A few days ago i wrote about an inspiring moment that showed the best of sport. Today I must express my disappointment at what has happened to the most universal of sports....soccer. It is known as the beautiful game yet it is anything but.
Yesterday evening Ireland played France in the Stade de France with qualification for the World Cup on the line. It was the second leg of a two game aggregate score match. A tied aggregate score (after overtime) is decided on the basis of who scored the most goals as a visitor. If it is still tied, then it goes to penalty kicks.
There is no question that Ireland was a heavy underdog. France was a finalist in the last World Cup and had won the 'away' leg 1-0. Ireland is a nation of 3 million without the history of success on the world stage.
Yet the scrappy Irish team got the away goal and finished regulation up 1-0 levelling the score in aggregate at 1-1 and even on away goals. A tremendous upset was in the cards as they went to overtime.
In overtime, Thierry Henry used a handball manouevre worthy of a basketball player to set up the winning goal. The referee did not see what 80,000 spectators saw. After the game Henry admitted to the handball and the French press are besides themselves with embarrassment.
Any soccer match i have watched is marred by the spectacle of grown men who are supposed to be world class athletes falling over like they've been shot at the slightest brush. The swan dives and histrionics are embarrassing to watch. This pathetic lack of sportsmanship teaches all the wrong lessons to the children watching.
Irish eyes should still be smiling today. They have nothing to be ashamed of. The French.....if there is any justice, they will be eliminated early on the World Cup where they don't belong anyways.
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