Can Facebook group change World Cup game result?

You know this is serious because they've already talked about it on SportsCenter.

Wednesday saw one of the most painful pieces of cheating that soccer has enjoyed since, oh, since pretty much any other World Cup qualifying game.

However, this occurred in the dying minutes, featured one of the most famous players in the world (yes, he's been on the front of an EA FIFA game box), affected the result of the game, and was so crudely obvious that the world has decided to fight back by socially networking.

In case you were only recently released after being abducted by recalcitrant performance artists, France was playing Ireland for the privilege of going to the World Cup finals in South Africa. Ireland was winning.

Thierry Henry, contemplating moral philosophy, when he played for London's Arsenal.

(Credit: Cc BobbyMond/Flickr)

A ball was hopefully pumped into the Irish penalty area. The French captain, Thierry Henry, reached out his left hand to control the ball, enjoyed the feeling so much he actually handled it twice, then crossed the ball for an embarrassed teammate, Willam Gallas, to score and eliminate the plucky Irish. (It is compulsory to use the term "plucky" when referring to the Irish soccer team.)

Henry, perhaps sensing his precious image evaporating, admitted Friday that the game should be replayed.

Even though the sport's governing body, FIFA, has declared no replay will happen, it now has to deal with perhaps the fastest-growing Facebook group on earth.

Petition to have IRELAND VS FRANCE REPLAYED!!!!! already has secured more than 250,000 members since its inception, as well as an increasing amount of media coverage.

What is clear from the group is that people from all over the world are incensed that FIFA has haughtily dismissed the power of the people, the socially networking people. The group has organized a protest in Dublin, 2 p.m. local time Saturday.

If I were one of the fine-dining, bouncy-bellied officials at FIFA, I would pay a little more attention to this Facebook group. The last time someone so blatantly ignored the will of the socially-networking people--who, in the Facebook group's case, include many from France itself--it was a lady who guffawed: "Let them eat cake."

Yes, she was Queen of France and it did not end well for her. I feel sure Marie Antoinette would have wished for a little replay in her own life. And I feel equally sure that, were she alive today, she would be joining the Facebook group "Petition to have IRELAND VS FRANCE REPLAYED!!!!!" in demanding a rerun of this most important game.

[codynews]

"In case you were only recently released after being abducted by recalcitrant performance artists"<br /><br />Or in case you're like me, and don't give a crap about soccer...<br /><br />"If I were one of the fine-dining, bouncy-bellied officials at FIFA, I would pay a little more attention to this Facebook group."<br /><br />Seriously? There are "Facebook groups" that start up for all sorts of stupid crap. *yawn*

[ckurowic]

I'm going to have to second this. Why is this on CNET?

[farker1]

Oh America, where ignorance and apathy is celebrated as a virtue.

[cvaldes1831]

@ckurowic:<br /><br />Because any mention of Facebook increases alms to Cnet's god: the Almighty Pageview.<br /><br />This is a garbage post that is solely designed to please its advertisers, perhaps at the expense of the site's editorial reputation. Matyszczyk is not a Cnet staffer and is thus given fairly broad freedom.<br /><br />However, this type of blog entry ultimately damages Cnet's overall credibility as a legimate source of technology-related news.<br /><br />Cnet is banking on short-term returns by allowing such blatantly sensational postings. Whether or not this is an effective long-term strategy is questionable.

[cvaldes1831]

Note to kiki368900:<br /><br />Congratulations, Matyszczyk. You win.<br /><br />You have attracted the attention of outright spammers.<br /><br />Revel in your victory.

[gefitz]

uh, no. The answer is "no."

[tonyw5225]

And Marie Antoinette wasn't French. She was born in Vienna and thus she was Austrian.

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

@tonyw5225,<br /><br />Aw, picky. But she died French....in a manner of speaking..alright, I'll bow to the will of the people and make a tiny alteration.<br /><br />Thank you for commenting,<br /><br />Chris

[ha-ra-d]

the queen is austrian, not french, and FIFA has rules about this I don't think they should break the rules just because of a faceboook group

[professionaladventurer]

You don't change the rules just cause the fans want you too, unless you do.

[t8]

Fifa don't want the game to be replayed as it will set a dangerous precedent for protesting future games. However, if they do nothing about it, then they set an even more dangerous precedent, that cheating is the way to win.

[kelmon]

I'm rather disappointed in this article. We all know that the Facebook group is going to achieve exactly the same as all online petitions, which is precisely nothing, which is pretty much what normal petitions achieve as well. From a technology perspective, what this incident highlights is the ever increasing need for football equivalent of rugby's video referee. Rugby embraced the "novel" notion some time ago that the referee cannot see everything, which is what happened in the case of Monsieur Henry, and therefore you need to be able to see key events from different angles in order to get a clear picture of what happened and make the right decision. Certainly a video replay will slow things down so it needs to be used judiciously but it would prevent the sort of ****-ups that this event highlighted.<br /><br />Why CNet isn't reporting this aspect of the event is beyond me but certainly a Facebook group isn't in the slightest bit interesting.

[skylamer]

ahahahahahahahahaha so funny!

[warp9tenor]

All of this kerfuffle about this "result," the incident which occasioned it, and the attendant outcry - which, as anyone familiar with the tinhorn dictators who run FIFA knows, will accomplish absolutely nothing - simply confirms for me yet again that FIFA soccer players, and the people who run their leagues and governing bodies, are the single biggest collection of cheaters, crybabies, and thin-skinned dilettantes in all of sports.<br /><br />What any of this has to do with technology I'm not sure, but I suppose SOMEONE can draw some kind off connection to ... whatever.

[Sam Papelbon]

it's about online petitions. they are a new phenomenon on the internet, which is a technological device, not overly dissimilar from a truck.

[klor5]

I remember when my country,Australia was sent packing from the World Cup finals by a blatant piece cheating in the final minute by Italy's Fabio Grosso (Italy went on to win the 2006 World Cup.)<br /><br />Cheating is a fundamental skill in this sport,just as much as kicking and heading is.Even though many countries would never accept their National team blatantly cheating,many many many countries would expect their National team to put in a 110% effort when it came to the slimy arts.<br /><br />This is why soccer will never come within a bulls' roar of being a truly popular spectator sport in Australia.I think in the U.S.A too!

[IceN9ne]

Thank god for that. Thank god that there is no cheating and/or favoritism in ANY other professional sport in the US or otherwise. Thank god indeed.

[klor5]

Yes praise the lord! Amen!

[atomD21]

I love how people get all incensed over how CNet would dare allow a blog entry like this on their site. Chris has never presented himself as a tech journalist... He presents himself more as a satirist, pointing to the sublime and ridiculous aspects of tech news.

[IceN9ne]

Completely agreed with you. I've been reading Chris' ramblings for quite a few months now and I welcome each and everyone one of them. You people want tech news, go read Don Risinger's inane drivel about the latest facebook/twitter/friendfinder/whatever bland flavor of the week craptastic trend. Keep at it Chris. This reader appreciates a little sattire to break the workload. Thank you, good sir.

[knowles2]

Well it was FIFA that did everything it could to make sure the big teams got through to the finals.<br />I doubt they will undo all that hard work rigging it in favour of the bigger teams to let it all come down to a replay.<br />It simple with France at the World cup they will get more TV viewers than Ireland will an thus they can maintain or increase the price they sell rights to for the next world cup. <br /><br />It is a shame because Ireland were cheated out of the game an deserve a rematch for fairplay. Unfortunately money speaks louder than fair play.<br />Whole well I guaranteed you next world cup every fan will be against France.