World Cup Blog
Henry Has A Nerve
Mike Martin on the World Cup’s latest moment of shame… The World Cup needed two great matches to conclude Round 2, after the dross served up by Switzerland and Ukraine on Monday night. Brazil v Ghana was a wonderful display of open, positive football and Spain v France was a rollercoaster of a match, with [...]
Mike Martin on the World Cup’s latest moment of shame…
The World Cup needed two great matches to conclude Round 2, after the dross served up by Switzerland and Ukraine on Monday night. Brazil v Ghana was a wonderful display of open, positive football and Spain v France was a rollercoaster of a match, with France’s late win almost constituting a shock.
But what appalling hypocrisy from Thierry Henry, less than six weeks after accusing (with a little justification) Barcelona of underhand tactics in the UEFA Champions League final. Slightly obstructed by Carles Puyol - a Barcelona defender, lest we forget - there can be no doubt that Henry was fouled. But the sight of him clutching his face was a slap in the face for anybody who aspouses the French forward as one of the ‘few honest footballers left’.
There are two reasons, apart from his sheer cheek, why Henry deserves extra censure. One is the fact that, rather than just looking to dishonestly elicit a free-kick, his faking of injury was designed to get Puyol sent off. Fortunately, Puyol only got a yellow card which is ultimately inconsequential after Spain’s late collapse. How dare Henry one day accuse Puyol and his Barcelona co-defender of being cheats, then produce such a display of gamesmanship?
But worse still were Henry’s bare-faced lies after the match. One quote; “I don’t know why Puyol cut accross me. I don’t cheat.” Grow up, Thierry. You were obstructed, you got a free-kick, from which Patrick Vieira scored. That makes you more than even. Why don’t you ask yourself why you found it necessary to fake an assault in order to try to get one of the Spanish defenders - who had you in their pocket for most of the match - sent off? His denials are as ludicrous as Didier Drogba’s “I don’t dive,” u-turn mid-interview during the Premiership season.
Let’s get one thing straight; diving, feigning injury and waving invisible cards at the referee are not, never have been and should never be ‘part of the game’. But it will continue as long as FIFA fail to instruct referees to do two things. One is to properly and persistently punish foul defending; not just shirt-pulling but holding and obstruction. Too many forwards now believe, with some justification, that the only way they can get a free-kick is to go down. Secondly, they must make it a rule that referees view the match video after the final whistle, before submitting their report to whichever body is applicable, any incidents of ’simulation’ being retrospectively punished with a straight red card, a fine and a considerable suspension.
But FIFA continue to be befuddled and impotent, so more players like Henry will be drawn across to the dark side.
(Mike Martin is a freelance writer and sport journalist. Contact him at mjefm@hotmail.com)
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