And you thought there was controversy over Bill Belichick going for it on 4th-and-2. That’s nothing compared to the outcry in the soccer world after France qualified for next year’s World Cup by beating Ireland, 2-1, in an elimination game when Thierry Henry used his hand to help score the winning goal. For you soccer novices, only goalies can use their hands.
What’s worse is that Henry admits he used a handball but blamed the ref for missing it. This is so big the Irish prime minister asked for a replay of the game and said he would bring the issue up with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Americans have nothing on international soccer fans when it comes to passion and blowing things out of proportion.
“We were robbed” said the Irish Star, “Le Cheat” added the Irish Mirror, while the Irish Sun splashed with the “Hand of the Frog”.
A Facebook page entitled “We Irish hate Thierry Henry (the cheat)” also drew hundreds of comments, including a call for an Irish boycott of French goods.
In a twist, France’s gym teachers (yes, there is a gym teacher’s union in France) ripped the French soccer federation for not condemning the handball.
“The France team will go to South Africa courtesy of indisputable cheating, which highlights the downward spiral affecting football today,” the SNEP-FSU union said.
The sports teachers also said they objected to statements from coach Raymond Domenech and some players that sent the message that “the most important thing in sport is to win.” “All these comments are unfortunately linked to a ‘very modern’ philosophy stipulating that in all areas, including sports, the end justifies the means,” the union said.
Of course, one solution would be to allow instant replay for situations like this, a call that has increased among soccer commentators. We have the technology and this would allow obvious mistakes to be overturned and make the outcome valid. The NFL replay system, while not perfect, does go a long way in fixing up referee errors. But I imagine soccer, excuse me, “football” purists will have some dopey reason to oppose technology, but don’t trying selling that argument in Ireland today.
Video of the handball and Henry admitting it:
on Nov 19th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
This broke my heart as Thierry was not only great to look at and cheaters are less hot to me, but he also did a lot of work as an ambassador for better race relations in Europe since he took a lot of flack on the pitch for being black.
on Nov 19th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
It is so easy to say the French team didn’t cheat.
But they did.
Does that make the French cheaters?
Maybe not, but it doesn’t make them honourable.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Thierry Henry used his hand and that should have immediately brought the play to an end. Even before that, there were two french players offside as the Free Kick was made.
With that said, I don’t think we can go around calling France “cheaters”. This is 100% on the officials who missed such a blatent call.
In addition, FIFA needs to wake up and realize it’s time to incorporate some sort of replay system and/or official behind the net to help eliminate situations like these.
I’m angered and disappointed to see France advance to the World Cup like this - but in the end, the anger and disappointment must be aimed towards FIFA and its officials.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 5:25 am
As an Irish American visiting the homeland this week, I am flabbergasted by French President Sarcozy’s reply to the charges of fraud. I will call on my fellow Americans to boycott tourism to France until there is a rematch and justice is served. France needs to remove ”Egalite e Fraternite” from their motto and replace it with INJUSTICE AND DISHONEST because that is what they are. France’s record is comletely stained and there will always be an asterisk by France and controversy all the way to the World Cup next summer. HENRY is a cheater and the world now knows it. He should hang his cheating head in shame.
BOYCOTT EVERYTHING FRENCH, DO NOT RELENT!!!
ERIN GO BRAUGH!
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 5:27 am
BOYCOTT AIR FRANCE UNTIL THERE IS A REMATCH!!!!
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Henry was my favorite player when he played for Arsenal, but that’s a hollow victory for France and sad for Ireland to be eliminated on such garbage.
Shame on the linesman for first missing the offside that started the play and then the handball.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/republicofireland/6615308/Roy-Keane-tells-Ireland-what-goes-around-comes-around-over-Thierry-Henry-handball.html
Irishes are unluckies but remember the keane’s handball against Georgy…
I ‘m drinking a Guiness to your helth, because i’m very happy to go to the world cup!! ViVE la Frrrrrrrrrance
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
http://www.divertissonsnous.com/2009/11/20/penalty-faute-sur-anelka-france-irlande/
It should have a penalty against Ireland !!! Vive le vin !! Vive Linux
!
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I’m sorry but there’s no way that’s a penalty kick. It’s a dive through and through.
While I respect Thierry Henry’s honesty after the game - I think it’s laughable that he’d release a statement saying the game should be replayed AFTER FIFA announced that there would be no replay.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
So we should all be surprised that in this win at all costs world we live in someone admits, after the fact, that he cheated to gain advantage? It will not change the outcome of the game and FIFA will not institute instant replay.
The simple fact remains that accidents happen, handballs occur, referees are out of position, bad calls and lack of calls impact games and results will never be changed.
Unfortunately, football is one of those sports where a single individual is charged with being totally impartial and is given the authority to run a match as he sees fit.
