The group stages have concluded and now we can all look forward to good old fashioned knockout Football. What this World Cup has provided us so far has been, well, a bit baffling really, it has provided little in the way of genuine thrills and excitement but a huge amount of intrigue. It has been engrossing and most importantly it has provided some genuine surprises.

Group A was the setting for the demise of the French, no heart, no passion, no cohesion, spats, rows and fallouts equalled one point for Les Bleus and a shameful early flight home. Henry should’vedone the world a favour and kept his hand by his side. Uruguay and Mexico qualified from the group with relative ease, both sides have shown through some assured displays that they are more than capable of having a successful run in this World Cup. It was such a disappointment not to see the South Africans get through, maybe naivety, nerves and a little bit of expectation got the better of them, particularly against the Uruguayans, yet their performances either side of that game were impressive and it was a shame not to see the host nation progress. The South African squad, unlike the French, can hold their heads high.

Argentina somewhat strolled through Group B, winning all three games, as impressive as that looks on paper there do appear to be a few cracks in the Argentinean side, particularly at the back. As yet you couldn’t really put them down as nailed on finalists. South Korea qualified as runners up, they are a well organised outfit and create plenty of openings going forward, they make for a tricky opposition. Elsewhere in Group B Greece were Greece and Nigeria were bitterly disappointing, their campaign will only be remembered for Yakubu’s astonishing miss against the Koreans.

The USA claimed top spot in Group C with virtually the last kick of the group, securing a berth in arguably the easier side of the draw. It was no less than the Americans deserved, particularly after clawing their way back from two nil down in their previous match to claim a vital point. England finished runners up, after being vilified for their part in two drab draws they secured qualification with a One nil victory over Slovenia, England may live to regret not converting more of their chances, they now face a tricky route through the knockouts. Far from being spectacular Algeria and Slovenia ensured that qualification for the US and England was not as comfortable as many imagined it would be.

The ever efficient Germans got their World Cup off to a flying start, breezing past an awful Australian side in a four nil rout. That German efficiency went missing in game two when they fell to a one nil defeat at the hands of Serbia. Group D   like most groups was wide open going into the final round of matches. A one goal victory against the Ghanaians clinched top spot for Joachim Low’s men. Ghana finished second, salvaging some pride for what has been a poor World Cup for the African nations. To be fair there wasn’t much between the three sides that finished below the Germans, the Australians were vastly improved after their first display and the Serbs looked well organised and difficult to beat. It was Ghana’s win in their first game which proved how crucial it is to get points on the board as early as possible.

The Dutch waltzed to 9 points in Group E without even having to get out of second gear. Japan finished a thoroughly deserving second. Denmark and Cameroon were quite frankly awful in what was possibly the dullest group of the tournament. The Indomitable Lions, for me, have been the let down of 2010 so far.

Group F was home to the shock of the Tournament, Italy not only failed to qualify but finished bottom of their group. On the back of two lacklustre draws no one expected the Italians to fall short again in their last match. You have to credit the Slovakians for playing with such belief, it has to be the game of the tournament so far, and in contrast to the French, despite their shocking start the Italians fought all the way in their final game and very nearly pulled off a great escape in the dying seconds. Special mention must go to New Zealand, to finish undefeated in a group containing the Azzurri, Paraguay and Slovakia is some achievement for the All Whites and it is a shame three sides could not progress from Group F because no one would begrudge them 90 more minutes of World Cup Football.

Brazil finished top of the pile in Group G with Portugal qualifying as runners up. The Ivory Coast were another African disappointment and the North Koreans went from terrific to terrible in three games. Brazil look strong, their two defensive midfielders play a priceless role and have so far been fantastic, if their more creative colleagues hit form then the boys from Brazil will be the team to beat.

