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FIFA: No World Cup for Ireland

FIFA has put an end to any talk of Ireland potentially being included as a World Cup team, stating on Tuesday that it would be impossible to include Ireland as a 33rd participant.

Ireland made the request to be added due to the controversial way the Irish were beaten by France in their UEFA World Cup playoff.

What do you think of this decision? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I guess Ireland is so upset because it was just such a blatant no-call, and understandably so. However, they put themselves in that boat as a result of their group play, most notably the late game defensive failure against Italy. Ireland could have avoided the entire situation by beating Italy.

    You know how to take poor officials out of the equation? Play good enough to where it doesn’t matter.

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  2. Oh my god no way. Of course this is what was going to happen.

    There shouldn’t be a replay either. Ireland aren’t the first team to lose an important game on a very bad call/non-call. There should be changes to reduce the occurrence of such events in the future, but there can’t be a replay for every game just because of a bad call. Few games would be played just once if that was the case.

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  3. Actually a 5th official (2nd CR) wouldn’t be a bad idea. It’ll actually improve the officiating in the game.
    Split the duties. One ref control one side the other on the other side which would allow the refs to be more focused on the play.

    If the one center ref doesn’t see it then the other center ref could possible see it and make the call accordingly.

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  4. I don’t even understand how a 33rd team could possible be added to the tournament. As it is, the setup is perfect with 32 (8 groups of 4). 7 groups of 4 and 1 group with 5? How did Ireland think that was going to work?

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  5. One goal, fair or not, did not determine their WC fate all by itself. They had however many games in their qualifying pool and two playoff games to get in. It’s unfortunate, and I think the refs and Henry should be penalized for their failures. But enough already, Ireland, okay?

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  6. Let’s see, what could we do to make US sponsors even less likely to put money into soccer? Hmm, I know, let’s slow the games down and let people watch endless replays of dives, faked injuries, and cheating.

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  7. FIFA need a reason to put a 5th official on the pitch, and Blatter made Ireland’s request public for that very reason.

    We’ll see 5-ref teams assigned in SA, and we’ll have Henry to thanks/blame for it.

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  8. Anything that results in more and/or longer stoppages of play is a step in the wrong direction. Extra end line officials is probably the best approach, but if you really want video replay then it should take place while the game continues.

    For instance, on N’gog’s terribad dive that resulted in a PK a few weeks back: Let Man U take the PK, review the dive upstairs in the booth while the game proceeds, rescind the goal at the next appropriate stoppage of play. Man U is deflated, B’ham is amped, score is tied and the game is good.

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  9. “as dumb as it is ignorant???” well, that is as redundant as it is repetetive.

    agreed that France helped in the Revolution. helped at the last possible minute, mind you, but still helped. unfortunately, the French reputation for the “old fighting spirit” has taken quite a nosedive since 1781. no denying that.

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  10. Finally,

    Let’s put this one to rest. I feel bad for Ireland but the game moves on and so should we. France will get its own bitter pill one day. Karma.

    Hopefully FIFA will find a formula to minimize the number of blown calls by referees without turning this beautiful sport into a version of American football.

    Cheers

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  11. Can’t fault Ireland for keeping the issue alive. What happened to them was an absolute travesty and should never be allowed to just die away. Keep doing whatever you can to make FIFA look like they corrupt pigs they all are.

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  12. Maybe FIFA could institute the world soccer equivalent of the NIT, just so that Ireland could get its chance at a trophy. They could invite all the teams that lost playoffs to get to the World Cup final.

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  13. “Who knows, maybe they will follow their longstanding wartime strategy and simply surrender to the teams they play.”

    That is as dumb as it is ignorant, considering the USA won the war vs England for its Independence thanks to the French armies.

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  14. The Irish should stop whining like little cry babies for god’s sake!
    So they got a bad call… Name me one team that was never victimized by missed calls? Also, when were Ireland ever qualified? When they led 1-0 they were tied NOT qualified. What about the penalty France should have gotten a few minutes before the handball? Don’t hear Ireland complaining on that decision. Do we hear Irish wanting to give back points when they won games on bad calls (e.g. Georgia).
    Ireland should stop this ridiculous begging and man up a bit.
    They wanted to go to the WC? How about winning in Dublin and bot missing all the opportunities to go up 2-0 in the second game? They have only themselves to blame. Stop bitching that the bully stole your lunch money and just move on already, geez.

