France v Rep of Ireland ,WC Playoff 2nd leg,[Mod Warning Post #1/988/1169/1400]

HashSlinging

Just back from watchin ght match absolutely amazing game, sickening BUT I am delighted to see so many posts on here backing the team, if the players could see the support they're getting they would take great pride.... I hope that this game is the sign of things to come and that the Team over country followers will wake up and back them in the euros.

I think an open top bus for the lads should be on the cards for tomorrow... they played like heros every one of them.

carlop

CHD is right, it was a bad decision and we are right to feel aggrieved, but ultimately we squandered a number of chances that would have put us beyond reach of the French.

I guess an argument could also be made that Keane should have gone down when he took it round Lloris, get the preemptive cheat in.

Kirby

CHD wrote: »

LOL. If you knew me you would realise how retarded your little dig is. Implying I care more about the club I follow than Ireland is crazy.

We could have put that game away, we had 3 great chances too. Blaming all this on this on the handball is stupid. It is our fault that the handball goal made the difference.

Also talking about what might have happened if the goal never stood is silly. Lets talk about what life would be like if we didn't discover the wheel.

I've seen you talk endlessly about Chelsea's matches....and you are shooting down people discussing the biggest match Ireland have had in years....mere hours after it has ended.

It speaks for itself. If you don't want to discuss the game, you don't have to. Stop telling other people to "move on".

speaktofrank

Daysha wrote: »

Anyone here if there's trouble in Paris? Andy Burton from Sky Sports just tweeted this...

"Went to find a McDonalds on Champs-Elysee. Found a riot. Shops looted, the lot. Decided to opt for room service"

Didn't say if it was directly related to the match, but it's a worrying development.

Algeria won the play off tonight against Egypt, I expect this to be the cause of this. Even here in Lyon cars were out beeping and flag waving before tonight game and I saw the CRS (riot police) lined up so if they were expecting trouble in Lyon then they must have had some in Paris.

joe123

Im going to wake up tomorrow morning and my heart is going to sink. Still gutted. Sometimes I wish I didnt give a fook about football.

stepbar

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I must say I'm sick and tired of this attitude that "we would celebrate if one of our players had done what Henry did", "happens every week etc". I for one would not celebrate a goal like that. I look back fondly on goals such as Alan McLoughlin's strike against NI. Goals that won us games on merit. I would not look back fondly on a goal that resulted from a player using their hand to play the ball across. Why? Because it's CHEATING. It would detract from the performance.

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths some Irish people will go to in order to defend the indefensible and kick up an argument. We lost tonight to a goal that should never have been given. We were wronged. Henry cheated. We were the victims of an injustice. This is not a view stemming from bias. Look at reports from the UK, Europe and America saying the same thing.

How is cheating to be eradicated from the game when some people will just shrug their shoulders about it and crow that it happens all the time so why make a fuss?

O would you cop yourself on. Your personal opinion accounts for nothing. The fact remains that the officals on the night misses 2 hand balls and an offside. FIFA are the overall body that officates over each and every match in soccer. It's them you should be having issue with.

mayordenis

I think anyone who tries to blame us for this will lose all credibility,
it was an actof cheating that robbed us of a very good chance not a squandered change by keane or Duff - we had a huge task today and we set out and did our job in an incredible manner, and then the sucker punch happened and people say we are at fault. nonsense. Robbed.

CHD

Kirby wrote: »

I've seen you talk endlessly about Chelsea's matches....and you are shooting down people discussing the biggest match Ireland have had in years....mere hours after it has ended.

It speaks for itself. If you don't want to discuss the game, you don't have to. Stop telling other people to "move on".

You want to discuss a handball and what might have happened after, not the biggest match in a while. This is silly and anyone with two brain cells can see this.

