Football forever

[Mike from Boston]

I don't follow your football but I did see Ireland getting robbed this morning on ESPN. Not sure why people are mad at Henry, it's the referees who should
be investigated.

Why don't they have a replay challenge like they have in most major sports in the US? NFL, NHL. Even baseball umpires have had limited rights to use replay
and that is being expanded.

Oh well, in any case, if you want to get back at France, just threaten to invade, I am sure they will surrender....

[Niall]

I don't follow your football but I did see Ireland getting robbed this morning on ESPN. Not sure why people are mad at Henry, it's the referees who should
be investigated.

Why don't they have a replay challenge like they have in most major sports in the US? NFL, NHL. Even baseball umpires have had limited rights to use replay
and that is being expanded.

Oh well, in any case, if you want to get back at France, just threaten to invade, I am sure they will surrender....

because he cheated

[philipchevron]

Why don't they have a replay challenge like they have in most major sports in the US? NFL, NHL. Even baseball umpires have had limited rights to use replay
and that is being expanded.

Your games are accustomed to interruptions for whatever reason. It's sort of the antithesis of how soccer works though. However, the video referee debate gets new legs every time something like this happens. As the game gets more and more money-orientated and therefore, with more of it at stake, the innovation seems to creep a bit closer. But there's very little money in international, as opposed to Club, football, so nothing will happen this time. Maybe if Brazil or Germany were the wounded party. Republic of Ireland not so much.

[CraigBatty]

I've seen and read rumblings that FIFA, UEFA and whoever are actually considering calling a rematch. Any clarifications on this from those on the ground closer to hand?

Fucking disgraceful episode, and the referee is the obvious culprit here whatever Henry's actual and obvious culpability.

[Niall]

I've seen and read rumblings that FIFA, UEFA and whoever are actually considering calling a rematch. Any clarifications on this from those on the ground closer to hand?

Fucking disgraceful episode, and the referee is the obvious culprit here whatever Henry's actual and obvious culpability.

ref couldnt see it, the linesman had an uninterrupted view and has no excuse for missing the handballs, and the 2 offsides

[CraigBatty]

I've seen and read rumblings that FIFA, UEFA and whoever are actually considering calling a rematch. Any clarifications on this from those on the ground closer to hand?

Fucking disgraceful episode, and the referee is the obvious culprit here whatever Henry's actual and obvious culpability.

ref couldnt see it, the linesman had an uninterrupted view and has no excuse for missing the handballs, and the 2 offsides

And what about the video? The linesman? The 500,000,000 people who watched it? The man who admitted to doing it? You have got to be fucking kidding me. We can invade pissant tinpot countries on less evidence of guilt than that. Someone should cop ointo themselves about the video evidence immediately.

Hi Niall by the way!

[firehazard]

ref couldnt see it, the linesman had an uninterrupted view and has no excuse for missing the handballs, and the 2 offsides

It was one of those occasions where the referee needed help from the linesman and simply didn't get it. There's no way the ref himself could've seen the handball from where he was standing.

Henry got away with it. It was simple dirty cheating. At least I guess we won't have to put up with his reputation as an "ambassador for the game" any more. He should get a ban for bringing the game into disrepute, or whatever it's called now.

And there's no chance whatsoever of a replay. I shall eat my titfer if there is one.

And I don't think video replays are the answer to all football's refereeing problems. They work mostly ok in rugby, but there even multiple viewings from a variety of cameras aren't always conclusive (though admittedly they would have been in this case - but that assumes that the match officials would have thought there was some doubt about the goal, and there's no sign that at the time they did so. So the video evidence might not even have been used in the heat of the moment). And I don't think football crowds would necessarily have the patience to sit waiting for a video-ref to make decisions...

[Mike from Boston]

One thing I still don't get is the outrage towards Henry. Except for maybe "gentlemen" games like golf or tennis, there is always an element of trying to push the limits of what you can get away with. I played ice hockey for many years, mostly on defense, if I was beat on a play, I may
try a subtle hook or my favorite a poke check at the skates that was really tripping. It was a risk/reward thing-if I get away with it, maybe I
stop a good scoring chance if not, I hurt my team by going to the penalty box or risking a penalty shot. Also another thing with regard to any sort
of game preparation is knowing the referee's tendencies, does he call a tight game, or does he have a tendency to let things go.

