Another reason to hate France

Just when some beautiful football was getting started with the Champions League in full swing and the World Cup qualifiers nearly finished, an ugly scene happened during the France-Ireland playoffs; a match so big that the loser would not make the final, losing out on a ton of money and a worldwide audience next summer. The ugly incident was no brawl, injury or head-butt though, it was a simple rules violation.

Every kid that has ever played soccer in gym class or during recess or any person that has even heard of the game knows this rule: You cannot use your hands. Does that seem pretty simple to you? It is but because a referee missed a fairly obvious occurrence, the Irish will be sitting at home in July 2010 instead of visiting frigid South Africa.

Ireland had scored during regulation time to draw the aggregate series to 1-1 and force extra time. That’ where France was attacking an errant pass in the box came up, bounced off of Thierry Henry’s hand and went right past the goaltender and in front to a charging William Gallas, who swiftly deposited the ball in the back of the net.

It was so egregious that even Henry said to an Irish defender that the ball hit his hand, “but it wasn’t on purpose.” Either way, a handball is a handball and the refs made the second worst missed handball call in the history of the beautiful game.

Well, good for Ireland, calling for a replay. If FIFA had any sense of fairness, it would grant the Irish their wish. It’s the right thing to do for a country that was clearly wronged.