I have posted a good bit about the Ireland match. I was bumping threads as soon as the Chelsea match was over last weekend to get the Irish discussion going. I posted what you are quoting me on in a different thread which has since been merged with this so I am not ''shooting down people discussing the biggest match Ireland have had in years....mere hours after it has ended. '' I am saying its time to move on talking about a topic which imo is silly. Why not start a thread on Keane, O'Shea and Duff's vital misses, its the same thing basically.

Now don't bother replying please, no point.

Pro. F

I'm bursting with pride for how the lads played tonight. Their courage and commitment was magnificent and they can hold their heads high. Their performance tonight was the epitome of bravery and dignity. They made me proud to be Irish.

People saying that we should have scored more of our chances are talking absolute bollox. What the fùck does 'SHOULD have scored more' mean anyway?! We are a tiny footballing nation, going through a hard time, and we were taking on a footballing super power in their own back yard. We out fought them for the entire game and scored a goal. The players left NOTHING out on the pitch. With even moderate good luck another one of our efforts would have gone in or France's totally unfair goal would have been disallowed. Ireland were the best team over the two legs and the players deserve only praise for their performance not criticism that they didn't score more.

That brings me to this - Henry is a cheat. There is no doubt. It suprises and shocks me that he has acted in this way. It was sickeningly dishonourable behaviour and his record will be forever tainted by it.

But it begs the question, what is wrong with football? How is it possible that our stars and idols should behave in this way? How can we accept that a game of such importance - with so much emotion invested by fans and players - should be totally invalidated by an action that takes place against the rules and goes unpunished? Ultimately the rules and the structures of the game shape the behaviour of the players. Doyle's comments after the game show how endemic the problem is - blatant and unpunished cheating is a central part of modern football. That is unacceptable. This must change. For the love of God fifa, introduce video technology now!

L'prof

mayordenis wrote: »

I think anyone who tries to blame us for this will lose all credibility,
it was an actof cheating that robbed us of a very good chance not a squandered change by keane or Duff - we had a huge task today and we set out and did our job in an incredible manner, and then the sucker punch happened and people say we are at fault. nonsense. Robbed.

Granted we had our chances, but chances can be missed and that goal should not have stood!

stepbar

DazMarz wrote: »

The better team lost

The big teams get all the big decisions

Etc. Etc. Et-fúcking-cetera...

All the clichés in the world won't help... We lost, they won. Not fair, not right, not good... But in the end, it's what the powers that be wanted and the powers that be always get what they want, unfortunately. The only result that went against Blatter and Platini tonight was the Russia/Slovenia one.

3 outta 4 ain't bad for FIFA and UEFA. The fact that they would trample and walk all over the smaller nations is nothing new. But it is still suprememly nasty when it happens to us.

Long live the boys in green... You all did us proud, lads, you all did each and every one of us proud...

Bollox a pure load of bollox :rolleyes:

Pro. F

DazMarz wrote: »

The better team lost

The big teams get all the big decisions

Etc. Etc. Et-fúcking-cetera...

All the clichés in the world won't help... We lost, they won. Not fair, not right, not good... But ...

No but. If it's not right, fair nor good then it needs to be changed. And it can be changed.

The fatalism of some people disgusts me tbh.

Agent Smith

"18th November 09,Thierry Henry breaks the world gang bang record as he 'single handedly' fucks entire population of Ireland"

nkay1985

Gutted. I physically felt like vomiting after that tonight.

I haven't felt that bad since the play-off against Belgium for a place at the 1998 World Cup. Everyone remember when they get awarded a throw that was actually ours, then threw it in, flicked it on and Luc Nilis scored to send them through instead of us? They were awarded that throw even though Dennis Irwin, one of the most honest players to ever kick a ball, insisted that it was ours. Tonight, we had Shay Given, as honest as Irwin, pleading with the referee to give the handball. If any other team in international football has luck as bad as us in games of this magnitude, I can't think of them.

My heart is broken for those lads tonight. They left nothing on that pitch. They were immense to a man. Who knows what would have happened if that goal wasn't awarded? None of us ever will.

