yeah patrique no wonder antrim win nothing with ur negative attitude.....

richiescats (USA) - Posts: 420 - 20/11/2009 00:02:12    489091

This sums it all up really:

link

Real Louth fan (Louth) - Posts: 3157 - 20/11/2009 00:24:51    489107

I think the points being made about who cheats and how often are irrelevant. It isn't just the particular incident. The first time the ball came down and hit Henry's arm - fair enough - he probably thought McShane would have cleared it (presumably because he'd never seen him play before or he'd have known better). But when he looked, tensed his hand, then stopped the ball going out of play and it dropped - he had quickly moved beyond the point where it was a 50-50 ball-to-hand incident. He could still have knocked it out of play or half-heartedly tapped it to Given, but he played on (and then celebrated) as if there was nothing untoward. His reward - getting France to the World Cup etc - magnified this incident well beyond normal. Given his track record (particularly the dive that led to the goal that put Spain out of the last World Cup) - the idea that this is somehow an aberration on Henry's part is absurd (check it out on youtube if you don't know it). However, the timing - in extra time of the most dramatic of the final qualifiers for the World Cup has amplified this into a much more significant issue. A lot of world wide sporting events are being squeezed over cheating of one form or other (Tour de France, Olympics etc) - presumably football is benefitting financially from this as it has a much better market share of tv revenues, or at least is maintaining its position in face of competition. Ironically - incidents like this throw up problems for FIFA - a big nation with clout (Platini etc) - draws a small nation in a re-organised draw (which was designed to favour the bigger nations ANYWAY) - then wins through a goal where a deliberate foul was perpetrated and not picked up by officials (who could mysteriously discriminate on repeated other occasions between Robbie Keane's shoulder and upper arm at any variety of distances - and the tv camera angle suggests the linesman had a perfect view of Henry's hand). Given that FIFAs lovely juicy revenues come from selling the idea of the 'beautiful game' to the huge number of countries with no hope of winning the World Cup - they are seriously tarnishing the romance that everyone is on the same playing field (i.e. you might be a minnow but, on your day, you never know who you'll beat). At least in the non-professional world of the GAA it is only bragging rights at stake. In world football its hard cash (and lots of it). And there won't be a replay of the game, fullstop. And I even doubt that there will be any sanction against Henry (surely a ban for the first 3 games of the world cup is merited). BUT, will the FAI come out of this with some dignity? I'm begining to doubt that it will. As a professional (i.e. for profit) sport, soccer is actually in the dock here - oddly, sports like golf (so beloved of the super-rich) appear to have a much better ethos about admitting to fouls - soccer, supposedly the working man's game, is the most extreme, grubby sport of all - win at any cost and have no shame about how you do it - none whatsover. Jesus you can even shamelessly go and sit beside the likes of Richard Dunne afterwards and apologise blandly as if you had just pranged his car (Dunne presumably is a zen buddhist - Roy Keane would have happily stomped a Thierry Henry shaped hole in the pitch if he'd gone near him after that - and Keano would have brought Henry's left hand home for his mantelpiece or for the dog to chew). Remember all this next summer lads - don't stay in to watch the World Cup games - support your local GAA club, whethers its the U12 B side or the senior hurlers. At least what you're seeing is genuine and heartfelt.

pearsesabu (Antrim) - Posts: 663 - 20/11/2009 00:48:44    489112

Plastic Paddy
County: Tyrone
Posts: 387


Your ******* right there!! The amount of times he got away without being booked was shocking.




Look on the bright side Plastic Paddy, it could it have been us.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 20/11/2009 01:52:39    489125