1986 World Cup in Mexico...Argentina vs England...Diego Armando Maradona...If you still don't know what I'm talking about, here's a quick summary:
It was a quarter final game and Argentina defeated England 2-1. Argentina's second goal was scored by Maradona, who is 5 ft 5 in, against England's goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who is 6 ft 1 in, on a "header"! Maradona said after that game that it was "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." Look at the picture above...It was ALL Maradona's hand!!! Turns out Argentina advanced and ended up winning the World Cup that year.
Part 2 happened this past Wednesday when France's Thierry Henry clearly controls the ball with his forearm and hand, before crossing it to William Gallas for the game winning goal against Ireland. It was bad officiating on the part of referee Martin Hansson and his assistants, but it's over now and there's nothing that can be done about it.
Ireland protested and wanted FIFA to replay the game. Henry himself admitted to the handball, but he said he wasn't the referee and it wasn't his call. He's also being fair about the situation saying the game should be replayed, but that's also not his decision, and I bet you he's only saying that because his team already clinched a spot in the World Cup, while Ireland will be watching it from home.
Law 5 of the Laws of the Game states that "The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final." This basically means that if a referee makes a bad call, that's all it is, just a bad call. Regardless of the ramifications of that call, the decision won't change.
i seriously believe in having technology used in Soccer, its high time, to eliminate outward incidents, at sucha big stage
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with fiestafootball's statement on the use of technology. Having a referee make human errors is all a part of the game, and so is the occasional player cheat to win. It's all part of what entertains us, and if we eliminate such through technology, or any other means, the game becomes sterile, dull, a shadow of it's current grandeur.
ReplyDeleteOh, and by the by, it was Maradona's first goal against England that was the "Hand of God." The second was the slalom through the English defense that started in midfield.
ReplyDeleteyou might want to watch more of Maradona incidents using his hand. The 1986 goal was only 1 of four incidents
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMuD0_NBeFY