sport that hasen't realized that we're in the 21st century. We now have the ability to have cameras EVERYWHERE and use them as an advantage to make sure every decision has the best opportunity to be correct. I don't know why anyone would want to watch a sport where blatant wrond decisions are made with such ease.
A replay should be a replay, no 'one goal up' bollocks... it makes a mockery of the game How is the worse... handballs in the penalty box happen all the time, I'm going to direct you to the 2004 Scottish Cup Final, Dunfermline Athletic were one goal up when suddenly the ball strikes Bobo Balde's arm inside the penalty area, the penalty is not given and in the immediate counter attack, Celtic equalise. Celtic went on the win that game 3-1, with the lack off penalty pretty much costing Dunfermline their Scottish Cup since 1968. Football is played from grassroots level, just because this happened in the world cup, doesnt make it anymore of a tragedy... It would sterilize the game, imagine having a goal chopped off because someone watching a screen noticed the ball had crossed the by-line before it was crossed it. How far back in the build up do you check for fouls, what would be the point in having a referee if he was just going to undermined by a camera... How far back into the past will teams be allowed to rectify incorrect judgements?? Right there when you said "They"... you're speaking as if the whole of the squad is to blame. Please... I'm scottish, we've always been hard done by, the only difference is that it's our players that screw us over. Why must everything move on... things were fine in the past, people lived with the heartache that incorrect desicions create. The heartache and joy of football is what makes it the most popular sport in the world. Camera's EVERYWHERE huh? wow... you're starting to sound like the labour government there. Again you speak as if the ref had intentionally given an incorrect decision.
Cricket has video replays and a third umpire, and yet world class umpire Dickie Bird refused to use them. He felt that it distracted from the game and undermined the decisions of the umpires on the field. Such an attitude did not stop him becoming one of the most highly respected umpires in the cricketing world; Such was the esteem in which he was held, that the Pakistanis once requested him to umpire a test match between them and England, despite him being English and the ICC rules not permitting the umpires to be from either of the countries playing. They were unhappy with the provided umpire and knew that Dickie would not let his nationality bias his decisions. Dickie has long lamented the gradual encroachment of technology into the game; maybe he has a point. EDIT: he also once said: 'if you make a poor decision when umpiring, forget it and move on. Don't try to correct it.'
It's a pity that in soccer you can't go by the replay. They do that in other sports though. And we were ANGRY when Henry did that...we talked about it for AGES!!! I saw it on TV, and i heard Henry talking about it afterwards and he was like "eh...it eh.. i saw it coming and eh...it hit my hand - ARM!, and eh..." French people say "eh..." a lot when they are speaking English.
I voted for the first option, even though i think Ireland should take France's place. Yeah, i said it. France should be kicked out, and Ireland let in. And yes, we should have video replays.
you go down to any playing field on a saturday morning and you'll see that the game is far from dead...
I agree Nex, what I meant to say was that the current World Cup is a money scam, the seeded teams are the best teams for televised cash returns, how else can England be seeded in there?
and you think thats fair? I swear if it had been Robbie Keane hand balling and we won like that there would have been a replay the next week.Henry is a cheat and we were robbed
Curse Henry, He was not on the Gillette shaving ads. Henry cursed Ireland, France should be barred from the world cup. FIFA has barred Chille and Mexico, so they should barr France. PS: LOL, France should persuade Zidane out of retrement.
No, i don't think that's fair. Read my first post. I think France should be out, and Ireland let in. I'm just saying FIFA has always been an enterprise., i'm not saying i agree with it.
i agree wuith raysie although those cheating French should have been disallowed the goal. Ireland were running rings around them and they would have easily gone through.
