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In Pictures: France 1 Republic of Ireland 1
(Aggregate: 2-1)
Thursday, 19 November 2009
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William Gallas fired a relieved France into the World Cup finals as a controversial winner shattered the Republic of Ireland's brave resistance.
The Arsenal defender struck from close range 13 minutes into extra-time to finally kill off Ireland's hopes of springing a major upset.
Skipper Thierry Henry controlled the ball with his hand before picking out his team-mate in front of goal, but Swedish referee Martin Hansson and his assistant saw no offence.
The goal cancelled out Robbie Keane's 32nd-minute opener as Ireland threatened to dump the 1998 winners out of the competition with a spirited display which saw them first wipe out France's first-leg advantage and then go close to overhauling it through John O'Shea and Damien Duff.
But ultimately, it was Gallas who proved the hero on the night as the Republic, who felt hard done by to be playing seeded France in the first place, succumbed to the cruellest of exits on a night when they did manager Giovanni Trapattoni and the whole country proud.
Victory over the course of the tie spared France manager Raymond Domenech further abuse, although when the dust settles, his critics may be far from appeased.
Keane had been at pains to insist at Ireland's pre-match press conference at the Stade de France that the tie was far from over, and while his confidence was commendable, few outside the Irish camp were completely won over by his optimism.
But by the time the half-time whistle sounded, the men in green both on and off the pitch were starting to believe.
Lassana Diarra's assertion in Dublin, which caused such consternation, that the tie was over, proved hugely inaccurate as the French turned in an insipid display in which they enjoyed far less possession than they did at Croke Park and did virtually nothing with it.
Republic keeper Shay Given was a virtual spectator for much of the half, and as the men in front of him grew in confidence, it was the visitors who started to make an impression.
Patrice Evra had already had to climb high to prevent Liam Lawrence from connecting with Duff's 18th-minute cross and the Stoke midfielder, once again preferred to Aiden McGeady on the right, was in the thick of the action once again six minutes later.
He met Kevin Doyle's cross at the far post to head the ball down for Keane and only the vigilance of keeper Hugo Lloris, who rushed from his line to punch clear before the striker could pounce, spared France.
There was panic among Les Bleus once again with 26 minutes gone when Lawrence crossed from the right and Doyle glanced a header across the face of goal.
It was all very encouraging for the Irish, and their prayers were answered 13 minutes before the break.
Duff was gifted acres of space on the left to make his way to the goal-line before looking up and picking out Keane with the perfect pass.
The striker gleefully side-footed the ball past Lloris and into the bottom corner to set France back on their heels and blow the tie wide open.
Domenech's side attempted to respond but their reaction was lukewarm, and the home crowd, having booed both their own manager and President Nicolas Sarkozy when their respective images appeared on the stadium's big screens, repeated the dose as the teams left the pitch at the break.
Their mood would have taken a significant turn for the worse had Ireland made the most of a glorious opportunity within two minutes of the restart.
Trapattoni and his players had spoken repeatedly about France's perceived weakness from set-pieces in the run-up to the tie, and they had been disappointed not to exploit it at Croke Park on Saturday.
But they very nearly did just that when Lawrence curled a 47th-minute free-kick to the far post where the unmarked O'Shea, perhaps astonished to be given so much time and space, controlled on his chest only to volley high over.
Once again the French response was tepid, and although Given was called upon to make his first real save with 54 minutes gone, Anelka's long-range effort never troubled him.
But as the home side pushed men forward, they became increasingly vulnerable, and Trapattoni's men were presented with a gilt-edged opening with 61 minutes gone.
Lawrence's defence-splitting pass put Duff in on goal, but the winger was denied by the impressive Lloris as he pulled off yet another vital stop.
Anelka glanced a header wide at one end and Keane rounded Lloris but could not get in a shot at the other as the game became increasingly frantic.
Given had to claw away an Anelka cross deep into injury time, but Ireland more than deserved their extra 30 minutes.
However, Ireland's luck deserted them 13 minutes into extra-time when Henry handled Florent Malouda's delivery before crossing for Gallas to score.
