...Or at least if you had just read the reactions from the fans and trigger-happy journalists, you'd think this is what Henry had actually done:

On a serious note, the 'victims' the Irish team have been refreshingly objective about the situation and have laid the blame squarely on the horrible refereeing and to a much lesser extent on their own poor finishing as the real reasons why the French and not the Irish are headed to South Africa.

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Real Salt Lake?
Wow.
What a run for the underdogs. They survived (barely) a crazy last weekend in the regular season.
Then they eliminated the defending champs in the first round.
Finally, on Saturday they went to Chicago and eliminated the Fire via shootout (thank you Nick Rimando). Click to continue reading...

The last entries for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be decided this week, and there are some very interesting encounters.In Europe, FIFA changed the rules on seeding teams shortly before the play-off draw, giving the "big" teams a better chance at qualifying. The power of money and politics, but hopefully the underdogs can manage some upset in some of the following European play-off Click to continue reading...

In a week's time we will know a near complete list of the nations who will be competing to lift the World Cup in South Africa. The first legs take place on November 14, with the second legs on the 18th. The African nations qualification process takes a little longer, so I'll be focusing on the Republic of Ireland Vs France, Bosnia-Herz Vs Portugal, Russia Vs Slovenia and Greece Vs Ukraine.

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Maybe Prime Minister Zapatero was right. It's good to see proverbial underdogs winning sometimes, and in a tournament like the Copa del Ray, upsets always seem to happen. Except we're talking about Real Madrid here and they're supposed to be formidable this season enough to cancel out their 26 year drought in this competition.

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So we comfortably dispatched of Wolves in the end, the first 20 minutes or so were a little nervy but Diaby picked up a calf strain bringing Alex Song into the fray, we never looked back as minutes later one of two slightly fortuitous goals was scored.

The final two goals were class though, the first involved a lung busting run from Cesc Fabregas to get on the end of a move, his finish was coolness personified.

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This has been billed as win or bust by a lot of people especially United fans. Not since the era of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea (at their peak) have we gone into a match against Chelsea with the billing of underdogs. And for good reason.

Most fans as is their wont as fans hope their side will come good somehow against Chelsea.

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On Sunday Manchester United will walk into the Stamford Bridge pitch in unusual fashion. They will be the underdogs.

By all accounts, Chelsea simply look the stronger side. After trashing Bolton Wanderers 4-0 last weekend and earning a 2-2 Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid, Chelsea's in-form striker Didier Drogba will be looking to punish a Manchester United defense that will be without Rio Ferdinand.

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Gerrard out. Johnson out. Aurelio out. Torres half-fit. Several other players doubtful. Two defeats in three CL games. Third in the CL group table. eight defeats since the start of the season. Liverpool have no chance of beating Lyon on their own ground, right? WRONG.
Liverpool thrive on being underdogs and if history has proven one thing about the club it's this: in times of adversity, and when everything looks hopeless, Liverpool can and will triumph. Click to continue reading...

Call me crazy (because I am), but despite Tenerife loss last week to Villarreal 5-0 I still think the new boys will win this weekend. Why you ask? Because although Tenerife looked horrid last week this week they get to play Malaga who in nine games has lost seven. Malaga is in last place and Tenerife sits just outside the relegation zone.

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Barcelona-Mallorca

A great battle in this one as our number one squad faces off against our number five. Barcelona has looked unbeatable so far this season and what do you know? The treble winners still have yet to lose a match and now the season is about 25% over.

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Russian champions Rubin Kazan ensured that they remain unbeaten against UEFA Champions League holders FC Barcelona over the two games played on opposite ends of the continent.

A goalless draw in overcast conditions in Central Stadium Kazan ensured that Rubin remain tied on points with the Catalans.

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Incredible.

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Alcorcon ply their trade in the third tier of the Spanish league and when they came up against big spending La Liga giants Real Madrid in the first leg of this Copa Del Rey (the Spanish equivalent of the FA Cup) they were probably just dreaming of the much needed cash the tie would generate, however the Alcorcon players had other ideas.

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The English Carling Cup resumed play on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 with round 4 matches. There were five matches on Tuesday including Manchester United, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur. Here's a recap of all the matches along with video highlights.

English Carling Cup Recap - Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Most of the favorites advanced on Tuesday as there were not any major upsets.

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You can watch Bayern Munich v Frankfurt Live online here.

Bayern Munich v Frankfurt
Bundesliga
Saturday 24 October 2009
Kick-off: 14:30 BST

Bayern Munich Preview

Bayern Munich are currently 6th in the Bundesliga, 7 points of the pace, and it has been their inability to finish games off that has cost them so far this season.

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Last night saw mixed fortunes for Spanish sides as Sevilla made it three wins from three in the Champions League this season but Barcelona lost 2-1 at home to Rubin Kazan and was probably the most unexpected result of the night, in a night that produced more than one surprise scoreline.

Tonight though is the meeting of the two European giants AC Milan and Real Madrid which looks like being the tastiest double header in the Champions League this season.

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AZ Alkmaar v Arsenal
Tuesday 20th October 2009
DS Stadium - Alkmaar
UEFA Champions League
Kick-off: 19:45 UK (20:45 CET)

Champions vs 4th placed team games are rarely this mismatched - the Dutch champions go into this game as underdogs despite playing at home (courtesy of a poor start to the season) while England's fourth-best team have punters and pundits salivating over another potential European master-class from Wenger's men.

