by Eric Altshule on November 20, 2009 · 10 comments
The appetite for commentary on the farce in Paris still seems strong, and I thought Arsene Wenger had a very wise take on the entire situation today. Wenger is, obviously, a French supporter and very close with Henry. In fairness to the Irish fans, the world football community, and for the sake of Henry, he called for the game to be replayed.
For Wenger, labeling Henry a cheat is too far. Cheating implies a degree of conscientious decision-making, and in a play that takes a fraction of a second and in the height of an emotional encounter, “cheat” is too harsh a word. As Wenger said, “For me people who bought referees, who took drugs, they are the real cheats in sport.” That is a healthy bit of perspective.
Moreover, the people who really let the football world down are the people who refuse to allow modern technology to correct errors. Wenger said that he is sure that that as the referee moved back to the circle for the kick-off, he knew there was something very wrong with that goal. But what could he do about it? He did not see the handball, and he can’t change a call because Shay Given was outraged, whether Given was right or not. FIFA left the referee alone to take the blame, and was not there to help him when he needed it the most.
Finally, this is what Wenger said about the impossible position Henry is now in: “A player of his stature has a massive pressure on his shoulders and if somebody has to do something for Thierry, it is French football and France as a country, not to leave him out there alone against the whole world. France has to say ‘yes it was a handball and we offer a replay’.”
I thought I should jump in on this issue while the water is still warm and explain an Irish view of Wednesday’s larceny. In Ireland we do not do football dramas in small measures, Roy Keane’s walkout at the 2002 World Cup practically sparked a civil war and now the ‘Hand of Henry’ has turned into a diplomatic incident.
Politicians, comedians, sportspeople and raconteurs have all joined the debate on the goal that sent France to the World Cup and there is alot of anger in Ireland about it. All people are talking about in the papers, on the TV and on the radio is this game and ‘that’ goal.
Thierry Henry is now the ultimate pantomime villain, a Facebook group where we Paddys can get together and mutually loath him attracted 60,000 members within 18 hours! The flag at the top of the page is just one of the photos on the page and, if anything, the site shows the creative possibilities of Photoshop.
Various citizens of our fair republic have sworn never to use Loreal, drive a Citroen or French kiss anymore. Internet campaigns have been launched and many people I know have sent strongly worded letters to the powers that be in FIFA, yes folks, noone does righteous outage quite like the Irish.
by Kartik Krishnaiyer on November 20, 2009 · 30 comments
Since Thierry Henry’s handball on Wednesday, the former Arsenal striker’s reaction has gone from arrogance, to indifference to being contrite. From where I sit, this simply proves that Henry is a Public Relations driven phony. He’s cultivated an image for over a decade in conjunction with his handlers and now sees the possibility it can all come undone.
While several of my followers on Twitter yesterday felt I was crazy to even discuss the idea of a boycott of those companies that use Henry as a spokesman (Gillette, Pepsi and Reebok among others), I maintain that thought was in order given the extreme consequences of Henry’s action, and his subsequent story. The above listed corporations cannot afford to be associated with someone so unwilling to show contrition for an obvious mistake, be it intentional or inadvertent.
This story now seems to be evolving, presumably as his handlers gauge the public reaction, particularly in the British Isles.
At first, Henry said he handled the ball but it was not intentional, and had not curtailed his celebrations after William Gallas’ goal and after the victory
Then, Henry changed his story to claim that he had told Ireland Defender Richard Dunne after the match that he had handled the ball and he did not celebrate with his team mates.
Then, Henry claimed he had told the official it was a handball, but the official told him that he was the referee and the decision was final.
Now, Henry says a replay is in order.
This evolution of positions has taken place in rapid succession, over 36 hours as many British writers have continued to pour scorn on Henry’s actions.
Regardless of what Henry’s handlers do and how his image suffers the ultimate outcome is what will not change thanks to FIFA’s decision to rule out a replay, even though a precedent, albeit not this close to the draw does exist.
The Republic of Ireland, whose fighting spirit and incredible traveling fans would have livened up the World Cup have been eliminated in favor of a group of players who interest appears to be more centered on club football. And who can blame them? World Class players making lots of money from their clubs whose nation is only partly interested in their football exploits leads to a strong club over country attitude.
The World Cup has lost a tactical genius in Giovanni Trapattoni, in favor of a manager in Raymond Dommench, whose main guide is astrology and superstition. We have not seen Henry’s former Arsenal team mate Robert Pires in France colors for five years, because after all he is a Scorpio and Dommench does not trust Scorpio’s.
