The French football (soccer) team should be ashamed

[Rondo2287]

I just want to say, I am ashamed that the title of this thread got changed.  It made me laugh out loud at my desk this morning

[Amonkey]

I actually gained respect for Henry for admitting that it was a handball.  He could be like Maradona and denied the whole thing.  It was the refs fault for missing.  Do you blame a player for faking a foul that would give his team a penalty kick?  Well, yes, partially, but you also gotta blame the ref for giving the foul.

The thing that makes me angry is that I told my girlfriend, who is French, that they qualified and she wasn't too impressed.  She could've at least faked it. 

[BballTim]

I actually gained respect for Henry for admitting that it was a handball.  He could be like Maradona and denied the whole thing.  It was the refs fault for missing.  Do you blame a player for faking a foul that would give his team a penalty kick?  Well, yes, partially, but you also gotta blame the ref for giving the foul.

The thing that makes me angry is that I told my girlfriend, who is French, that they qualified and she wasn't too impressed.  She could've at least faked it. 

  To be fair France has had a lot of (fairly) recent success internationally. If I told my wife the Celts made it inot the playoffs she might not be impressed either.

[MBz]

People need to stop blaming Henry.  People cheat in every single sport every single play.  This needs to go on the official, no one else.  Also, let's face it, if a play like this occurred with the Celtics, no one here would be complaining.  This play is on the officials and no one else.

[nickagneta]

I actually gained respect for Henry for admitting that it was a handball.  He could be like Maradona and denied the whole thing.  It was the refs fault for missing.  Do you blame a player for faking a foul that would give his team a penalty kick?  Well, yes, partially, but you also gotta blame the ref for giving the foul.

The thing that makes me angry is that I told my girlfriend, who is French, that they qualified and she wasn't too impressed.  She could've at least faked it. 

Does she fake it often?

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[scoop]

I think the worst of this is the fact that Henry presents himself as an ambassador of fair play. Complete hypocrisy from the man who spent a career being 'classy' and threw it all away with blatant cheating.

He was offside, he handled the ball twice and then he celebrated like a complete ****. Even Gallas looked embarrassed as he was heading the ball in.

He wasn't offside.

How many players have acted differently than Henry in these situations in recent (or not so recent) years (at least at this level)? I can recall Di Canio and Robbie Fowler. Maybe there were more a handful of players. But there are decisive officiating mistakes in thousands of games and the pattern of behaviour usually isn't different.

And frankly, some minutes before Gallas' goal there was a penalty committed by Shay Given over Anelka. I wonder why Irish supporters aren't talking about that officiating mistake as well.

[Amonkey]

I actually gained respect for Henry for admitting that it was a handball.  He could be like Maradona and denied the whole thing.  It was the refs fault for missing.  Do you blame a player for faking a foul that would give his team a penalty kick?  Well, yes, partially, but you also gotta blame the ref for giving the foul.

The thing that makes me angry is that I told my girlfriend, who is French, that they qualified and she wasn't too impressed.  She could've at least faked it. 

Does she fake it often?

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Haha!  As I wrote, I caught myself.  Then I figure I would give a TP for the first one to come up with a joke.

[rathcor]

I think the worst of this is the fact that Henry presents himself as an ambassador of fair play. Complete hypocrisy from the man who spent a career being 'classy' and threw it all away with blatant cheating.

He was offside, he handled the ball twice and then he celebrated like a complete ****. Even Gallas looked embarrassed as he was heading the ball in.

He wasn't offside.

How many players have acted differently than Henry in these situations in recent (or not so recent) years (at least at this level)? I can recall Di Canio and Robbie Fowler. Maybe there were more a handful of players. But there are decisive officiating mistakes in thousands of games and the pattern of behaviour usually isn't different.

And frankly, some minutes before Gallas' goal there was a penalty committed by Shay Given over Anelka. I wonder why Irish supporters aren't talking about that officiating mistake as well.

Are you kidding me.  Anelka took a dive.

[mrkelly]

He wasn't offside.

How many players have acted differently than Henry in these situations in recent (or not so recent) years (at least at this level)? I can recall Di Canio and Robbie Fowler. Maybe there were more a handful of players. But there are decisive officiating mistakes in thousands of games and the pattern of behaviour usually isn't different.

And frankly, some minutes before Gallas' goal there was a penalty committed by Shay Given over Anelka. I wonder why Irish supporters aren't talking about that officiating mistake as well.

Are you having a laugh? Two French players, including Henry were offside.

Nicolas Anelka dove in a desperate attempt to salvage something for his nation. Not the first time, either. The Irish supporters are talking about that officiating mistake as Anelka should have been booked for diving.

[MBz]

Henry was 100% not offside, check the video, the man who was covering him was definitely inside of Henry when the ball was kicked and then Henry slid in behind him.

[mrkelly]

Henry was 100% not offside, check the video, the man who was covering him was definitely inside of Henry when the ball was kicked and then Henry slid in behind him.

The buildup to the free kick, two french players were offside. Sorry, I should have been clearer.

[scoop]

He wasn't offside.

How many players have acted differently than Henry in these situations in recent (or not so recent) years (at least at this level)? I can recall Di Canio and Robbie Fowler. Maybe there were more a handful of players. But there are decisive officiating mistakes in thousands of games and the pattern of behaviour usually isn't different.

And frankly, some minutes before Gallas' goal there was a penalty committed by Shay Given over Anelka. I wonder why Irish supporters aren't talking about that officiating mistake as well.

Are you having a laugh? Two French players, including Henry were offside.

Nicolas Anelka dove in a desperate attempt to salvage something for his nation. Not the first time, either. The Irish supporters are talking about that officiating mistake as Anelka should have been booked for diving.

He wasn't off-side, not at the moment of the kick.
 
The play with Anelka was exactly equal to the Damien Duff one versus Spain in 2002, except that Ireland got the penalty.

[MattG12]

As an Irish guy... I'm very mad. (Didn't know I couldn't use that word)

As a soccer fan and former player... it doesn't bother me so much. There is no reason for Henry to apologize, as he said, he is not the ref. The ref blew the call.

I took a dive one time out of all my time playing soccer. (About 12 years) It was an indoor game, and I was in the box and got a penalty shot and scored. I don't really regret it, it's part of the game. I actually wish I took more falls so I could have taken more penalty shots. I went 1 for 1 in penalty shots. The coaches son, my co-captain, took atleast 2 falls a game for 3 straight years and probably made 2 of his penalty shots.

I don't really condone cheating in sports... but in soccer it is part of the game and people need to adapt to that.

[Redz]

Most active soccer/football thread ever?

[jackson_34]

I really hope for the sake of the game as a whole they replay this qualifier. What a disgrace (not against Henry, but this is purely on the Refs and FIFA).