It's been a nice return to club football this weekend after all 32 countries are now locked in & booked for South Africa next Summer. What a week it was though for memorable moments and unforgettable photos in world football. Long will football fans remember the handball heard 'round the world, the pain and dejection on the Irish players faces and moments of pure passion and joy from other countries who will be playing their part in 2010.

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This is what MLS has been waiting for; a chance to show off their trophy player and their showcase franchise, on the grandest stage they have to offer. In front of what is expected to be a tremendous audience at QWest Field in Seattle, MLS stars will be shining brightly in one of the [...] Click to continue reading...

Fernando Amorebieta would make Hulk Hogan get all misty eyed with this performance. But where is the follow up leg drop? (I hope some of you watched wrestling as kids . . . if not? That reference just flew straight over your head) Now somebody get Messi an ice pack! Click to continue reading...

The France-Ireland match and the aftermath have been extremely emotional for all involved.

The Match

France humiliated themselves with a pathetic performance, arguably the worst of the Domenech era, which is saying something.

Ireland played very well, but blew multiple goal-scoring chances that would have booked their spot in the World Cup.

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Didn't Sir Alex just finishing lecturing the FA on their media overexposure of Wayne Rooney? Apparently, shedding a little bit of limelight his way isn't much of an issue at all. The Scot didn't mince words when picking his favorite to win the 2010 World Cup.

"I can't see past Brazil, actually," Ferguson was quoted in the Daily Mail.

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First, a confession: I kind of love Ipswich Town manager and former Ireland captain Roy Keane. (Even though he terrifies me.) But I was glad it wasn't my cell phone going off in the middle of a press conference this week. Because let's face it: the man is a bit...oh, [...] Click to continue reading...

Only 23 nations are going to the World Cup and the host nation won't even be there. Sounds crazy? This is the world cup when one looks only at the nations of the coaches of the 32 squads. The countries with more coaches? Germany and Argentina, each one has 3. And all the coaches from the latter is heading a South American nation (Argentina, Chile and Paraguay).

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Best quote from this article on the National Health Service's plan to use footy fans' love of their sport to get them to quit smoking: [M]ore than half of Liverpool fans say they would give up smoking if their team won the League and FA Cup double more than for any other [...] Click to continue reading...

Guus Hiddink could be making an announcement as early as next month about his future. He has a contract with as Russia's head coach until the end of June 2010 and now with the failure to qualify for the World Cup it is thought he will quit and become Technical Director at Chelsea. Hiddink had [...] Click to continue reading...

Is this the "new" mass threat to World Football (Soccer)?Dodgy referee decisions, intencional red cards to leave your team with less men, own goals, off-sides not called, goalkeeping mistakes...theoptions are long as "betting" money has entered as a possible factor ingame results. In Germany they are investigating up to 200 games; local,Europa League & Champions League. Click to continue reading...

Seven non-Titi related posts you may have missed during the last seven days... Japan sound the horn. For silencing the horn. Tell us who your biggest international rival is. What they'll all be wearing in Philadelphia next year. Who deserves the golden trashcan? Nothing like an international break to recharge the old batteries New Zealand headed to South Africa thanks to [. Click to continue reading...

It's difficult to answer that question with any precision. But seems the answer is "a lot more corrupt than we realized". Because German prosecutors think it's corrupt enough that 200 games of European football need to be investigating. Including 12 in the Europa League and at least three in the Champions League. Click to continue reading...

The appetite for commentary on the farce in Paris still seems strong, and I thought Arsene Wenger had a very wise take on the entire situation today. Wenger is, obviously, a French supporter and very close with Henry. In fairness to the Irish fans, the world football community, and for the sake of Henry, he called for the game to be replayed.

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OK, after taking this week off to mostly just troll other blogs and not comment too much on MLS or soccer in general after letting last week's loss sink in, I do have some thoughts on a rash of topics:
(But before I begin, I have to tell you my favorite lines from anyone about events so far this week. Click to continue reading...

Redknapp sets sights on high profile wing wizard.

Spurs and Portsmouth both want to sign Marseille's Hatem Ben Arfa who has fallen out with Didier Deschamps and his shiny black leather jacket. Ben Arfa has accused Deschamps of "breaking his balls". Deschamps says he didn't break his balls, they were already broken and actually he was only trying to fix them and he may have slightly chipped one while he was doing it but it's not his fault if his balls are actually quite badly made and frankly quite cheap in the first place.

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They Think It's All Over... considers Ireland's appeal to replay their match against France. Do they have a chance? And what would it mean for football? Click to continue reading...