The Irish have every reason to be upset and demand action against the French team, but, FIFA will stand behind it’s referees and the results as they stand. To do differently would admit that their referees are not perfect.
On to local football action. The MLS Cup is this weekend and while many are saying that Real Salt Lake actually stands a chance against the Los Angeles Galaxy, it would be in their fans’ best interest to go into the match with the understanding that MLS wants the Galaxy to win. International news will be made when Spice Boy holds up the Cup in victory. Only then will another small-market MLS side stand a chance at winning the MLS Cup.
Sorry RSL, but your place in the championship is just as a supporting cast for the annointment and coronation of the King of MLS, and with any luck, when his team joins MLS, you will be their first opponents.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I understand the outrage by the Irish, but I’m not sure I understand our (American’s) quick response to labeling the French as cheaters calling for boycotts and the change of their national motto. Is this really all that different to what we see on a WEEKLY basis when football receiviers claim to have caught a pass when it’s hit the ground or otherwise been incomplete? Isn’t it up to the officials to make that call? If a pass is called complete because a receiver claims it is when it actually isn’t, and the ref misses the call, do we immediately demonize that player and the team he plays for? Seems to smell a bit too much like a double standard for me…..
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Austin
American Football has instant replay and challenges to plays. Soccer does not have it. This referee was out of it… who knows what side he was on… its a mystery.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Yeah, all the American’s who are passionate about soccer should boycott France. The French will miss both of you.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
“but I’m not sure I understand our (American’s) quick response to labeling the French as cheaters calling for boycotts and the change of their national motto.”
He did cheat. Period. Even the French say he did.
As for a boycott, who in America is calling for one? Some idiots in Ireland are, but no one in the U.S. cares that France beat Ireland in a soccer match.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I wasn’t saying that he didn’t cheat, I was saying that it’s something that we see on a weekly basis, many times.
As for the boycott, I was referring to the post above:
BOYCOTT AIR FRANCE UNTIL THERE IS A REMATCH!!!!
And….SOMEBODY in America has to care that France beat Ireland in a soccer match, right? Or else why publish the story at all??
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
One comment on a blog calling for a boycott is not indicative of a national trend.
We cared only for the unusual news value but no one cared who won the game. Had Ireland won on 2 handballs we’d have written the same thing.
on Nov 20th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
True. Although it was 2 comments calling for a boycott out of the ten that were left before my first comment, and 20% can represent quite the hefty minority, but I digress…..
I didn’t feel it was the handballs that made it newsworthy, but rather the cheating (hence the headline). That was the basis of my comparison to American football to begin with.
I was just saying that I don’t think it’s fair that the French team, nor Henry, be demonized for the action. It’s quite common, in the heat of competition, to try to do anything one can to be successful. And the action of a handball is something that doesn’t physically endanger anyone, and is up to the REF to see and police. To me, it was quite the same as the faking of a catch that we see in football all the time, that’s what I was saying.
It’s not dirty, it’s not cheap, sometimes, it’s just pure physical reaction…..the ref is in charge of prohibiting such action, not the players, not the French team, not the French/Irish Government, and not FIFA.
on Nov 21st, 2009 at 12:28 am
I think it was the only 2 people people in the US calling for a boycott happened to post here.
I dunno, it looked pretty deliberate to me by Henry, especially since he did it twice. I don’t feel he should be blamed for the non-call (that’s on the ref) but he did cheat and got away with it. Let’s not let him off the hook.
on Nov 21st, 2009 at 2:27 am
I wouldn’t say that no one in America cares whether or not France beat Ireland. There is a large number of soccer fans that DID and still DO care about that result - myself included (I’m Canadian btw).
As for the MLS Cup - I don’t care who wins, I just want a good competitive game!
on Nov 21st, 2009 at 2:32 am
Um…I’d rather boycott businesses that don’t support my rights in the USA.
on Nov 22nd, 2009 at 11:43 am
Winning is meaningless if you have to cheat to win.
on Nov 23rd, 2009 at 11:51 am
I think the focus on the French is out of place. Handballs and other calls are frequently missed in Soccer because of the insufficient number of referees and the lack of use of technology in refereeing. Both have long been in need of addressing in the game but have not because of the greater influence of “tradition” in the game that is the earliest form of “football”. This is one situation where old Europe has refused to allow change that has hurt it most. It took violent revolution to change Europe’s devotion to monarchy and top-down capitalism. Some rough peaceful equivalent is needed in football.
on Nov 25th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I spent last weekend out in Montreal with a straight Irishman (we won’t get into the amount of alcohol we consumed), who was consistently apologised to by countess French people when they learned he was Irish.
It was kind of amusing.
on Jan 10th, 2010 at 7:13 am
Henry is a cheating piece of shit! And the referee should really get a emergency eye test!