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A 33 team World Cup?

I found the article on the BBC website saying that the Football Association of Ireland(FAI) had asked FIFA to consider an extra place for Ireland at the 2010 FIFA World Cup very interesting.

Its unfortunate that Ireland lost out on a place at the 2010 World Cup because Thierry Henry handled the ball before passing it to William Gallas who scored the equaliser for France in extra time but I don't think that warrants an extra place for Ireland at the World Cup.

I would have very much liked Ireland to be at the World Cup in South Africa but surely not as a 33rd team because then every team that had a decision against them would claim for an extra place for themselves as well.

In the France/Ireland second leg match in Paris, the aggregate score before Gallas scored was 1-1 and therefore the match was heading towards penalties to decide the winner.

Its not like Ireland were in the driving seat en-route to the World Cup but they were going to go to penalties and then it would have been anybody's game.

There is nothing to suggest that France were going to lose those penalties or that Ireland were going to win those penalties but either team was going to have a fair chance of qualifying.

I am waiting to see what FIFA will do but I will be surprised if they will allow a 33rd team at the World Cup because that will create all sorts of problems in terms of organising that World Cup.

I also think that if that were to happen a lot of teams will review all their matches and if they find any wrong decision they will also claim a place at the World Cup which I think it will be a fair claim if Ireland were get a place themselves.

I think FIFA should try to do away with these playoffs where possible for the 2014 World Cup qualification.

The playoffs are very tense matches for the officials, players and spectators alike and everything is analysed in great detail because of the World Cup place at stake.

There is a lot riding on the World Cup for the whole nation let alone the players and so everybody wants to be involved and if teams can be decided in group games that would be great.

The playoff can then be held for matches like in the situation of Egypt/Algeria where there was no way to separate the two teams.

Also FIFA should punish the players who cheat. So far as far as I know nothing has been said about what is going to happen to Henry and I think FIFA should do something about it.

That will not stop players from cheating especially with a World Cup place on hand but it will act as a deterrent especially if a player is banned say three matches at the World Cup.

Meanwhile the World Cup draw will be conducted on Friday in Cape Town but it will be in the early hours of the morning here in Australia.

The SBS will show the draw live but I think I will miss that live cast and wait for the analysis after.

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