I mean if Henry lets the ball go, it goes out of bounds. If he uses his hand and gets away with it, well... But if he gets caught what happens?
Ball is turned over? Big Deal.

[NewJerseyRich]

ESPN reported this morning FIFA confirmed no rematch though the odds of that were never high. Additionally no consequences for Henry. I'm not a huge "football" just can't get away from saying "soccer" here in the States. Mike this is different from Hockey, etc where you can hold up or make a poke check and the call/noncall by the ref is at his discretion. The same with the stike zone in Baseball being a judgement call. Along with a holding call in the NFL. I'd say the move Henry made it's comparable with catching the puck in mid air and throwing it in for a goal....to move on to the playoffs.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6924267.ece

[firehazard]

I mean if Henry lets the ball go, it goes out of bounds. If he uses his hand and gets away with it, well... But if he gets caught what happens?

Well, in theory it should've been regarded as a case of deliberate handball, which should merit a yellow card for the offending player and a free kick against his team.

Reasons for the specific outrage against Henry specifically in this case? Partly because of who he is: captain of the national team, and someone who's carefully built up a reputation for being one of the sport's "good guys", which has added to his marketability. Although if you look back over his career there have been a fair few blemishes there actually. And the way in which he obviously knew he'd done wrong, but couldn't quite manage to admit it until too late...

There are things that you can get away with in sport when there aren't a whole load of cameras trained on you. Although in fact he did get away with it in this case, didn't he?

[Mike from Boston]

Some good points about Henry (I confess to not knowing anything about him other than being aware of his name). But again, what would you expect him to do? I mean if he or Maradona (sp?) told the ref to take back the goal I imagine they would never be able to step foot in their home countries again. Ok,
I think I have reached my quota on this type of football talk for the decade

[philipchevron]

Some good points about Henry (I confess to not knowing anything about him other than being aware of his name). But again, what would you expect him to do? I mean if he or Maradona (sp?) told the ref to take back the goal I imagine they would never be able to step foot in their home countries again. Ok,
I think I have reached my quota on this type of football talk for the decade

It's not in Henry's gift to "tell" the referee to reverse any of his decisions, though it sometimes seems that way with these primping peacocks. Though Henry's handball infringement is now beyond dispute - it is accepted by all parties - ultimately the decision was a refereeing error. I notice that the incident is now appearing on news networks here in the USA (CNN Headline News had it this morning) and frankly, France and Henry are the long term losers in this. Meanwhile, Ireland can add yet another "moral victory" to their legend.

[philipchevron]

from Thierry Henry, November 20

"I have said at the time and I will say again that yes I handled the ball. I am not a cheat and never have been.

"It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area.

"As a footballer you do not have the luxury of the television to slow the pace of the ball down 100 times to be able to make a conscious decision.

"People are viewing a slow motion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game.

"If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction.

"It is impossible to be anything other than that. I have never denied that the ball was controlled with my hand. I told the Irish players, the referee and the media this after the game.

"Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa.

"Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control.

"There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish."

[Eckhard]

from Thierry Henry, November 20

"I have said at the time and I will say again that yes I handled the ball. I am not a cheat and never have been.

"It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area.

"As a footballer you do not have the luxury of the television to slow the pace of the ball down 100 times to be able to make a conscious decision.

"People are viewing a slow motion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game.

"If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction.

"It is impossible to be anything other than that. I have never denied that the ball was controlled with my hand. I told the Irish players, the referee and the media this after the game.

"Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa.

"Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control.

"There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish."

He seems to be a pretty cool guy, that Mr. Henry

[philipchevron]

from Thierry Henry, November 20

"I have said at the time and I will say again that yes I handled the ball. I am not a cheat and never have been.

"It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area.

"As a footballer you do not have the luxury of the television to slow the pace of the ball down 100 times to be able to make a conscious decision.

"People are viewing a slow motion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game.

"If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction.

"It is impossible to be anything other than that. I have never denied that the ball was controlled with my hand. I told the Irish players, the referee and the media this after the game.
"Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa.

"Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control.

"There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish."

He seems to be a pretty cool guy, that Mr. Henry

Perhaps, though his statement may have carried more weight, even made a difference, if he had made it before UEFA and FIFA ruled that the game would not be replayed. You also have to wonder how "instinctive" your reaction could be when you're 32 years old, have been a top ranking professional footballer half your life and you handle the ball not once (for which lesser players have not had the benefit of the doubt) but twice!