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.

Take any other sport, for example Michael Jordan and basketball. If MJ traveled during a big game that led to a game winner (knowing he did this), there would be absolutely no chance he would be penalized in any way. There’s a team that would get the blame and that’s the team of the referee’s. This wouldn’t be MJ’s fault, things happen during games!

According to FIFA’s rules, they couldn’t find anything that would give them a legal right to fine Henry. Basically, they agreed that a hand ball is NOT worthy of any sort of fine. The refs should face a fine before Henry should – it’s their job to make the calls.

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 soccer my entire life at high levels in the States and I’ve been part of some heart-breaking calls. Some were in my favor and some were against us, but the fingers could only be pointed at one person – The ref! It was never an issue with the players as it’s not their responsibility.

Ireland was so upset about this that they asked FIFA to replay the match. I was hoping for a rematch, but I knew that FIFA would turn it down. They can’t overturn the call and allow a rematch, but maybe this pushes for FIFA to begin using technology to help overturn calls. I would hate to see official reviews in the middle of a soccer game, but I’m not opposed to adding a referee to the end-line.

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 free time. Check out his reviews on the latest soccer supplies and youth soccer boots at his blog.