In the final group Chile continued to wave the South American flag proudly. They played with the freedom and expression expected from Group favourites Spain. The Spanish did not buck the trend of struggling European sides, leaving qualification to the last game after a less than convincing start, but they did manage to turn things around and claim top spot. Switzerland were their normal no nonsense selves, set up not to lose and not to be pleasing on the eye. I would like to say the Hondurans did more than just make up the numbers, sadly I can’t.

As the World Cup heads into stage two a lot of teams will try to forget their struggles in the group stages. This is the business end of the tournament and it’s game one as far as they are concerned, if you slip up now you don’t get another chance to set things right. There is still no real favourite, results wise it has been one of the most unpredictable World Cups so far, one thing we know is that every side is beatable. The form book was thrown out of the window during the group stages, and there’s no indication that will change in the knockouts.

Pepsi has unveiled one of their new TV adverts for the 2010 World Cup which star Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Andrei Arshavin and Kaka.

Sit back and enjoy the video.

The controversial handball by Frenchman Thierry Henry is still causing shockwaves despite much of the sparks and debates calming down after FIFA ruled out any possibility of replaying the match. In addition, FIFA obviously refused to grant Ireland an extra spot in South Africa. Adding the Republic of Ireland to the World Cup draw would make no sense (no disrespect to Ireland and its fans). Making changes would imply having to rework the format for the World Cup which is time consuming and unacceptable. Some would argue if Ireland were allowed, then Costa Rica must be included in South Africa too as some feel Uruguay scored an illegitimate goal from an offside position.

Irrespective of FIFA’s stance and public opinion, rules cannot be bent or changed at the request of one or a couple of entities. The wise thing was for FIFA to order the France-Ireland encounter to be replayed based on a blatant case of injustice. No team should be allowed to go through to South Africa because it feels unjustly eliminated. A quick glance back at World Cup 2002 would show the South Koreans received one favour after another to get positive results against Portugal, Italy and then Spain while pushing through to the World Cup semi-finals. Did Portugal, Italy or Spain decide to withdraw, stop the match or officially ask for a replay? Without diminishing the current situation, a review of some of the mind-boggling decisions which transpired during the games between the Koreans and the three European sides reveals mistakes happen whether intentionally or not.

The best solution would be to reprimand and hold Henry accountable by suspending him. Recently FIFA President Sepp Blatter disclosed information pertaining to the situation as he admitted there will be a review of Henry’s conduct by the disciplinary committee. The question remains whether Henry will be suspended in the course of the season (Barcelona is not concerned with this so it ought to be a ban on the national level) or for a number of matches with the French team since the misconduct occurred on duty with France. Since the Irish feel they were inappropriately eliminated, then should FIFA suspend the main culprit for the duration of the event in South Africa as a small remedy for the unjust ousting of the Irish?

FIFA’s committee must carefully study the situation before taking any further action which could potentially create another furor instead of trying to address some of the controversy created by Henry’s handball. One thing springs to mind: Henry admitted to the handball after and not during the match. As such, there is no reason not to punish the French forward for his actions during the match.

In Serie A, video replay is used by the disciplinary arm of the ruling body to punish those responsible for major incidents which were not caught by the referee during the course of the match. No obvious rule stands against doing the same with Henry.

The countdown to South Africa 2010 may have started but there is still plenty of time for surprises to take place in terms of team selections and final squad lists. Coaches may spring a surprise or two and call upon unfamiliar names or perhaps the likes of the erratic Raymond Domenech will pick some unknown players.

Setting aside unforeseen events, injuries, suspensions or lack of form, a considerable number of players are all but guaranteed a spot o their national team’s roster heading to South Africa. It is perhaps early to confirm who has already scored his ticket to the World Cup but a few names will always surface when considering the most likely top scorer of the tournament. The top scorer does not have to be a striker so a number of attacking midfielders and wingers will be included on this potential list as shown below:

- Wayne Rooney: The English forward is still a young 24-year-old star player who will be the focus of Fabio Capello’s attacking schemes come next summer. Rooney scored 12 goals in 30 league appearances last season for Manchester United but he has already managed seven strikers in 11 games this season in the Premiership. The young forward has scored 25 times in the 55 matches he has played for his country. His last goal came in the World Cup qualifying destruction of Croatia (5-1 home triumph) back on 9 September 2009.

