Ireland/France

Anyone watching this game?

Dive in the box by Anelka, should have been carded.

Hand ball by Henry in the box and the ball lands at Gallas's feet. Huge shame if that's the goal that ends Ireland's run.

1-0 Final to France, another case for video replay?

Have to say that Henry is a great footballer and has had a great career but he just tarnished his reputation for me.

The things players will do to win. Henry is not the first and he will not be the last.

When two offsides and a blatant handball get missed at the same time...you know its not your night.

Ireland had their chances to make sure Extra Time was not necessary, but they didnt take them.

Hahahah this is funny.. Ireland deserved to win.. but the better team prevails. Ah well i dont really care to be honest.

France need to buck their ideas up for next year.. they have played like Ireland over these 2 legs

You say the better team but I have to disagree!!

Over an entire qualifying campaign of 12 games and a 2 legged play off, Ireland deserved to be ahead of France. Over 14 games, that makes Ireland better.

France have the better players, but no confidence and a mental manager makes them a weaker team.

Irelands inferior players, but team spirit, work rate and a decent manager, make them a stronger team.

The weaker team is going to the World Cup. Good for England.

I watched this game. Firstly, I thought Ireland were definately the better team, that is up until the goal, where France had been applying a lot of pressure.

I also think that the penalty appeal should have been given, as I have Sky+ I went back over it a couple of times and if you look closely, Given just grabs Anelka's foot. So in that sense, maybe the goal was fair.

However, I do not believe what Henry did was in any way excusable, at least he showed some remorse at the end of the match and admitted he used his hand. I have a feeling this will open up the debate for the use of video replays in football again.

One last point... I know most (if not all of us) are annoyed at what Henry did, I would like to put the question to everyone... What if it was an England player that did what Henry did to win a match? Would you just laugh at it and move on, or maybe even defend their actions.. or would you say it shouldn't count and that England should lose the match? - Obviously a theoretical question, but I think it would be interesting to see what peoples and indeed the English media would make of it if it were to happen.

- I have to admit, I would say what they did was wrong, but still believe England should win their match and then laugh about the incident later on. Purely because I am biased I guess.

abcdef wrote:

You say the better team but I have to disagree!!

Over an entire qualifying campaign of 12 games and a 2 legged play off, Ireland deserved to be ahead of France. Over 14 games, that makes Ireland better.

France have the better players, but no confidence and a mental manager makes them a weaker team.

Irelands inferior players, but team spirit, work rate and a decent manager, make them a stronger team.

The weaker team is going to the World Cup. Good for England.

I would much rather play Ireland than France at the world cup. I seem to recall Germany in 2002... they struggled to qualify, and what did they end up doing!?

Two things have amused me from this game.

1: Henry has killed his career legend status and will always be rememberd for the hand ball rather than his outstanding pace and above average finishing.

2: The Irish have sent a letter to FIFA with the line "Show the world that FIFA live up to their pledge of Fair Play, and rule the game must be re-played"

Both things crack me up, but on a serious note - this might just push FIFA into a corner enough to force them to allow camera's deciding these important decisions.

Ireland are now asking to be considered as an extra team in the world cup.

Now, I had all the sympathy in the world for the Irish plight and wouldnt have been against the fixture being replayed since both sides were happy for it to happen.

That wont happen, so they should just take their defeat gracefully and know they were hard done by.

They are making fools of themselves now I believe and they risk people becoming less sympathetic with their cause.

So often, teams have been hard done by in the past and nothing has been done about it. Life goes on. Ireland need to drop this nonsense now and accept that they will not be in South Africa and it is not just a poor decision and a piece of cheating that cost them, but their own inability to put the French away when they had sufficient chance.

You don't want them to give it up. I think Ireland should invade France and if they take Paris before the draw on Friday they get to take France's spot at the World Cup. What with the French's record of throwing up their hands (pun on Henry's hand ball intended) the Irish stand a good chance of being in South Africa.

Irelands plea has been rejected and rightly so. Time to draw a line under the issue.