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Comments
483 Comments
Thierry Henry is a cheat & that's the end of it!
If this had happened to England or France it would be a different story all together! I'm not a believer in bringing technology into the game, but this is a totally differen't matter. This sort of blatent cheating would not happen in ANY other sport so why do we let it happen in football?? The least the FA should do is ban Thierry Henry from playing in this years World Cup & slap him with a large fine! Who cares if he is sorry? I know I don't & I know that the Irish definitely dont!
Posted by Lee Whitworth | 05.02.10, 09:28 GMT
"Belfast is in Northern Ireland- a region in the United Kingdom. deal with it."
Who denied this? Nevertheless, it's also located on the island known as IRELAND, while over 40 per cent of the region of NI considers themselves Irish like everyone else and supports the Irish soccer team.
No wonder you're bored mate, it would seem that you live in your own world entirely devoid of reality.
Posted by Dublin | 07.12.09, 11:33 GMT
For goodness sakes... when will the roi supporters finally get it into their heads that the refs decision is final. They aint going nowhere and their pleading to be the 33rd team and then wanting to settle for a trophy of some kind instead wont wash with fifa at all. Not everything in life is fair, remember maradonnas hand of god ... similar situation but same outcome.
Dry ya eyes lads...
Posted by bb | 04.12.09, 18:30 GMT
Belfast is in Northern Ireland- a region in the United Kingdom. deal with it. god you're boring Dublin.
Posted by bored | 04.12.09, 13:23 GMT
"To all you french who are posting here. For BELFAST Telegraph read NORTHERN IRELAND"
Apologies to all those French (and other international) posters for this neanderthal, as you can see, there are still a number of geographically illiterate people out there who don't realize that Belfast is in Ireland. They're the same kind of people who claim that Northern Ireland, a region that is under United Kingdom control, is in "Britain" (sic).
Ignorez-le, le pauvre con ne se rend pas compte que tout le monde se fout de sa gueule. Merci a vous tous pour votre soutien et bonne chance en 2010.
Posted by Dublin | 03.12.09, 16:11 GMT
To all you french who are posting here. For BELFAST Telegraph read NORTHERN IRELAND.
If RoI had qualified in the same manner there would have been no cry from the Southerners to replay the match
Posted by Gaz | 03.12.09, 15:20 GMT
So, all that mess means that, from now, Irish football players will never, never cheat again ? Just to prove that cheat is a French habit and that all Irishmen are spotless ? Wake up sons of James Joyce, it is time to forget your hangover...
Posted by Raskol, New Caledonia | 27.11.09, 10:26 GMT
With a tongue firmly in the cheek, I announced that I was never going on holiday to France ever again.
Hearing the comments from French people on here gives me a lot of respect for them. Well done guys and good luck in South Africa. I will probably be in a caravan in France!
Posted by Steve S | 25.11.09, 11:17 GMT
Bouic- "I have never seen a pro footballer tell the referee he has committed a foul..."
Robbie Fowler came close when he admitted that a tackle was not a penalty after the referee had awarded it. As I recall he was roundly vilified for his actions by many.
LS
Posted by Laura Sales | 23.11.09, 19:48 GMT
As an Irishman I´d like to say thank you to all those English people who have come out in support of ROI after this woeful treatment at the hands of FIFA and its cronies. I sincerely hope that France come up against England in the group stages and that England hammer them. Come on England!
Posted by robin | 23.11.09, 17:35 GMT
Very sorry for Henry's hand. We were ridiculous on the field and Henry made that act moreover. You know we have lost our identity in our country and the result is here today because of money and only money. You've got valors and honor. You fight with your football team and even it's hard too to live in Ireland i can say you it's worse in France today...
Posted by jj | 23.11.09, 10:24 GMT
what goes round comes round all you irish supporters laughed at maradonnas hand of god now same thing has happened to you . took a long time but now i,m laughin lmao
Posted by jim bennett | 23.11.09, 04:27 GMT
Longlife to Irish soccer. I'm French and so happy to read other French support lines to a replay match. We dont deserve to qualify this way. It's seems a majority of us Frogs want a fair replay. How can we put pressure for that?
