Thierry Henry Handball Video: Yes, It’s That Bad

All 32 spots for the World Cup 2010 have been decided, but what everyone is talking about is Thierry Henry’s handball during yesterday’s match between France and Ireland. If you haven’t seen the video, check it out:

It wasn’t an incidental handball. Henry purposefully pushed the ball in front of him so he could set up the assist for the Gallas goal. The French player displayed poor sportsmanship, but the ordeal isn’t entirely his fault. As Henry pointed out on his Twitter feed, he’s not the ref. The man with the whistle should have annulled the goal and called the foul.

Despite the controversy, nothing will come from it, and it’s just as well. At the end of the day, it’s better for everyone involved that France qualified and Ireland did not. For FIFA, one of its marquee teams won’t be absent from its biggest event. At most, the soccer organization will put out some press release blaming the referees, and say that these things happen.

As per the fans, we get to watch a good team compete in South Africa. Let’s face it, chances are that France will fare better than Ireland would have in the tournament. Don’t get us wrong. We love rooting for the underdog, but they usually make their exit during the group stage. Two prime examples are Jamaica in 1998 and Trinidad and Tobago in 2006. In contrast, France won the World Cup in 1998 and almost won it again in 2006, so we already know they’re fun to watch.