If only sports in the United States were as important to the people of this country as they are around the world. It's difficult sometimes to understand what goes on outside our little bubble here in Chicago. We often times ignore anything else that is going on in professional sports in the US unless it effects our fantasy team or we are on a trip to the local sports book. We get so deeply invested in who's starting at left guard for the Bears on Sunday that our sports universe consists of just the Chicago sports scene.
However while we discuss the Bulls playing the Lakers tonight, the rest of the world is crying foul over a foul. Not just a foul that lost a game, but a foul that affects an entire country.
Forgive me while I take my blinders off for a second, but France advanced to the 2010 World Cup last night. I bet most of you did not know there was a World Cup in 2010 and that France was still a country. OK I'm exaggerating there a little....I hope.
You may ask why is a story about how France advanced to the South African hosted games starting in June? They cheated. That's right....cheated.
A little education first. In soccer there is a foul called a handball, meaning basically you cannot touch the ball with any part of your arm to deflect the direction of the ball in any way. To some of you explaining a handball is ignorant, but you would be surprised how many people go to a Blackhawks game and call the puck a "ball."
Ireland was in the lead 1-0 headed into extra time. In the 103rd minute, a Florient Malouda free-kick found France striker Theirry Henry (the guy from the Gillette commercials w/Tiger Woods and Roger Federer). Henry used two clear touches of his hand to control the ball and then pass across the goal for an embarrassed-looking William Gallas to nod in. The goal was counted and the Irish team as I am sure the entire country of Ireland was irate.
Ireland lost it's chance to head to the World Cup due to aggregate (which is a collection of goals over the two game match).
Here in America, we've been having debates over instant replay for decades and with more technology being added every year hence the debate rages on. There is no instant replay in the game of European football and therefore the goal was not overturned. You thought you were pissed off that there is not more instant replay in the baseball after this past postseason, there is already a Facebook group of 700+ members called "Theirry Henry is a cheat!" Here's a sampling of their thoughts on Henry:
Alex Boursnell - scum, pure scum!
James 'Eggy' Edwards - What FG joke! Henry a total cheat hand balled it to give france a goal! Henry is a total cheat and should never be given the respect he has been given over so many years! JOKE Chris Beale - 18th November 2009, Thierry Henry breaks the world gg bg record as he 'single handedly' fs the entire population of Ireland Matthew Webb French PK!!!! Ian Colquhoun - cheating bastard. boycott gillette! Desmond Hally - Le Cheat now Le lengend no more. Kenneth Dillon - Hnery can f*k right off!!
That's just a small sample size of the thousands of comments just within the last 24 hours.
The best part about the whole story however is that Henry himself ADMITTED HE CHEATED:
''It was a handball, but I'm not the ref,'' he said on BBC Radio Five Live. ''The ball hit my arm, fell in front of me and I played it. The ref allowed it. That's a question you should ask him.''
So here's the question we should all pose....if it was a handball, if replay shows its a handball, if Henry admits its a handball, then it's a handball...right?? The answer to those questions is of course a painful NO. The only person in the world who did not call it a handball was the ref standing near the top of the goal area. Thus, Ireland's dream of a World Cup birth is shattered.
So the lesson we should all learn about this is when there is a bad call in a White Sox, Cubs, Bears, Bulls, or Blackhawks game...understand that it's just one game and there is always the next game or next year. This shameful and outright wrong call effects the only thing worth caring about in Ireland for the next four years.
Tonight I will raise a pint to the Irish because after a painful night like that, the only thing to do is drink.
-RoCk
Rock Mamola is the Associate Producer of the Mully And Hanley Morning Show and co-host of The Joe O And Rock Show on WSCR 670AM The Score
Just to clarify, I am an Irish immigrant living here in Chicago and I have been following Ireland's road through qualifications and this is terrible. There is a full fledged effort to get the game replayed but it probably won't happen. Just to clarify, Ireland was tied on aggregate so they would have went into penalty kicks to decide the winner(each team had one away goal). The "goal" by France basically eliminated that option. Also Irelands last time in the world cup was in 2002(Korea). We didn't make it in 06(Germany). Anyway, it is crushing and with the slightest hope I am wishing for a replay. Either way it has so much more depth then the NFL,NBA, or MLB because these are professionals that play because they love their tiny little country as you can tell by the tears.