- David Villa: The striker has an impressive record with both Valencia and Spain. He has found the net on 35 occasions in just 54 appearances. This implies the talented player has a better strike ratio than a goal every two games. Villa has scored a remarkable nine goals in 10 la Liga games this season. He forms a frightening partnership with fellow attacker Fernando Torres.

- Fernando Torres:The Liverpool striker does not have Villa’s impressive scoring record but he is still a very dangerous man inside the box. He has netted 23 goals in 71 international appearances for Spain. His scoring tally with Liverpool is impressive as he notched 24 goals in 33 league appearances in his first season at Anfield and followed that with 14 strikes in 24 matches in the Premier League. This season Torres is amazingly on 10 goals in just 10 games.

- Didier Drogba: The Ivory Coast striker is one of the most lethal players at the international level having notched 41 goals in only 60 caps for his country. Drogba has been in great form this season for Carlo Ancelotti as he has found the back of the net nine times in 12 league appearances. Drogba is a nightmare for defenders when on form due to his strength, pace and scoring abilities.

- Luis Fabiano: His goal tally stands at 25 in the 36 times he has represented Brazil. He scored twice in the important 3-1 victory over Argentina in Rosario on September 5, 2009. Luis Fabiano was top scorer in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 with five goals, including a double against the Unite States in the final. He has five goals to his credit this season in just seven la liga appearances.

- Lionel Messi: The talented player is considered by many as the best player in the world at the moment. He has only managed 13 strikes in 41 appearances for Argentina but he has been in stunning form for Barcelona. He led the club to a treble last season after scoring 38 goals in 51 total appearances for the club while also providing assists on 18 other goals. He had 23 goals in 31 league appearances last season and he is on course to match or even beat the impressive figure having already scored seven times in just 10 la Liga matches. Messi is a delight to watch as he takes on defenders while making it look easy.

- Kaka: The former Milan icon has scored 26 times for Brazil in 73 appearances. He was instrumental in Milan’s success in Europe during the 2006-07 season as the club won the Champions League on the back of his incredible performances. He would finish top scorer in the European competition that season with 10 goals. He is now part of Real Madrid’s second Los Galacticos era since the turn of the century. The talented Brazilian has only managed three goals in 10 matches in la Liga as he tries to adjust to life after Milan.

- Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese missed Portugal’s play-off triumph over Bosnia but he should be back for South Africa 2010 barring any injury. The current Real Madrid star has managed to find the net 22 times in 68 matches for Portugal. He has scored five goals in just five appearances for Los Blancos as he is out injured. His scoring record with Manchester United was remarkable having scored 17 goals in 34 matches in the league during the 2006-7 season and then followed it with a stunning 2007-08 season capped by his 31 goals in 34 appearances in the Premiership. In his final season with United, he scored 18 times in 33 matches in the league. He won the European Golden Shoe during the remarkable 2007-08 season as the leading scorer across all the top divisions in Europe.

- Thierry Henry: Currently the man behind the most controversial use of his hand to contribute to a goal! His handball assist to William Gallas eliminated the Irish and sent France to South Africa 2010. The striker was extremely lethal during his spell with Arsenal but his scoring tally with Barcelona is quite respectable as he managed 19 goals in 29 matches last season. He has played 117 times for France and scored 51 goals.

Following the controversial decision to allow France’s goal to stand as Thierry Henry clearly handled the ball prior to assisting William Gallas, it is only normal to have increased complaints and ever growing displeasure at the level of refereeing. Some may attribute this to a conspiracy which necessitates the presence of France in South Africa 2010 at the expense of the Irish.

