Thierry Henry Handball Goal VIDEO: "Le Hand Of God" Goal Puts France Past Ireland

UPDATE, 10:18 AM: Henry says that a replay would be "the fairest solution." More from his statement:

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.... 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.

*** SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO ***

UPDATE, 11/20 9:13 AM: FIFA has officially rejected an Irish appeal for a rematch.

UPDATE, 11/19 9:38 AM: The Guardian reports that FIFA officials have eliminated the possibility of France and Ireland playing a rematch.

EARLIER: French soccer player Thierry Henry has admitted to committing a handball just before teammate William Gallas scored a crucial goal in France's World Cup qualifier match against Ireland.

The AP has more:

(AP) SAINT-DENIS, France -- France qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup when officials missed an obvious hand ball by Thierry Henry that led to William Gallas' overtime goal in a 1-1 tie against Ireland on Wednesday night.

With help from Swedish referee Martin Hansson, who failed to call the hand ball, France avoided a penalty-kicks shootout and won the home-and-home, total-goals playoff 2-1. The French had come away with a 1-0 victory in Dublin last Saturday.

The game appeared headed to penalty kicks when Florent Malouda sent a free kick to Henry at the post to the right of goalkeeper Shay Given in the 103rd minute. Henry got between defender Paul McShane and Given, stopped the ball with his left hand, then used his hand again and poked the ball with his outstretched right foot in front of the net.

"He almost caught it and walked into the net with it," said Robbie Keane, who had put the Irish ahead in the 33rd minute.

Gallas headed the ball into the net from about 1 yard as Irish players raised their hands in protest at Hansson.

Soccer does not allow officials to use video replay, although the assistant referees can point out infractions to the referee.

"I will be honest, it was a hand ball. But I'm not the ref," Henry said. "I played it. The ref allowed it. That's a question you should ask him."

WATCH:

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Comments

[eastjame]

09:56 AM on 12/02/2009

why is there a poll? he admitted to touching the ball.

[lemekid]

11:54 PM on 12/01/2009

Clear handball, no questions. Out of fair play, Henry should have just told the ref.

[tistou]

03:55 PM on 11/21/2009

May I recommend that if we are to use the word "cheat" we use it unsparingly.

As we are all so clearly inclined to pursue this new endeavor-- may I present 2 more candidates for public name calling, I'll be as forward as to provide the video evidence...

(1) Irish goalie trips attacker. (stop at :06 to see a clearly bent leg indicating a intent to take another step; stop at :20 to see goalie's hand squarely on attackers foot causing fall)

With instant replay France would still have qualified for the cup, with or without Henry. That said, Its telling that Henry publicly admitted his act, the Irish goalie and team have not >>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5778uuGQWQ

(2) Ireland v Georgia in wc qualifiers. they were awarded a false penalty and they were all to happy to take it. No mention of replaying the game or admitting mistakes or cheating here... the hypocrisy is rich. >>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf9fx4ipF4Q

Shall we tarnish their reputations now or later?

Lets all agree, here and now, that our search for "cheaters" be thorough both in scope and depth.

Come on people- Lets get 'em!!

[tobyjim]

01:51 PM on 11/22/2009

Ireland should have defended the free kick. They didn’t and the ball came to Henry. He handled it twice; first time when the ball played him, (it hit his arm) the second (this is when he cheated) he played the ball with his palm. These are the facts. Yes players cheat all the time. It is a fact of soccer. In big and small ways. Big like Henry on Wednesday, when it wins a huge game. Or small as when they feign injury and flap like stranded fish to kill time during a game. But in the end France won. C’est la vie.

Henry has a reputation as a decent guy, an honest player. The camera didn’t know this. So as you quaintly state, he is reduced to “admit[ing] his act”. Trouble is he hasn’t admitted cheating. The shame of this act will haunt him and the French team to South Africa and beyond. His reputation is forever tainted.

Your argument that the Irish team should admit something (just like Henry) because the referee didn’t award Anelka a penalty; and because against Georgia, that referee awarded them a dubious one, has no merit. The referee didn’t award a penalty to Anelka because there was neither need nor cause to, (he should have carded Anelka for diving). And in the case of Georgia, the Irish didn’t cheat to get that penalty. Henry is still a cheat. Try again.

[Shaun Fleming]

10:00 PM on 11/23/2009

I think you missed the point. Your view that Anelka dove is your opinion (however, you can't deny that Given got a piece of him), but the point overall is that these fouls and poor calls happen all of the time.