My mistake, I forgot about the penalties if it were to go past extra time. I've been a UEFA bandwagon guy for a couple of year now...I should have known that.
I agree, there's more passion in a friendly match than in all professional sports in America.
Dude, it was a handball, and offsides, and it stinks, FIFA needs video replay ASAP, and I don't even necessarily disagree with your jist here (Ireland and France are my two favorite teams besides the US, so I was torn about them meeting from the start) but you have your facts wrong:
"Ireland was well on its way to a birth in the World Cup play with a 1-0 lead headed into extra time. "
No, not true. They were at best as well on their way as the French. Whoever came out on top at the end of extra time, and, if that went scoreless, penalty kicks, was moving on. The only reason they even went to extra time was that the aggregate score was tied. I feel for the Boys in Green, but if Damien Duff or Keane-o had made meat with their many opportunities yesterday (or if they hadn't been beat on their home turf last Saturday), we wouldn't be bemoaning this. It wasn't even sudden death--in fact, if the Irish had tied up the aggregate score in extras after the Gallas "goal" they would've moved on instead of Les Bleus since away goals count more. So, in conclusion, the Irish were definitely screwed--but screwed out of a chance at penalty kicks (where who knows what would've happened) at best, not necessarily screwed out of the Cup spot. The Irish outplayed them yesterday, yes, and got jobbed, yes, but let's not exaggerate the extent of the job.
Also, by the way, the Irish had no "dream of a second World Cup birth in a row"...they last played in the Cup in 2002 (and put on quite a good show I should add).
Keane, the Irish player handled the ball 3 TIMES, 3 TIMES during the game, nothing said!
It happens in football. Ireland need to get over themselves.
And if the goal didn’t count….the game would still just gone to a lottery on penalties — they lost NOTHING.
Seriously, doesn’t Ireland have more problems like chronic unemployment (10%) and a city like Dublin city which has officially *the highest murder rate in Europe* to worry about a lot more than this?
Borg, the Henry handball was a direct and blatant cause of a goal. All I wanted was to get to penalties and take my chances with Shay Given in goal(one of the best in the world). That was the opportunity LOST. Ireland does have its problems with over immigration, unemployment, and everything else but this is something that poured salt on the wound. Sport is a getaway from the pressures of life and for some people that is all they have when things are in the Crapper. Doesn't this country have chronic unemployment? Doesn't Chicago have ridiculous murders involving innocent children? Every place has their problems and sometimes making outrageous statements about completely different issues is not warranted.
Yeah, not sure what crime or unemployment has to do with it. I mean, France has a serious race problem, too, who cares in terms of sports.
Ireland (and the Irish diaspora and the Irish press) has a fair complaint here (to a point)...I don't see Irish politicians dropping everything to fly to FIFA to protest, though.
The Irish Football Association has made the complaint to FIFA and to the French Football Association. That is their job. Some Government Representatives are at a EU Summit and plan to bring it up to the French President. There is the real world and the sports world, those are composed of completely different variables 98% of the time. That is all.
When I heard the prime minister of Ireland calling the President of France to try and meet and discuss the "problem" of the game - I thought enough is ENOUGH.
Yeah every place has crime, and the Irish politicians should focus on those issues especially the one in Dublin with it being the murder city of Europe and huge unemployement there. Thats the point I was making!!
Great game, but they lost, it happens. Move on, there is bigger issues, politicians stay out of sport.
12 Comments
shaneokeeffe said:
Just to clarify, I am an Irish immigrant living here in Chicago and I have been following Ireland's road through qualifications and this is terrible. There is a full fledged effort to get the game replayed but it probably won't happen. Just to clarify, Ireland was tied on aggregate so they would have went into penalty kicks to decide the winner(each team had one away goal). The "goal" by France basically eliminated that option. Also Irelands last time in the world cup was in 2002(Korea). We didn't make it in 06(Germany). Anyway, it is crushing and with the slightest hope I am wishing for a replay. Either way it has so much more depth then the NFL,NBA, or MLB because these are professionals that play because they love their tiny little country as you can tell by the tears.
