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Thierry Henry is a free man. Many fans believe Thierry Henry deserved to be penalized for his hand ball that secured a spot for France in the World Cup and sent Ireland home ending their dreams of playing in South Africa.

I was rooting for Ireland in this match up. As unfair as it is, I believe the decision by FIFA is the right decision. I’ve had a few debates with some friends recently and there are some comparisons that we’ve made that really make it clear to us.

Let’s take Michael Jordan – If MJ traveled in a championship game and then went on to hit the game winner, would there ever be discussion of a penalty/fine for him? Absolutely not! That’s what the referees are for and their job is to make the call. Maybe MJ knew he was walking, but that’s not his fault.

FIFA came to the decision that this play ball Henry doesn’t deserve any punishment. They couldn’t find any legal wrong doings by Henry, which would allow FIFA to punish him. In my opinion, the refs should deal with this before Henry. I know if I didn’t do my job right, I may have to deal with some punishment!

It would have been a shame to see a superstar of Henry’s caliber on the sidelines during the World Cup this summer. The punishment he was facing could have kept him out of the World Cup for several games. This is the most elite soccer tournament in the World and it would not be the same without his presence.

I’ve played in many competitive soccer games over the years at the NCAA level. There were some heart-breaking calls against my team and for my team. The only person we could blame was the ref. It’s all a part of the game.

Ireland put in a request to FIFA to replay this match, but I knew this wouldn’t happen. They can’t turn the call over at this point, so that means that can’t find a reason to replay the game. Some people would like to see FIFA develop a review system, but that could really ruin the flow of a game. There are other options, like the addition of a ref on the end-lines which I think is a better solution.

All soccer players have done something against the rules and been successful doing it. It’s part of the game! Unfortunately for Ireland, Henry got away with a bit too much and it meant a spot in the Worlds greatest tournament!

This author is a huge soccer fan. He enjoys playing and watching soccer on his spare time. Check out his reviews on the latest soccer supplies and youth soccer shoes at his blog.

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