I presume we all also remember Arsenal offering to replay their FA Cup 5th round match against Sheffield United in 1999 when United had put the ball out of play and, instead of giving them the ball from the throw-in, Kanu broke away and squared it to Overmars who scored. They offered that replay because the win had come about through unsportsmanlike behaviour. Arsene Wenger, a Frenchman, brought this about. Will any Frenchmen be man enough to suggest a similar action in this instance? Will they f*ck!

L'prof

nkay1985 wrote: »

Will any Frenchmen be man enough to suggest a similar action in this instance? Will they f*ck!

Not if it's Domenech you're waiting on...that goal saved his job!

~Rebel~

just absolutely gutted.

So proud of the team though, they played better then i could have imagined they could.

I'm sure its probably been mentioned, but when the ball was falling for Henry, McShane actively didn't put a head on it. I cant help but think if O Shea was still on the pitch, Henry would never have gotten the chance to handle.

OPENROAD

nkay1985 wrote: »

I presume we all also remember Arsenal offering to replay their FA Cup 5th round match against Sheffield United in 1999 when United had put the ball out of play and, instead of giving them the ball from the throw-in, Kanu broke away and squared it to Overmars who scored. They offered that replay because the win had come about through unsportsmanlike behaviour. Arsene Wenger, a Frenchman, brought this about. Will any Frenchmen be man enough to suggest a similar action in this instance? Will they f*ck!

A lot of credit must go to The Arsenal board for this who from what I remember played a huge part, and to be honest we didn't have to do it.

nkay1985

OPENROAD wrote: »

A lot of credit must go to The Arsenal board for this who from what I remember played a huge part, and to be honest we didn't have to do it.

Absolutely. It showed that there was still some decency in football.

In snooker and golf, players call fouls on themselves all the time. I've seen snooker players call fouls on themselves in matches on unbelievable significance in their careers. I'm sure there are golfers who have called fouls on themselves in majors and Ryder Cups. So the significance of this game shouldn't matter. It seems that the normal, everyday Frenchman is not happy about this at all. But there is no chance that any senior figure in the French Football Association, UEFA or FIFA will even comment on this.

bUILDERtHEbOB

Domenech had no right to celebrate after the match, made me sick watching him, the incompetent gimp.

I hope France make it to the semi's so he stay's on for another four years.

CHD

bUILDERtHEbOB wrote: »

Domenech had no right to celebrate after the match, made me sick watching him, the incompetent gimp.

I hope France make it to the semi's so he stay's on for another four years.

He's gone as soon as they go out, he will be made resign with dignity even if they win it.

Mr.Nice Guy

stepbar wrote: »

O would you cop yourself on. Your personal opinion accounts for nothing. The fact remains that the officals on the night misses 2 hand balls and an offside. FIFA are the overall body that officates over each and every match in soccer. It's them you should be having issue with.

What are you on about man? I don't give a flying frog's leg if you think my personal opinion accounts for nothing. Isn't that your opinion? :rolleyes:

The fact remains Henry CHEATED and we lost out on a place in the World Cup as a result of this act of cheating. Why should I only have a beef with FIFA and not the guy who pulled the wool over the FIFA referee and linesman's eyes?

OPENROAD

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

The fact remains Henry CHEATED and we lost out on a place in the World Cup as a result of this act of cheating.

Would the game not have gone to pens?

major bill

really gutted:( ireland played really well and deserved better, real shame the way we lost. i used to admire henry for his ability he's a great ambassator to the game and to kids but tonight he let himself down and should be ashamed of himself.
in saying that, we had the chances and we should have put them away but fair play to the lads they gave it their all!!!!!!!

DU.LLAHAN

Originally Posted by Mr.Nice Guy
The fact remains Henry CHEATED and we lost out on a place in the World Cup as a result of this act of cheating.

