C'est la Vie

Controversy is never far in soccer matches of extreme importance to a country and so it was... France broke Irish hearts and the chief instigator is their French captain and chief Thierry Henry. Cheeky as it was, Henry controlled the ball with his hand before laying it square for William Gallas to score.

What a nice bloke Henry is, to admit his mistake. But of course, it will be easier to do so after the whistle has been blown and the referee has given the goal that sends the French through to World Cup 2010. Well cna you blame Henry? He could easily push the blame to the ref... the poor ref who obviously will never step onto Irish soil in the next few months, honestly, isn't it about time technology is used to help these referees make better decisions. Ironically French legend Platini who is also the UEFA chief and who has been lobbying for referee assistance could have seen his country knocked out had his cry for more referee aid gone through.

So the Irish could complain all they want... demand for a replay all they want... and the French will reply, well fairly enough... "C'est la vie" The Irish will find it a bitter pill to swallow, but I don't see how things will change.

If it is any consolation at all, the French will not make it far in the finals anyway... for one... they need to get rid of Domenech, the one man who single handedly turned a mighty footballing nation like France into a minnow of sorts at international level... IF the French are serious about winning the World Cup again, they need to rid themselves of the clueless Domenech.

And to my Irish friends... "C'est la vie"... life goes on... you will remember Maradona's "Hand of God" and identify with English hearts... you ain't the first and you won't be the last... the history of football constantly reminds us of that.