Others will point to the hotly contested Egypt versus Algeria play-off match which took place in Sudan (Egypt’s preferred location) and not Tunisia (location chosen by the Algerians) after controversial pre-match incidents when the two sides met in Cairo over the weekend. Algeria’s bus was subjected to rough treatment to say the least and under other circumstances the match would have been postponed or Egypt would have been forced to forfeit the match if proof of injury was given. In either case, the match went on and the Egyptians, with some claiming they were favoured by FIFA, succeeded in getting the necessary 2-0 win to force a play-off match. Obviously, the match in Sudan ended in Algeria’s favour to dispel any claims that FIFA was going to have the Egyptians in next summer’s World Cup.

Going back to the important point about key refereeing decisions, the error made yesterday was obvious since Henry blatantly handled the ball and it is hard to believe the linesman could not spot that infringement. However, if one is to look at this Youtube.com clip featuring some unacceptable and appalling behaviour from a female athlete during a college soccer game in the United States, it is unbelievable how she managed not to get sent-off on at least five of those violent occasions. It is inconceivable to think that a referee, at any level, cannot notice such abuse inflicted by this supposed sportswoman on the opponent’s players.

In addition, how far has football and sports in general deteriorated and taken a step back at the expense of achieving success on the pitch, satisfying hungry sponsors or feeding the deeper pockets? Even at the amateur level where sportsmanship should be engraved and highlighted, this case, despite being quite unique with this particular female player endangering the career and well-being of her opponents, shows that some would go quite far to achieve success and/or their objective at any expense.

No one is comparing Henry to this female because he does not have the reputation of a dirty player but what happened against Ireland may have earned him the reputation of a cheat. Earlier this season there were different incidents involving two Premier League players though the circumstances were quite different. In one case, Emmanuel Adebayor was involved in two ugly and controversial incidents in the clash against his former team Arsenal. Adebayor ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans after scoring for Manchester City and he also stamped on Robin van Persie’s head. Indeed, football has become a highly charged profession but what excuses Adebayor’s unacceptable behaviour as a professional who gets paid ridiculous sums to perform for the public?

In the second situation, Arsenal’s Croatian player Eduardo da Silva was accused of simulation in the Champions League when he won a penalty against Celtic. Since that incident, doubts have surfaced whenever Eduardo fell in the penalty area. There is no guarantee that players from opposing sides will begin to feel suspicious whenever Henry takes a dive or does something they deem inappropriate. Henry may have helped France qualify but he did damage his reputation along the way.

Have a look at the clip and decide for yourself! Sometimes decisions are really down to mistakes done by referees in a split-second but this goes beyond any comprehension of the basic rules of officiating.

The Republic of Ireland will take on France in the World Cup play-offs which commence next weekend in what will be an intriguing clash between the shrewd Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni and the much-maligned French national team coach Raymond Domenech.

Trapattoni’s record speaks for itself with successful spells almost everywhere he coached yet his most notable job prior to taking over Ireland ended in miserable failure with the Azzurri. Trapattoni was unconvincing and seemed stuck in the past using tactics which did not suit the abilities of the Italian players at his disposal. However, since taking over Ireland’s coaching duties, he was able to create a solid unit as evidenced by the undefeated run in the group stage not to mention conceding just eight goals in the 10 matches played. Trapattoni’s most notable results came against his home country with Ireland snatching a 1-1 draw in Italy and wasting two points at home after a late Alberto Gilardino equaliser gave the Azzurri a share of the spoils in a feisty 2-2 encounter. He will be counting on ‘keeper Shay Given to try and keep a clean sheet in the first match in Ireland before traveling to France for the return clash.