This is true, but it would never of mattered if duff scored his chance.

elius

Lads ladies the performance means nothing now sure they (Ireland) where fantastic yes they did the nation proud but that all went out the window when henry handled the ball and ireland failed to make the world cup. No one ever remembers the loosers. At the end of the day we wont be in south africa. Dunne, Given , keane , Duff had one last crack of a world cup and these are the players i feel most sorry for there dreams have finished and france have left ireland in a horrible state as i fell reprocutions might arrise players retiring etc.....

carlop

mayordenis wrote: »

I think anyone who tries to blame us for this will lose all credibility,
it was an actof cheating that robbed us of a very good chance not a squandered change by keane or Duff - we had a huge task today and we set out and did our job in an incredible manner, and then the sucker punch happened and people say we are at fault. nonsense. Robbed.

I wasn't for a minute suggesting that we didn't do our job in an incredible manner! The very fact that we created so many chances is testament to a performance better than any I can recall by our national team.

We were cheated, no one doubts that for a second. The cruel reality is that we played well enough to put France away in ordinary time. Unfortunately we weren't ruthless enough to do it.

FatherTed

~Rebel~ wrote: »

just absolutely gutted.

So proud of the team though, they played better then i could have imagined they could.

I'm sure its probably been mentioned, but when the ball was falling for Henry, McShane actively didn't put a head on it. I cant help but think if O Shea was still on the pitch, Henry would never have gotten the chance to handle.

Can't really blame McShane as Henry was also offside, that's how he got behind him.

kincsem

FIFA

Fûck Ireland France Allez

cooker3

People asking for the match to be replayed are pretty deluded. Leaving aside the fact that there is no gap in the fixture list to play it. The precedent would be terrible. Do we have to replay against Georgia for being awarded a penalty that blatantly wasn't and so on.
It's not going to happen nor should it.

Gaspode

Anyone got any good pictures of the 4 or 5 times Robbie Keane deliberately handled the ball? I guess he just wasnt as skilled at that as Henry was.

One of the reasons I love soccer is that the refs are fallible, and stupid decisions are made. Heaven forbid they bring in video umpires or electronic off-side calling, it would just ruin half the fun of the game. Threads like these would never get to 35+ pages if those sort of things were brought in, and what would we have to bitch & groan about after every match?

Bandit12

just destroyed inside. To lose in this manner makes you wonder why bother. The beautiful game? Don't make me laugh

efb

Why didn't they bring on Stephen Hunt to 'deal' with le cheat...

Qprmeath

I posted this on Sunday morning. I still believe we blew this at home on Saturday.

We will now go to Paris, give it a lash and draw and ultimately go out with a moral victory. Then we will start wondering why we didnt give it a proper go in our HOME leg. In their last seven away games before last night France have won two and they were against relative minnows. They were there or the taking but Mr. Trap with his "dont lose, never win" tactics knows better of course.

Bandit12

Qprmeath wrote: »

I posted this on Sunday morning. I still believe we blew this at home on Saturday.

We will now go to Paris, give it a lash and draw and ultimately go out with a moral victory. Then we will start wondering why we didnt give it a proper go in our HOME leg. In their last seven away games before last night France have won two and they were against relative minnows. They were there or the taking but Mr. Trap with his "dont lose, never win" tactics knows better of course.

I posted some time ago that football is rife with corruption and that FIFA would do everything in their powers to get France into the World Cup. Is that traps fault also. The man is a hero for getting us into this situation after the Stan disaster years.

Xavi6

Qprmeath wrote: »

I posted this on Sunday morning. I still believe we blew this at home on Saturday.

We will now go to Paris, give it a lash and draw and ultimately go out with a moral victory. Then we will start wondering why we didnt give it a proper go in our HOME leg. In their last seven away games before last night France have won two and they were against relative minnows. They were there or the taking but Mr. Trap with his "dont lose, never win" tactics knows better of course.

Be that as it may, we attacked them from the off last night and went out to win that game and that can't be faulted.

