Compelling Soccer

The World Cup field is set but as is the way in soccer, it was not without controversy. The France-Ireland game ended in disaster for the green and orange as France drew level in extra time to win 2-1 on aggregate. The goal was scored after Thierry Henry played a ball with his hand (twice!) and then passed it on to William Gallas, who buried it with his head. The referee flat out missed the call. France went up 2-1 and Ireland couldn't find another goal. Thus France is going to South Africa. Ireland is going home. Naturally, Ireland and many others are rightfully upset at the non call.

It's bad, but let's put it in perspective here. This hurt their chances of qualifying but it alone did not eliminate the Irish. If the handball is called, Ireland still has to score. Otherwise, it goes to penalties. I'm sure they'd have taken that, but penalties does not necessarily a World Cup berth make. It stinks they got potentially deprived of the opportunity but let's also not pretend they didn't blow opportunities of their own.

-They didn't win their group. If they had they wouldn't have been in the playoffs.

-After going 1-0 up, Ireland played bunker ball. That's fine, but when you play that style, you know that you are leaving yourself open for flukes. If you have little margin for error, then you are potentially screwing yourself. Not to mention it's arguable whether that was necessary; once they got the goal to level the aggregate, if Ireland pushed forward and tried to get one more they'd have been through on the away goal rule.

-Even after the BS goal, Ireland still only needed a single goal to advance. If they had scored to go up 2-1 in the extra time, they'd have been through on the away goal rule. So after all of that mess, one Robbie Keane strike was all they needed. Instead, France continued to assert itself.

-As I saw others point out, the handball is one thing, but it doesn't excuse the lackluster defending that allowed the ball to go to Henry. Or the awful defending that allowed Henry to play the ball (with his foot) to Gallas for the wide open header mere feet from the goal line. Or the awful defending that had Gallas pretty much unmarked. You can scream for offside but it was close enough not to be called. Bottom line is as bad as the call was for Ireland, the defending should have made it a non issue. Instead the Irish defense was poor, they all stopped playing bitching for a call, and let France have the goal. Everyone who plays competitive sports knows; you play until you hear the whistle and sometimes, you play beyond it.

I'm not going to tell you that Ireland didn't get hosed here. The call was atrocious and it's shocking everyone missed it. But it isn't the worst call in the history of soccer. As a US fan, I won't forget the 2002 World Cup. The US should have gotten a penalty on Germany's handball on the goal line at the least and potentially been a man up as well because the infraction occurred on the goal line itself, preventing a US equalizer. That was in the QUARTERFINALS of the World Cup. Bigger stage, bigger stakes, just as blown a call.

I'm also shocked by the outrage against Henry. Seriously get a grip people. I know internet message boards aren't great places to find intellectually stimulating content, but here's some of the stuff from the Soccer By Ives comment section:

"for any of you who think that was not an intentional handball and that Henri isn't now one of the biggest cheats in the history of football just watch the video. the initial ball hitting his hand "might" have been just an accident (but still a hand ball) but he subsequently basically throws the ball back inbounds to himself ... he handles twice ... clear as day. i have lost all respect for henri and i hope to never see him in MLS and i hope he gets injured before the WC and his career ends in ignominy."

"Henry is a disgrace plain and simple - anyone with decency and integrity - Domenech, Platini ? would demand a replay for fairness in sport - but no 'mon a mi' not the French...they tried to bring down Lance with no evidence now as karma would have it they are have been caught by millions as cheats...I wonder what Arsene Wenger will say ? Zidane ? Sarkozy ? Theres a reason noone roots for the French they are total hypocrites - Vive Algeria!"

"I have absolutely no respect for him at all now. FIFA should demand a replay of that match."

"Your Machiavellian philosophy is clearly flawed. It isn't as simple as winning and losing. If someone robbed your house, but got away with it would you blame the government for not keeping better watching of your street? Or would you be mad at the scumbag taking advantage of your success?

"A good captain wins at any cost" A good person won't win at any cost either.

Henry has lost all my respect."

Then the reply to that btw:

"Agreed. Henry used to be one of my favorite players to watch (when he was in the EPL), but seeing what he did, and reading his response has made me lose a ton of respect for him. Very disappointing..."

And not to let you know not everyone is crazy there, here's a good comment:

"I would feel worse, except that Dunn and Keane both blew 1 v 1 chances in the 2nd half, and France dominated extra time. To say that Ireland dominated for 3 halves is getting pretty carried away, it was up and down in the 2nd.

Unless you enjoy being hysterical, which so many people today seem to, I think the blame goes on the ref. Definitely looked to me that Henry admitted his handball on the field and was obviously not gloating while talking to Dunne.

And how about the lesson of keep playing and let the ref make the call? Ireland were complaining before the goal was even scored, which didn't help them to mark Gallas."

It was an instinctive play; one that deserved a yellow card no doubt, but an instinctive play nonetheless. He wasn't going to admit to it in the flow of the game to the referee. The World Cup is on the line here. And if you think any of those Irish players wouldn't have done the same had the situation been reversed, you are absolutely delusional. Athletes do things like that in competitive sport. Michael Jordan shoved Byron Russell out of the way in the NBA finals to hit his iconic shot. Do people call Jordan a cheater for it? Baseball players lean into pitches to get on base. Rarely do umpires not award the base. Wide receivers shove off to create separation, nothing is called most of the time. The New England Patriots taught their corners to commit illegal contact penalties all the time until the NFL made clear they'd call it in the future.

The bottom line is the infraction is only an infraction if it's called as such. Henry is no cheater; he's an athlete, pure and simple. No player would have done differently. Most people wouldn't have done differently. I know I wouldn't have. I'd have said nothing because that's what you are taught to do. If a call goes your way, you go with it, you don't correct the ref. Anyone who says otherwise has never played competitive sport in their life. It's on the referee to get the call right. The failing here is in the ref and his assistants, not in Henry.

So in the end, it is the Irish who are Les Blues today. But today's cries are tomorrow's echoes, fading more and more as time passes. Should France hoist the trophy next summer, Ireland fans may still cry but few others will care as the French will have proven their worth in the tournament itself. And should France bow out in the group stages, the most people will say is they received their just deserts. Nothing more, nothing less.

Such is the life of competitive sport. Live by the sword, and die by it. In this case, the final stab was committed by a referee. That type of death is always the cruelest. Hopefully this is a lesson Ireland takes to heart so that next time, they don't hand him the blade.