Rock Mamola said:
Shaneokeeffe,
Thanks for checking out the blog.
My mistake, I forgot about the penalties if it were to go past extra time. I've been a UEFA bandwagon guy for a couple of year now...I should have known that.
I agree, there's more passion in a friendly match than in all professional sports in America.
-RoCk
JRSF said:
Dude, it was a handball, and offsides, and it stinks, FIFA needs video replay ASAP, and I don't even necessarily disagree with your jist here (Ireland and France are my two favorite teams besides the US, so I was torn about them meeting from the start) but you have your facts wrong:
"Ireland was well on its way to a birth in the World Cup play with a 1-0 lead headed into extra time. "
No, not true. They were at best as well on their way as the French. Whoever came out on top at the end of extra time, and, if that went scoreless, penalty kicks, was moving on. The only reason they even went to extra time was that the aggregate score was tied. I feel for the Boys in Green, but if Damien Duff or Keane-o had made meat with their many opportunities yesterday (or if they hadn't been beat on their home turf last Saturday), we wouldn't be bemoaning this. It wasn't even sudden death--in fact, if the Irish had tied up the aggregate score in extras after the Gallas "goal" they would've moved on instead of Les Bleus since away goals count more. So, in conclusion, the Irish were definitely screwed--but screwed out of a chance at penalty kicks (where who knows what would've happened) at best, not necessarily screwed out of the Cup spot. The Irish outplayed them yesterday, yes, and got jobbed, yes, but let's not exaggerate the extent of the job.
Also, by the way, the Irish had no "dream of a second World Cup birth in a row"...they last played in the Cup in 2002 (and put on quite a good show I should add).
JRSF said:
Is there an echo in here?!? Aha, sorry guys.
Rock Mamola said:
Thanks JRSF and Shaneokeeffe for being my fact checkers. Much respect an the entry has been edited.
The luck of the Irish was not to be last night.
-RoCk
borg said:
Get a grip everyone!
Keane, the Irish player handled the ball 3 TIMES, 3 TIMES during the game, nothing said!
It happens in football. Ireland need to get over themselves.
And if the goal didn’t count….the game would still just gone to a lottery on penalties — they lost NOTHING.
Seriously, doesn’t Ireland have more problems like chronic unemployment (10%) and a city like Dublin city which has officially *the highest murder rate in Europe* to worry about a lot more than this?
Embarressing.
shaneokeeffe said:
Borg, the Henry handball was a direct and blatant cause of a goal. All I wanted was to get to penalties and take my chances with Shay Given in goal(one of the best in the world). That was the opportunity LOST. Ireland does have its problems with over immigration, unemployment, and everything else but this is something that poured salt on the wound. Sport is a getaway from the pressures of life and for some people that is all they have when things are in the Crapper. Doesn't this country have chronic unemployment? Doesn't Chicago have ridiculous murders involving innocent children? Every place has their problems and sometimes making outrageous statements about completely different issues is not warranted.
JRSF said:
Yeah, not sure what crime or unemployment has to do with it. I mean, France has a serious race problem, too, who cares in terms of sports.
Ireland (and the Irish diaspora and the Irish press) has a fair complaint here (to a point)...I don't see Irish politicians dropping everything to fly to FIFA to protest, though.
shaneokeeffe said:
The Irish Football Association has made the complaint to FIFA and to the French Football Association. That is their job. Some Government Representatives are at a EU Summit and plan to bring it up to the French President. There is the real world and the sports world, those are composed of completely different variables 98% of the time. That is all.
borg said:
When I heard the prime minister of Ireland calling the President of France to try and meet and discuss the "problem" of the game - I thought enough is ENOUGH.
Yeah every place has crime, and the Irish politicians should focus on those issues especially the one in Dublin with it being the murder city of Europe and huge unemployement there. Thats the point I was making!!
Great game, but they lost, it happens. Move on, there is bigger issues, politicians stay out of sport.
shaneokeeffe said:
Whatever...no point in getting into it.
jason said:
my friends in dublin are understandably gutted. one of them made a song about it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1viuMsZ0WMs
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