We may have slightly fecked up at home but last night unreal.

johnnyboy4711

Especially for Damien Duff,he turned back the clock and was playing like he used to in his hayday with blackburn.
The ground he made up to cross for keane for the goal was savage!
I new it was going to be eventually like the officials in "escape to victory".
France are "too big" not to be in the world cup,especially when platini is in charge.
Sad day for Irish football and I think Football has lost some credibility.
slan
john

Mitch Connor

johnnyboy4711 wrote: »

Especially for Damien Duff,he turned back the clock and was playing like he used to in his hayday with blackburn.
The ground he made up to cross for keane for the goal was savage!
I new it was going to be eventually like the officials in "escape to victory".
France are "too big" not to be in the world cup,especially when platini is in charge.
Sad day for Irish football and I think Football has lost some credibility.
slan
john

I don't honestly think the ref/lineman deliberatly screwed Ireland out of it. Don't forget the French had a goal disalllowed last night just before the handball goal for a very close offside (as close as the one we weren't given for the handball goal). If they were corrupt in their actions, they could easily have allowed Govou's goal to stand.

MagicMarker

Folks, prepare to be sickened even further.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1119/republic_france.html

Robbie Keane hit out at the presidents of FIFA and UEFA following the Republic of Ireland's World Cup exit, claiming they would be 'delighted' that France had gone through thanks to a hugely controversial winning goal.

Striker Thierry Henry clearly handled the ball before squaring it across goal for William Gallas to net the winner after Republic skipper Keane had levelled the aggregate score in the first half of the play-off second leg in Paris.

And Keane claims FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his UEFA counterpart Michel Platini got the result they would have wanted last night.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: 'They're all probably clapping hands, Platini sitting up there on the phone to Sepp Blatter, probably texting each other, delighted with the result.'

The Tottenham forward also criticised the late decision to seed the play-off ties when it emerged that established football powers such as France, Portugal and at one stage Germany could be involved.

Keane said: 'Germany had a chance of being in the (play-offs) as well. With two massive countries there's no way in a million years is there going to be fair draw.'

Henry's handball was another incident in support of video evidence being used during matches to support referees.

He added: 'He (Henry) nearly caught it, so it's a bit of a killer. When you see the reaction of the players, (goalkeeper) Shay (Given) especially, he's two yards away from it.

'You don't get a reaction like that if he's not sure it's a handball. He almost caught it and ran into the net with it.'

Henry admitted the ball did strike his hand and claims he told the referee, who chose to allow the goal to stand.

The Barcelona striker said: 'The ball hit my hand, I will be honest. It was a handball, you can clearly see it. (Sebastien) Squillaci went to jump with two Irish players, I was behind him and the next thing I know the ball hit my hand.

'It was a handball, but I'm not the ref. I told (the referee) but he said to me the same: 'You are not the ref.'

delija_sever029

I am sorry i couldnt watch this game but our media informs that Ireland was way better team of the match,at least you can be proud on your folks coz they didnt lose like some girls over there,they were giving their best at the moment but yeah,sometimes even that isnt enough,and i am not gonna take those stories like football is fair play game,its a game of money and power!

I wont ever foreget a match from EURO 2000 when Serbia was in group stage with Spain,Norway and Slovenia and in last match of the group phase we played with Spain who needed all 3 points to go advance,we demolished them in that match and referee kept making them back to match,at the end we had 3-2 in 90th minute,he gave them non existing penalty kick and make 8 MINUTES OF EXTRA TIME until they scored 4th one to win,he let them playing until they scored and in a second he called end of the match,i remember he left the pitch with blood over his head coz of course serbian fans were throwing everything possible on him and one dude hitted him with coin in head,later we complained an everything,he got some suspension coz he was obviously making crap out there but look,SURPRISE,suspension was canceled just when EURO was over....maybe its funny but it was FRENCH REFEREE:D

So no matter how much we wont or dont want to believe,France will bring more money to FIFA and thats why they would stay blind on anything last night,i am sure they would get penalty in 120th minute if Gallas didnt score earlier....

