| |
Henry’s Hand of God heaps heartache on Ireland
November 18, 2009
France 1-1 Rep of Ireland
AET - France win 2-1 on aggregate
A hotly-disputed extra-time goal from William Gallas signalled the end of Ireland’s World Cup dream after a night of high drama in Paris.
Gallas nodded home from point-blank range in the 107th minute of Wednesday’s second leg to bring an end to the World Cup qualification hopes of a heroic Irish team.
But the goal was mired in controversy with Thierry Henry guilty of a brazen handball – indeed, he needed two movements of his hand to bring the ball under control – before he teed up his former Arsenal teammate for the decisive goal.
The Ireland players, led by goalkeeper Shay Given, were incandescent with rage but Swedish referee Martin Hansson pointed to the centre circle to award the goal, and with it drive a dagger into Irish dreams.
Ireland struggled in vain to find a second goal which would have secured passage to South Africa on the away goals rule, but could manage only a few hopeful punts into the penalty area which were mopped up by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
It was a cruel way to mark the end of the World Cup road for Giovanni Trapattoni’s side, each of whom had performed with career-defining distinction over the previous two hours.
The Irish negated events at Croke Park last Saturday, when Nicolas Anelka’s deflected winner gave France a lead which looked destined to make for a comfortable night’s work in Saint-Denis, with a phenomenal display to take the game to extra-time.
Robbie Keane fired the only goal of normal time shortly after the half hour mark. If it’s stretching it to suggest that it was a matter of time before the opener came for the visitors, it is certainly true that the lead was richly deserved when it did.
Outpassed and many would say outclassed in the second half at Croke Park four days previously, the Irish side were dominant in possession this time.
Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle held up the play capably in attack, bringing wide men Damien Duff and Liam Lawrence into it at every opportunity. Both had been finding their range with regularity in the first half hour as Bacary Sagna and Patrice Evra, the vaunted French full backs of Arsenal and Manchester United respectively, struggled to impose themselves.
And it was no surprise that the 33rd minute opener had its roots in the wide areas. Duff and Kevin Kilbane played an immaculate one-two down the left flank and the Fulham man cut the ball back from the end-line. Robbie Keane – waiting, unmarked – opened his body and stroked a perfect finish across Lloris and into the far corner.
Picking the ball out of his net was far from Lloris’s first involvement. He produced a brave save at the feet of Keane after Lawrence rose above Evra and William Gallas to flick on. Shortly before the goal, Doyle spurned an excellent opening from Lawrence’s exquisitely-curling cross. Doyle claimed that the Arsenal man had impeded him but he is strong in the air and could still have been able to direct the header on target.
France, in contrast, had looked blunt in attack, with first leg match-winner Anelka quiet by comparison and centre forward Andre-Pierre Gignac leaden-footed or anonymous, depending on the passage of play.
After the goal and before the break, there were a few warning signs as Anelka in particular started to find the possession and space in which he thrived at Croke Park, but if that pointed to a rejuvenated French performance in the second half, it was to be a false dawn for Les Bleus.
Ireland started the second 45 minutes in the same mould as they had performed for much of the first. John O’Shea found himself with the freedom of Paris inside the French penalty area from a Liam Lawrence free kick. He chested the ball to himself – surely unheard of from a deadball at international level? – but screwed his attempt over the bar from eight yards.
Five minutes in, Kevin Doyle tumbled to the ground under the attentions of Gallas. As the official started to wave away the penalty shout, the loose ball fell for Lawrence but he was denied by Evra’s block.
Lawrence was at the centre of all Ireland’s best moments, and his perfectly-weighted through-ball, after Robbie Keane had forced Lassana Diarra into a mistake, put Duff through on goal. With Sagna racing back to cover, Duff was forced to turn onto his weaker right foot and Lloris was able to get behind his attempt.
Seconds later, Richard Dunne ignored a long punt into the Irish penalty area and Shay Given, in what was one of his first meaningful interventions, had to race off his line to smother Henry’s effort.
It was breathless stuff, but Ireland’s night increasingly became more backs-to-the-wall as first Glenn Whelan and then John O’Shea limped off with injuries at around the three-quarter point. They were replaced by Darron Gibson, playing his first game in two months, and Paul McShane respectively. McShane’s famed hot-headedness soon cost him a yellow card as he brought Anelka to the ground with a rash challenge.
If Ireland were forced back into their shell somewhat, they still retained a threat and certainly created the best chance of the closing stages. Lawrence teed up Keane and the skipper skipped around Lloris but from a tight angle ran out of room and the ball rolled out for a goal-kick.
France were also creating chances, with Anelka flicking a header wide after Sagna left Duff chasing shadows down the right, while the 90 minutes ended with Given spilling an Henry centre and Sean St Ledger hacking clear.
The drama was still to come, however. Lots of it.
Four minutes into extra-time and Lassana Diarra, who had been off the mark with his passing for much of the two legs, finally found his range to send Anelka sprinting through on goal. Given tore from his line to confront the Chelsea man, who went to ground under the Irishman’s challenge. Cue hearts in mouths, but Hansson and his assistant opted for the goal-kick despite howls of derision from the home support.
Substitute Sidney Govou, on for the ineffectual Gignac shortly after half-time, had the ball in the net but again the call went Ireland’s way, with the Lyon winger whistled for a marginal offside decision.
The momentum was swinging France’s way but the winner, when it came, owed more to sleight of hand than invention. France go through, Ireland, heroic to the last, bow out.
France: Lloris, Sagna, Gallas, Escude (Squillaci, 8), Evra, A. Diarra, L. Diarra, Anelka, Gourcuff (Malouda, 87), Henry, Gignac (Govou, 57).
Republic of Ireland: Given, O’Shea (McShane, 67), Dunne, St Ledger, Kilbane, Lawrence (McGeady, 106), Whelan (Gibson, 63), Andrews, Duff, Doyle, Keane.
Referee: M. Hansson (Sweden).
Key links:
Analysis: France v Ireland – the player ratings
Reaction: Doyle “sickened” by contentious winner
Reaction: Trap angry after Paris robbery
Reaction: Kilbane lays blame at officials’ door
Reaction: St Ledger: Henry has robbed my World Cup dream
|
|
|