The scenes of French ticket holders gladly selling their tickets to Irish fans for a few Euros before kickoff in Paris should reinforce the reasons why I wrote this piece earlier this week, before the match. Ireland has been deprived a World Cup trip by Thierry Henry’s handball, while much of France may not even be in the slightest bit interested that their nation actually qualified for the World Cup.
That’s then ultimate legacy of this shameful two leg tie. World Football was the loser. Henry handball, or no handball, the wrong side advanced to South Africa.
Jan Molby is a player that I have a lot of time for. The Danish footballer was a maestro in midfield. While he’s best remembered as being a pivotal player for Liverpool during his time there between 1984 and 1996, he has a special place in my heart for being a pioneer with the club I support, Swansea City, where he introduced a beautiful style of play as player manager which laid the groundwork for Roberto Martinez’s arrival, much later, in 2007.
Judging by Molby’s artistry on the pitch with Liverpool and Swansea, it’s no surprise then that Molby’s early part of his career included two years playing with Ajax where he won the Dutch Championship in 1983 and played in the Ajax youth academy alongside Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Jesper Olsen. For those of you who had a chance to watch him play, either in person or on television, there was something magical about the way he played and how adept he was at passing the ball. To see just one example of his skill, watch the video above.
Fortunately for us, Molby will be visiting the United States next month where he’ll be making an appearance in New York City on December 19, 2009 at the 11th Street Bar. Molby will be available to sign autographs and memorabilia, as well as to pose for photographs. If you’re interested in attending or want to learn more details, visit the Liverpool FC New York Supporters Club website. Tickets to the Jan Molby appearance are $20 and tickets are limited, so sign up today if you want to meet the legend.
by Kartik Krishnaiyer on November 19, 2009 · 2 comments
On this episode of the EPL Talk Podcast, host Kartik Krishnaiyer and French Football expert Dave Trotter discuss one of the most controversial football stories of the year — the Thierry Henry handball incident for France against Ireland which ended up knocking the Republic Of Ireland out of the World Cup qualifying match while France will be making their way to South Africa next summer.
Be sure not to miss a single episode of the EPL Talk Podcast, the only Premier League interview show on the Internet. We have a long list of high-profile guests scheduled over the next weeks each with their own fascinating stories to tell. Subscribe to the EPL Talk Podcast via iTunes or visit EPL Talk or the archives for the latest episodes.
EA Sports’ FIFA franchise strives for realism, to approximate the experience of being a footballer or managing a club. When you see the gaudy, arcade style interface of FIFA 10 for the Wii, you realize this will be a very different game.
Creating for the Wii constrains developers. The game needs to be simplified. The Wii’s processor is not as powerful as the XBox 360 or the Playstation 3. It can’t handle the graphics. The controls cannot be too intricate for the Wiimote. The target audience is more casual. Most serious console gamers would buy the game for another console.
by Ethan Armstrong on November 19, 2009 · 20 comments
For many, cheating is an ugly blight on the beautiful game. Players who break the rules are regularly vilified and criticized. But cheating, when used effectively, can be a great way to help your team out. It is so much easier to score from the penalty spot than from open play with all those pesky defenders around. And you can control the ball so much better with your hand than with your feet. That’s just common sense. And if you want to master such skills for yourself, it is always best to look to the professionals for guidance. So here are some different styles of cheating, brought to you by some of the very best. Read them and learn…
The Eduardo - Eduardo’s dive for Arsenal against Celtic earlier in the year has been a big talking point since it effectively killed Celtic’s Champions League dreams. But its value to us students lies in its simplicity. Eduardo cruised into space with the ball at his feet and saw the keeper coming toward him. Eduardo kicked the ball forward as Boruc was sliding in and then Eduardo dived. Notice how as he starts the dive he throws his feet underneath his body, almost standing on his tiptoes for a nanosecond. This simulates the body language of being tripped, so even though Boruc is completely behind him, Eduardo is able to hurl his body forward in a convincing manner. The lesson: Good acting is key to a successful dive or simulation.Video.(For further reading pick up a copy of Stanislavski’s A Filthy Diver Prepares.)
The N’Gog - Liverpool’s David N’Gog is a novice, but we can still learn from him and his successful dive against Birmingham City. While he didn’t sell his motion as well as Eduardo (and while the defender’s leg didn’t come anywhere near him), N’Gog remembered an important fact: refereeing is a tough job and there are unwritten rules in professional football that allow the officials to drink before work to help ease their nerves. Unfortunately, the alcohol can at times impair vision, leading to most of the bad offside calls and disallowed goals that we see. But that’s a small price to pay in exchange for having relaxed officials who can bear waking up in the morning. The lesson: When in doubt: dive. The ref is probably drunk. Video.Read the rest of this story>>