Its not just the Egyptian and Algerian governments having a holy go at each other.

The replay request is now being echoed in the upper echelons of the Irish government as Brian Cowen, the Irish PM is now suggesting that he will approach the French premier Nickolas Sarkozy to discuss a replay and circumvent FIFA's objections.

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Qualification is officially over. Playoffs won, tears shed, hearts broken and dreams renewed, it's all over. After Uruguay withstood the Costa Rican pressure late in the evening, the final 32 teams were written into stone though not without a fair bit of controversy.

The following are those 32 teams who will take part in South Africa 2010.

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The furor over last night's game will not settle down anytime soon. Not tomorrow, not next week, not even before the traveling circus takes to South Africa next summer. Not unless something is done to eradicate the impact of The Hand of Henry on the outcome of the game.

The Irish FA, of course you'd hear from them, have come up with a simple solution: replay the game.

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The games didn't really have everything, did they? The results did some upsets, some heroics, a few of the expected teams going in but outside of the one game which forced a playoff (Egypt 2 Algeria 0), some of these games were completely zapped of the necessary drama.

(Not, of course, that one played in the Stade de France.

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Without getting into a great deal of opinion, or any at all for that matter there's surely plenty of that floating about it would probably be prudent to look into the words on each side of the divide from those who were there, at the game and directly impacted. (What with it being one of the most controversial games in World Cup Qualifying history and all.

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This is a picture of what's currently going down in the center of Paris. No, that is not a Frenchman celebrating the lack of video replay in football. No, that is not an Irishman infuriated by the lack of integrity by one Thierry Henry. Hell, it's not even the CEO of Caran d'Ache.

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They Think It's All Over... thinks France's victory over Ireland is a crying shame for football. Click to continue reading...

In my EPL Talk piece yesterday, I discussed all of the reasons that Ireland's potential qualification was better for World Football than France's would be. Much of this thought process centered on the importance of American market to the success of the World Cup.

But alas, Giovanni Trapattoni's side was defeated at the hands of Thierry Henry's France.

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In my piece yesterday, I discussed all of the reasons that Ireland's potential qualification was better for World Football than France's would be. I detailed my reasoning without any mention that a group of hard working custodians of the game should not be denied by a group of talented but unsporting cheats.

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The Algerian post-match celebrations.

[101GG]

• Hooligans force a player's premature retirement. (Dirty Tackle)
• The Diego Ban and How It Affects You (Futfanatico)
• Beginning the search for Scotland's next manager. (Inside Left)
• The vignettes of Finland.

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No more. Done. Finito. Acabou. The fight for the 32 golden spots to play the most exciting football (and sports) tournament on the planet has ended. Some big ones almost did not manage. And some return after 24 years.

Today was the day for the last 6 squads to qualify. The brave (or lucky?

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World Cup Playoffs Chit Chat

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Carlo Ancelotti closes in on Argentine sharp shooter.

Chelsea will push through a £40m deal for Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero it was reported today.

The Argentine international has been a long term target for the Stamford Bridge outfit and it would appear that a deal will finally go through in January.

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In honour of today's Algeria vs Egypt showdown in Sudan, had planned on putting together a Top 10 Biggest International Rivalries post. But halfway through I realized it wasn't a great idea. Your own national team's rivalry will always feel bigger than anyone else's, so why include some in a Top 10 but not others?

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I'll admit that hearing many a pundit say that a World Cup without France would lose some of its bite made my blood boil. Â I have nothing against French Football, and in fact cheered for them in each of their four knock out stage matches of Germany 2006.

But from my perspective an Irish defeat today in Paris would be a defeat for football.

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Photographs of the USA's home jersey for the 2010 World Cup have been leaked.

Designed and manufactured by Nike, the new design features a white shirt with a prominent diagonal line across the front of the shirt, which is a tribute to the 1950 US World Cup squad who famously defeated England 1-0 in one of the greatest shocks in world football.

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They Think It's All Over... busts out some World Cup playoff predictions. Click to continue reading...

With December fast-approaching, The Season is in the air. Christmas? Absolutely not. It's awards season. The Argentine sensation known as Lionel Messi has already nabbed the Onze d'Or, a precursor to the Ballon d'Or (with a heft more patriotism) which has predicted the BdO three times in the last four years. Click to continue reading...

It would seem this vuvuzela thing is, at the very least, unpopular. As a direct result of its popularity, of course. Xabi Alonso left the Confederations Cup poo-pooing the vuvuzela and its effect on the field of play. The cacophony a bit too intense for such things as hearing the whistles and one's teammates not things entirely insignificant.

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