You maintain that the ball played him on the first touch, and the second is where he played the ball with his palm and thereby cheated. That is truly amazing! I wasn't aware that Henry, let alone anyone, was capable of reacting to a ball that had just hit them after being driven almost 50 yards, in spite of the fact that the two touches were only milliseconds apart. Simply phenomenal! For the record, I think it was half reaction and half intent.

Would there be this kind of outrage if this had been an international friendly or a league match? Obviously not. Thus, it is not the act that is the main reason for the furore but instead the circumstances. The Irish feel robbed and rightly so. Naturally, they want some justice, despite the fact that when the shoe was on the opposite foot, they acted very similar to France, as I suspect all teams would. The bottom line is that part of the beautiful game is dealing with some ugly calls, and no amount of whining or name-calling is going to change that.

[Athirson]

03:26 PM on 11/21/2009

Of course it was a hand-ball. He did everything but bat it into the goal. That said, the officials miss calls all the time. It happens.

[Obinna]

12:02 PM on 11/21/2009

I feel sorry for the Irish for this rather heart-breaking loss. What a painful way to be denied of an opportunity to come to the greatest sports event in the world--the FIFA world cup.

Having said that, I must hasten to add that in football, the ref and the linesmen do not always see everything, nor do they indeed make the right calls 100% of the time. They are still humans after all. It is unfortunate when it affects your own team, but unjustified calls happen ALL THE TIME.

Therefore, there's no reason to demonize the French or Thierry Henry in particular for a goal that came so late and deep in a very emotional and passionate battle for a World Cup spot. The ref's decision is FINAL and that's the way it is--fortunately or unfortunately. Now, I don't know how this may sit with ardent fans of this beautiful game, but does this event now call for refs to be granted the opportunity of revising their calls after watching a detailed video replay? what do you think?

[PrettyPolly]

12:33 PM on 11/21/2009

"Now, I don't know how this may sit with ardent fans of this beautiful game, but does this event now call for refs to be granted the opportunity of revising their calls after watching a detailed video replay?"

I for one have been very vocal about this for YEARS!
I simply don't understand this antediluvian mentality that shuts out modern technology.
There's nothing "noble" - let alone fair or sensible - about it.

[Bizu2]

11:42 PM on 11/20/2009

France won.. Ireland lost... it's just the way the game of Soccer/football is played.... "instant replay" would kill soccer forever.. it would make the game slow and boring, much like the NFL!!!

In soccer/football, the play has to move fast... there have been NUMEROUS accounts where plays went UNSEEN and some teams moved on to wins World Cups... for example 1986 Argentina and the Maradona effect with his hand ball and then they went on to win the Cup... in 2006, the king of the Portugese Olympic diving team, Cristiano Ronaldo faked a dive against his Manchester United teammate in the England v Port game and Rooney was sent off with a red card which started a HUGE drama between the two of them and it eventually got resolved... look at all of the mishaps in every sport across this globe... ALOT of them are caught and penalized... and some are not seen and that's just the way the cookie crumbles..

[kate99]

08:59 PM on 11/20/2009

fifa always go on about fair play and then they let this happen you have to remember when the qualifying started it was a rule that the playoffs should not be seeded then when they saw the big countries in there France Portugal they said at the last min ok we are going to seed them

but for me they will not do this but henry should be banned from the world cup as they are not going to do the reply ban him come on fifa uefa send a message to all cheats that they will not be allowed to get away with it till you make an example of one of these cheats this will keep on happening

[tistou]

07:50 PM on 11/20/2009

Anybody think Italy cheated in the world cup final when Materazzi viciously taunted Zidane provoking an albeit over the top retaliation?

Zidane, the golden ball winner for the game, was sent off ahead of the penalty shoot out- robbing France of its captain and pillar… (Materazzi got his penalty attempt, and the cup)

Anybody think Italy won that world cup because it played better football?

France was told to sit down and shut up. “It’s part of the game.”

Maradona’s hand of God was part of the game. Diving is part of the game. And so is this.

That said- If we're all now suddenly in favor of replaying matches, lets start with that one in Germany. Im sure Zidane (& Henry) would be more than happy to make the trip.

[TheKurgan]

05:46 AM on 11/21/2009

Actually, I think Italy didn't even deserve to be in the final. In the 81st minute vs. Germany, the referee called a foul in the penalty area against Italy. Even the announcers said "If that's a foul, it's a penalty!" Then, the ref CHANGED HIS CALL and moved the ball outside the penalty area for a simple free kick. Watch the video.

Now, we all know how the Germans process penalty kicks. In fact, not one German player has missed an "Elf Meter" in over thirty years. The game would have ended 1-0 Germany, and then Germany would have destroyed France in the final.

