Recent Offside Calls
Nov 20, 2009

How Long Until We Forgive Thierry Henry?

By: Daryl | Comments 24 comments

henry sorry


Latest development in the already long running Thierry Henry handball incident (or "la main de dieu" as it's being called by some) is that Henry himself thinks a replay is a good idea:

"The fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control," said the Barcelona striker.
"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," Henry added.
"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."

Very nice of Titi, although very convenient that he's saying this after FIFA ruled out any possibility of a replay:

"The result of the match cannot be changed and the match cannot be replayed," FIFA said in a statement. "As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game, during matches, decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final."

But a good public relations move from Henry anyway. Yes, calling for a replay he knows to be impossible is a little transparent, but at least he's owned up to handballing (if not premeditatedly cheating) and shown some remorse.

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Category Category: World Cup 2010

November 20th, 2009

Just How Corrupt is European Football?

By: Daryl | Comments 2 Comments

euro corruptionIt’s difficult to answer that question with any precision. But seems the answer is “a lot more corrupt than we realized”. Because German prosecutors think it’s corrupt enough that 200 games of European football need to be investigating. Including 12 in the Europa League and at least three in the Champions League. Yes, that Champions League. The one with the fancy music.

According to the BBC:

On Thursday police carried out about 50 raids in Germany, the UK, Switzerland and Austria, making 17 arrests and seizing cash and property.

Fifteen of those arrested were in Germany and the other two in Switzerland.

Matches under investigation were played in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Austria.

Officials said the games included the 40 which Uefa revealed in September were under investigation.

Prosecutors believe a 200-strong criminal gang has bribed players, coaches, referees and officials to fix games and then made money by betting on the results.

The investigation is being carried out by German authorities and supported by Uefa, the European football body.

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Category Category: World Football
November 20th, 2009

10 Reasons Why Everyone – Even Euro-Snobs – Should Watch MLS Cup 2009

By: Daryl | Comments 10 Comments

mls cup 2009 logo


I asked for a Beckham vs Blanco, LA Galaxy vs Chicago Fire MLS Cup 2009. But my request was denied when Real Salt Lake beat Fire on spot kicks in the Eastern Conference Final.

Still, as MLS-based attention grabbing events go, an LA Galaxy vs Real Salt Lake MLS Cup 2009 is up there. I’ll definitely be watching. Below are 10 reasons why you should too.

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Category Category: MLS
Nov 19, 2009

The 32 Teams of the 2010 World Cup

By: chris | Comments 38 comments

fifa-world-cup-2010Qualification is officially over. Playoffs won, tears shed, hearts broken and dreams renewed, it's all over. After Uruguay withstood the Costa Rican pressure late in the evening, the final 32 teams were written into stone - though not without a fair bit of controversy.

The following are those 32 teams who will take part in South Africa 2010. And perhaps what's a bit special is the 32 include every single World Cup winner in history, precisely due to the Uruguayan stand.

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Category Category: World Football
November 19th, 2009

Daily Dose: November 19th, 2009.

By: chris | Comments 2 Comments

The Germans become comic book heroes before our very eyes.


Category Category: Daily Dose
Nov 19, 2009

Ireland Demands Replay With Honest-To-Goodness Precedent

By: chris | Comments 65 comments

DV605831The furor over last night's game will not settle down anytime soon. Not tomorrow, not next week, not even before the traveling circus takes to South Africa next summer. Not unless something is done to eradicate the impact of The Hand of Henry on the outcome of the game.

The Irish FA, of course you'd hear from them, have come up with a simple solution: replay the game. But perhaps more important than any march on the Swiss headquarters, they have that all important word known as a precedent.

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Category Category: World Football
Nov 19, 2009

XI Things We Learned From The World Cup Qualifying Playoffs

By: chris | Comments 10 comments

Uruguay Costa Rica WCup SoccerThe games didn't really have everything, did they? The results did - some upsets, some heroics, a few of the expected teams going in - but outside of the one game which forced a playoff (Egypt 2 - Algeria 0), some of these games were completely zapped of the necessary drama.

(Not, of course, that one played in the Stade de France.)

And sometimes, that's how you know the World Cup is on the fore. Staunch defense, gritty performances and the triumph of will over superiority. The World Cup Qualifying has definitively been left in the dust, but we did learn a thing or two...

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Category Category: World Football
Nov 19, 2009

The Hand of Henry: What They Said.

By: chris | Comments 26 comments

SOCCER-WORLD/FRANCEWithout getting into a great deal of opinion, or any at all for that matter - there's surely plenty of that floating about - it would probably be prudent to look into the words on each side of the divide from those who were there, at the game and directly impacted. (What with it being one of the most controversial games in World Cup Qualifying history and all.) Guys like that Henry character who's found his name splattered all over the news for all the wrong reasons for the first time, at least it would seem, in his illustrious career. And that Trapattoni guy, who wasn't making friends at FIFA before the incident.

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Category Category: World Football
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