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  15. As a former referee, albeit at a rather low level, I have to say that the main flaw with the usual system- center ref and two assistants- is that you just can’t see everything. We all know as fans that it is plain as day that Henry committed an offense, but seeing through the scrum of players in the penalty area is only possible with a different view. What can be done to uphold the Laws of the Game without turning the beautiful game into NFL football?

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  16. Ireland knew this request would be denied. It was ridiculous to ask, in a way. But, they can keep the spotlight on the cheating issue and the fact that they probably wouldn’t have been playing France had FIFA Not also cheated them with the sudden decision to seed the playoffs and protect the bigger countries.

    The best we can hope for at this point is that France goes three and out to universal boos and public disgust. Who knows, maybe they will follow their longstanding wartime strategy and simply surrender to the teams they play.

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  17. While I’m not as vehemently opposed to additional refs behind goals, I see a major shortcoming of this system that does resolve at least one of the problems its designed to resolve.

    An official behind a goal does not have near the best vantage point to determine if a ball has crossed wholly over the goal line. The person best positioned for this is the linesman, if he’s doing his job.

    I get concerned when I think about the fact that the number of officials would be more than half of one of the sides playing, when their role should be to have as little impact on the game as possible. The more of them there are, the harder that is to accomplish.

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  18. I’ll second that no. Worst thing that could happen to a game that is beloved by fans for its flowing nature when it happens would be to have in game replay. I get annoyed when I’m watching a match and there are too many stoppages by a ref or the ball goes out of bounds too often. The last thing I want is some sitting in front of a review monitor holding things up.

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  19. Intentional or not, France broke the rules to enter the world cup. I think Ireland is doing what any country should do in a similar situation. That being said, I understand why FIFA rejected it.

    I will be very upset steps aren’t taken to prevent this issue from occurring in the future. There seems to be three solutions that have been talked about: video replay by game officials, continuous video surveillance by other officials in a box, or two additional refs behind each goal. I do not like video replay, but the other two options should be considered and one of them implemented prior to the world cup. My preference is for additional refs behind each goal.

    -Mike

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  20. They made the request to FIFA in private (hoping it’d stay that way), and hoping that they’d get some sort of measured response from FIFA. Instead, Blatter went public with it. Ireland knew the request was likely to be dismissed, but by asking for something outrageous I suppose they hoped they’d find at least some sort of middle ground.

    Blatter, FIFA, Warner, et al. are an embarrassing group of figurative match-fixers and mafia types. It’s a miracle most of them are not in jail, let alone able to helm the largest money-making sports organization on the planet.

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  21. OK – bad calls and non calls are part of the game. Cheating happens at some level in every game, whether it is shirt pulling or time wasting…. it is up to the ref to call it. This time the ref didn’t call it.

    The real call here is to improve the officiating, or enhance it. I think an in-game review procedure should be in place leveraging review methods from other sports. Use a model similar to hockey where the goals can be reviewed, use tennis’ hawkeye to validate the ball crosses the goal line into the net. Award one “NFL” challenge per side per half to contest a “reviewable” decision (goals, goals scored bu unfair advantage (player in an offside position, hand balls would fall into this category), infringement, any change in possession awarded by corner kicks or throw-ins). Fouls, bookings, ejections, and offside calls would not be reviewable.

    I can go on and on – but the point is there is precedent in many other sports that is accepted the world over for in game replay. There is NO reason not to incorporate it into the game at some level. To those that say it would hold up the game – I’d say not any more than arguing with the referees’ do. Look at Tennis – it takes 25 seconds at the most to review whether a ball is in or out. A hand ball might take a bit longer to sort out…but no longer than an instant replay in the NFL would take. And by limiting the number of challenges per half – the managers would be careful when to use their challenge.

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  22. all I want to see out of this whole situation is the officials of that game get heavily reprimanded and a trial system of endline officials

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  23. Love Ireland but this is getting out of hand. Next step World Cup 2018 in Ireland. Can you see it? Letterkenny hosting a group. Italy staying at Powerscourt. Guinness will be THE main sponser I guess.

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  24. Ireland should just be named the team of the 21st century. Right along with Costa Rica, but they aren’t crying to the world about how they were screwed.

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