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The slightly controversial UEFA bridesmaid's draw has taken place and fortunately it's gone off without controversy. Somehow, someway, despite UEFA being involved, Liverpool and Chelsea will not meet. Who knew?

It's rather pedestrian, really, as perhaps the two best teams France and Russia were handed the easiest draw.

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The visitors at Old Trafford this Saturday are local rivals Bolton Wanderers. United got the better of the Wanderers last season with a 2-0 win, though there was a bit of controversy over the penalty decision that led to United's first goal, and they'll be looking for three points today after drawing with Sunderland last week.

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FIFA F**ks up again!

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So let me get this right. The so called 'elite' of Europe are aided initially in the first set of Group selections by being kept apart so that it is as easy as possible for them to get to the World Cup Finals, and then when they still manage to get pipped to the post so to speak they then get another helping hand when it comes to the play-off draw.

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Another week of your favorite football league is in the books and this week would introduce another lone leader in the group table. Also the worst team in the league would win a game as well meaning that there are no more teams left without a victory. But lets take a look back at the matches.

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This weekend had set itself up really nicely for DC United. After losses by Seattle and RSL, and ties by Colorado, Chivas, and Toronto, DC United only needed a home victory against the worst road team in the leauge in order to move into 5th place. But the underdogs continued to impress. Not only did United lose, but they really deserved to lose. Click to continue reading...

Ancelotti s under pressure at Chelsea.

Apoel Nicosia vs Chelsea:

How fast things change. Ancelotti is learning this first hand after Chelsea's shock defeat to Wigan this past weekend. He is under a obscene amount of pressure because of this loss and while he says he is not feeling it I'm sure a win would do him good.

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Big Story
It's not often a 6-2 loss is taken to presage a "nation's arrival on the big stage", but that's the reaction today in the Guardian from Anna Kessel on the England's women's team's defeat in the UEFA European Championship final to Germany last night.

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#12: Espanol

If there is any team in La Liga that deserves a good finish to the season it is likely Espanol. The club has gone through a horrific last few months that puts frustrating season's on the pitch into perspective. While training for the La Liga season captain Dani Jarque died on the pitch of a heart attack in a preseason practice.

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Good weekend for the USA, as none of Argentina/France/Portugal could win.
1) In Africa, this weekend's results mean that Cameroon and Tunisia should now be considered clear favorites to qualify. If Gabon can't beat Cameroon at home, then how they can hope to get a result on the road? Togo let in a last second equalizer against Morocco which probably ended their hopes. Click to continue reading...

It's been an eventful year for the Seattle Sounders who are the newest team added to the MLS this season. They came on strong early on and made a name for themselves. Being sponsored by XBOX help increase their popularity as well. But now they can add U.S. Open Cup winners to their rap sheet.

Seattle Sounders captain (18) Kasey Keller raises the trophy after the Lamar Hunt U.

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There were few eyebrows raised earlier this summer when South Korea clinched a place at the 2010 World Cup. After all, the Taeguk Warriors had qualified for the previous six global tournaments; a seventh successive spot was impressive but not especially newsworthy.
But North Korea making a second ever appearance at the World Cup? Click to continue reading...

That's right folks another week of Premier League football is in the books and week two would have many similar themes to the first week of the season.Â

Arsenal proved once again not to be a fluke and went on another scoring rampage this time against Portsmouth with a crushing 4-1 defeat.

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Sol 0 Sky Blue FC 1

It's a well-deserved lead for the underdogs against a flat Sol. Coach Abner Rogers removed midfielder McCall Zerboni for defender Sharolta Nonen after the straight red, but the Sol will need to do more than that to come from behind. Which team had the most rest coming into this game anyway?

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Coca Cola Championship is speeding up and we bring you a brief prediction for each club this season. Many things have changed in the squads, especially on the benches. It seems that it will be tougher than ever and many so-called favourites might just prove otherwise...Here is part three.

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I was only ever in Scotland once in my life. Apparently I was about 2. I remember nothing about it, of course, as it was a holiday and I was on the piss. Baby-Buckfast is a wonderful invention. Farley's Rusks up there actually pieces of pavement painted beige.

It will be Arsenal's first competitive match against Celtic although the teams have met a fair number of times down the years for friendlies and testimonials.

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This may be the most competitive title race in Premier League history. Four teams - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd - have the ability to muster skill to gain points to win what promises to be an exciting competition.
Alex Ferguson's club, whom recently knocked Liverpool off "their f*%#ing perch" as England's most successful domestic club, will be gunning for their fourth title in a row, though they will be doing so having lost by far their best player. Click to continue reading...

"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while." -Anonymous
Kenny Cooper leaves and FC Dallas scores 6 goals. I doubt any bookie laid odds on that, but if they did and there was someone crazy enough to bet it, they are a happy gambler today. A great result for FC Dallas, but the real test is Thursday as the mighty Houston Dynamo come to town. Click to continue reading...

It makes me laugh it really does. Almost every bastard out there has written us off before the season has even begun and I can't wait till those wankers are made to eat their words.
There is no doubt about it. We go into the campaign as complete underdogs and I reckon that suits Arsenal just fine. Click to continue reading...