While the schedule does not serve the Irish well, the absence of the likes of Franck Ribery (pictured above), Samir Nasri and Patrick Vieira as well as David Trezeguet will work in Trapattoni’s favour. Both Ribery and Nasri are out due to injury (Arsenal’s Nasri just returned but is not fully fit) while Vieira has been overlooked due to his limited appearances for club Internazionale. As for Trezeguet, the Juventus striker does not seem likely to feature again for Les Bleus as long as the bizarre Domenech is in charge of the national team. It is quite unfortunate considering the striker’s scoring record with both France and Juventus. Despite criticism of his shortcomings outside the box, Trezeguet has often delivered for the French, most notably when he scored the famous winner against the Italians in the Euro 2000 Final. Domenech and Trezeguet rarely saw eye to eye and the striker’s penalty miss during the World Cup in Germany against none other than the Azzurri may have set Domenech in his stubborn ways to overlook the goal poacher.

It will be crucial for the Irish to keep a clean sheet in the first match and travel to France without having conceded any goals. With the likes of Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema and Nicolas Anelka spearheading the attack, France will most likely be able to find the net when it hosts the Irish in the return leg on November 18. France won the World Cup in 1998, followed that up with a dramatic overtime win in Euro 2000 before stuttering in World Cup 2002, and then finished Runners-up to Italy in the culminating match of Zinedine Zidane’s illustrious career. It was a controversial loss for the French as the legendary Zidane was sent-off to undermine his country’s chances of winning after he had lifted the nation on his shoulders to Berlin.

Will an Italian stand in France’s way once again as Trapattoni’s charges take on France? The difference this time is that missing on South Africa 2010 will bring to an end a successful chapter in the history of Les Bleus. It may bring back unfortunate memories of the failure witnessed by the talented 1990s team which did not make it to USA 1994. That squad inlcuded the likes of David Ginola, Eric Cantona and Jean-Pierre Papin among others. Ireland will rely heavily on Shay Given, an organised defense and a hustling midfield as well as the striking instincts of Robbie Keane while the French will try to compensate for the absentees with Henry and Anelka (or Benzema) likely leading the line. At this point it will be unrealistic to predict the outcome knowing that Ribery will be dearly missed by the French as he plays a significant role in the team’s buildup and attacks.

The European World Cup play-offs were drawn today (October 19) and the Republic of Ireland have drawn 1998 winners France.  The Irish will have to beat the French if they are to make it to South Africa and the game should be a cracking occassion.

Of course the French are the favourites with the World Cup 2010 betting odds.  They have a wealth of talent including Barcelona ace Thierry Henry, Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka and Bayern Muncih’s highly coveted midfield star Franck Ribery.  However, the Irish should not be dismissed as an easy draw for the French and I imagine Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech would have preffered one of the other lower ranked teams they could have drawn.  With the Irish racing into this fixture unbeaten in qualifying, including two draws against current world champions Italy, they are no pushovers and will be determined to spoil the French party.

It was a controversial decision by Fifa to seed the teams who made the play-offs in Europe.  I’m sure everyone is well aware of why they did this, the governing body didn’t want the likes of France and Portugal to meet in qualifying which would have meant players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry would miss out next summer.  They’ve given the ‘bigger’ nations every chance to make it to South Africa with this seeding system but I’m confident that under Giovanni Trapattoni the Irish can upset the French – but it will be a massive effort.

Ireland’s stars such as keeper Shay Given, defenders Richard Dunne and John O’Shea, midfielders Stephen Hunt and Kevin Kilbane and strikers Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle will have to be on the top of their game if they are to beat the French.  They also face the task of the second leg in France, which doesn’t make matters any easier, but in ‘Il Trap’ they have a master tactician in charge who has the ability to oversee an upset.

Obviously the French are the favourites and will probably emerge from the two-legged tie victorious but let us not dismiss the Irish threat.  Of all the play-offs this is the pick of the ties and a game I will be keeping a very close eye on when it comes around in November.

The four two-legged ties to be played on November 14 and 18 are:

Republic of Ireland v France

Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina

Greece v Ukraine

Russia v Slovenia

Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Russia will all play at home first, the winner of each tie will qualify for the World Cup.

The European nations who have already qualified are:

Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, England, Serbia, Italy and the Netherlands.