BaZmO*

Gutted, absolutely gutted.

yom 1

Last night was gut-wrenching. It was horrible. The best team hasn't qualified......:(

Fifa got what they wanted with the big team going through. Ireland have played 10 games in trying to qualify for this world cup, and to go out to an offside handball is just so wrong. Fifa need to stand up and say this can't happen in football anymore. Video refs are a necessity in the modern game. The cheats should be punished, they should not be celebrating what they have "achieved" through cheating whilst trying to shove the blame on the ref for not seeing it..........

Mitch Connor

MagicMarker wrote: »

Folks, prepare to be sickened even further.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1119/republic_france.html

First off - that is still not an admission from Henry - claiming the ball just hit his hand... he deliberately controlled the ball with his hand, it didn't just hit him.

Secondly, when did he tell the ref? When he was off celebrating in front of the french fans immediately after the goal? Did he tell the ref before the restart (when something could be done) or after the restart, when the ref could do nothing?

To be honest, given the fact Henry deliberately cheated, I see no reason to believe him anyway, as he has shown himself to be a dishonest person.

Keano

Henry admitted the ball did strike his hand and claims he told the referee, who chose to allow the goal to stand.

When I heard that this morning I was so mad. Admitting it hit his hand, how about Henry we hear you say you played the ball with your hand, not it hit my hand.

yom 1

Mitch Connor wrote: »

First off - that is still not an admission from Henry - claiming the ball just hit his hand... he deliberately controlled the ball with his hand, it didn't just hit him.

Secondly, when did he tell the ref? When he was off celebrating in front of the french fans immediately after the goal? Did he tell the ref before the restart (when something could be done) or after the restart, when the ref could do nothing?

To be honest, given the fact Henry deliberately cheated, I see no reason to believe him anyway, as he has shown himself to be a dishonest person.

+1

Couldn't have put it better myself

grames_bond

Lets start a petition.....to rename henry street "cheat street" :cool:

that "admission" was pathetic, it was him still syaing he did nothing wrong, as if the ball magically accidentally struck his hand TWICE! oh would you f*ck off! I agree with trap...."fifa fair play"? what was fair about anything to do with the playoffs!?

Thierry Henry.....tu est un tricheur!

ROCKMAN

What are peoples thoughts on Giles idea to deal with last nights situation ?

Ref unsure or unsighted , ask the player in these situations and if the video evidence after the game shows that he lied , automatic 5 or 6 match ban


So be honest I like it ,

The Muppet

ROCKMAN wrote: »

What are peoples thoughts on Giles idea to deal with last nights situation ?

Ref unsure or unsighted , ask the player in these situations and if the video evidence after the game shows that he lied , automatic 5 or 6 match ban


So be honest I like it ,

There was thread on a similar suggestion here lately, I think it's worth a try.

I think it would have worked last night for instance. What happened was really out of character and I think he would have come clean if the question was put to him.

CCCP^

Sickened by Henry last night, actually couldn't sleep. It's unbelievable to be knocked out of the World Cup this way. I don't think any of the match officials should be considered for WC duty after that farce. I don't think it was a conspiracy, but you can hardly blame anyone for thinking it.

Henry is a disgrace, I would be mortally ashamed if I were him. The French won't get far in the WC, I predict them to be knocked out in the group stages.

Well done lads, you done us proud, you were the better team by far.

therecklessone

Yet again, with feeling...

Emotions will run high, but remember there is a standard of behaviour we are all expected to adhere to when posting.

No abuse, of other users or of players

death1234567

ROCKMAN wrote: »

What are peoples thoughts on Giles idea to deal with last nights situation ?

Ref unsure or unsighted , ask the player in these situations and if the video evidence after the game shows that he lied , automatic 5 or 6 match ban

So be honest I like it ,

Isn't this what they do in the bundesliga for diving incidents?


*Insert Puke emoticon*
McBain deserves to take some/alot of the blame for that goal too. Shocking to let the ball bounce in the box like that.