It's amazing to me that no one has ever challenged this change of call. Regarding the present situation, I have this to say. If Germany were made to suffer by a changed call, then why not replay this match, at the very least from the time the handball occurred. That would be justice for the Irish.

[Shaun Fleming]

10:10 PM on 11/23/2009

You do realize that they would be playing at most 17 more minutes before a penalty shootout, right? Besides, you mention the reason not to award a replay. If we award one for this game, why shouldn't we award one for Germany in '06 or the US in '02 or England in '86? This list of games that have been significantly changed because of a bad call goes on forever, and the trend will continue as long as the sport is played.

[brandnewstuff]

07:41 PM on 11/20/2009

He was CHEATED!!!!!!!

[jmar829]

05:52 PM on 11/20/2009

People need to realize that officiating is part of the sports world. Refs, umpires, and judges are all professionals and sometimes you have bad ones, just like the players themselves.

[lmpub]

05:00 PM on 11/20/2009

Another sporting event where a bad call impacted the outcome.

[Gaskiya]

03:24 PM on 11/20/2009

Like Diego Armando MARADONA will say - "IT IS THE HAND OF GOD"!!

[bushlies]

01:17 PM on 11/20/2009

Have quit watching sports gradually over the last 10 years because of all the bad officiating. I don't know whether it is incompetence, bias, under the table payments for game outcomes, or gambling, but missing calls that even Stevie Wonder could make has made all these games unwatchable.

[SlyMongoose]

04:52 PM on 11/20/2009

I'm with you...My sports viewing (from being a hard core fan) is down 99% in the last 15 years. maybe I reached my life's quota early. I just don't care about it anymore. Anyway, the player put his hand out to stop the ball. At 19 seconds on the top video it's obvious that he did so. They do have instant reply over there don't they??!! How can anyone see this any different. Fan's pay alot of money to watch sports so at least get the officiating correct. A fan watches a whole game just to get muzzed by a referee. It happens all the time. There are so many other things to do besides spending money and time watching sports. The jocks lost me a long time ago. I'm not paying their salaries or for the owners yacht's any more.

[SlyMongoose]

05:10 PM on 11/20/2009

Oh and when the very player who comitted the infraction says he did so then replay the game and fine his butt for not saying so.. Did he tell the ref right after the goal scored? If not he comes off as with less character and integrity than he would if he said "so" right away. Instinctive reaction?? HUH?? How so??? Even fans who know the least about soccer know you can't use your hands. If it was "instictive" then "instinctively" you are a cheater. It's the same thing if a baseball player sticks out his foot and trips a base runner and says he did it "instinctively". It wasn't instinctive at all. No coach on the planet has ever coached a soccer player to use his hands. If the guy was a brand new player who was a converted goalie, I'd buy it but not this happy horsesh*t. This is typical garbage from a pro athlete. Why not say so to the ref immediately??? Ok I just read that the head official can not use instant reply-why even have it then? What a crock. Well, at least it's sports. It's not like he was running for President of the USA and stole the elction by cheating/miscounting the votes but Soccer is the most popular sport in world, means alot to the fans and it's a shame. The arrogance of the french is typical though isn't it? Yer a cheater Thierry but only in the "instinctive" sense.

[onwardsandupwards]

01:07 PM on 11/20/2009

How sporting of the little ch.eat.

It's all very well for Henry to say the fairest solution would be a replay - when he knows there isn't a snowball's of that happening.

I watched the game, and there is no doubt that he handled the ball twice, - first with his lower arm, to bring the ball under control, and then with his left hand, to flick the ball on to the goal scorer.

We wuz robbed! ;-((

[ArcEnCiel]

12:47 PM on 11/20/2009

Henry did not score a goal. He handled the ball­ earlier, which the referee failed to spot, he then­ passed the ball to Gallas who scored; he is not a cheat. The­ referee did not do his work well.
Henry will always go down in history as one of the­ greatest players that walked on the face of this­ planet...to me he is a living legend; be it an accident­ or pre-emption,like Maradonna, his greatness surpasses his shortfalls...

Does anyone remember Italy 1990: England Vs Cameroon and Lineker diving twice and twice being awarded a penalty?

[onwardsandupwards]

01:11 PM on 11/20/2009

He is a ch.eat - and admitted as much.

Henry said today - that the fairest outcome would be a replay - knowing full well, there is no chance of that happening.

[Politisizer]

03:32 PM on 11/20/2009

Maradona was a ch.eat as well. Outside Arge.ntina he is most known for 2 things - being a ch.eat and being a dr.ug add.ict.

Don't try to def.end a ch.eat by saying 'he's a great player' - great players don't need to ch.eat.