Posted by jahan, Rennes | 22.11.09, 21:33 GMT
Ireland has had a tough time of it from us French. First of all our President refused to accept your "No" to the Lisbon Treaty (which his own citizens had also rejected). As a minnow-state you had to vote again until you said yes. Then FIFA decides to overule your clear victory in the qualification for the football World Cup. I'm afraid this is a taste of things to come. Inrernational federal institutions have been created over our heads to impose the will of BIG states over the tiddlers. Sounds like imperialism? Yes, but YOU voted for it! Don't say you were not warned.
Posted by Paul Henri Cadier | 22.11.09, 19:14 GMT
Hello ! I'm french.
I'm ashamed that France has been qualificated. Ireland had to go to World Wie Cup and not France.
Lots of French people agree to play the match again.
Fifa has to be ashamed f it and also the french fooball federation.
Irish players and irish public have been very fairplay. They must be proud of it !
alain
Posted by Guédon Alain , Laval | 21.11.09, 17:59 GMT
Hi everybody,
I'm French and don't think we are proud of this. Most of us feel ashamed by the behaviour of our team and their managers.
The French team has no coach and no tactics. Your team really deserves to win. I really want us to replay this game.
Football - especially French football - forgets its fundamental worths : respect, fair-play, honesty, courage. Nowaday, it's only a matter of grand. But what can we do to improve this ? We are so powerless. Maybe we should ask the FIFA to allow video reccording referring like in Rugby.
French football was bearable so far and with Henrys hand it's a shadow of its former self.
I can assure you a lot of French will support you for you to replay the match.
We really appreciate Irish people and hate the behaviour of our team. We really apologize.
Best regards
Vive l'équipe d'Irlande !!
Posted by Vivian Houzelot,. Lyon | 21.11.09, 14:21 GMT
say to Robbie Keane do you remenber irland georgie OK
Posted by pattfcn, paris | 21.11.09, 10:43 GMT
If the Thierry Henri goal had been rightly disallowed, that was not the end of the game. Penalty shoot out would have followed to decide the qualifier and there is no way to say that Eire would have qualified on penalties.
Let us say that the ref and assistants are the only ones to blame.
I have never seen a pro footballer tell the referee that he has committed a foul specially when it comes to diving, off-sides and ball handling. Thierry Henri has committed a fault which has not been sanctioned. That happens very often in all soccer matches.
Posted by Bouic, Poste de Flacq | 21.11.09, 08:06 GMT
Robbie Keane said that it was typical of the decisions that go in favour of what he said were the bigger football countries.
Robbie Keane ne doit pas se souvenir du match Irelande Georgie et du premier but Irlandais. La tricherie et la démagogie sont aujourd'hui la marque du football moderne. C'est triste mais révélateur de ce qu'est devenu le football.
La france ne méritait pas d'aller à la coupe du monde, soit. Mais à quand une réforme de l'arbitrage et la vidéo comme au rugby? C'est plutôt cette question qui devrait être posée. Avec la vidéo, le but de Gallas était invalidé, le pénalty de l'irlande contre la Géorgie n'aurait pas été sifflé non plus. Désolé pour l'équipe d'Irlande, vous méritiez sur ce match d'aller en afrique du sud, mais désolé aussi de lire des déclarations de joueurs qui retrouvent leur vertue lorsqu'ils sont lésés et oublient de parler lorsqu'un fait de jeu tourne en leur faveur. Triste football.
Posted by Eric | 21.11.09, 07:47 GMT
Henry is a disgrace to himself, to Barcelona and to France. He pontificates about fair play and racism. He and his coach have shamed football. You are in the same cheating league as Maradona. You will share his disgrace. Shame on you! I feel sorry for young kids who looked up to you. You are a role model for the cheat. I will be supporting England in the World Cup.
Posted by Henry Gibson | 21.11.09, 00:32 GMT
483 Comments