Karim Benzema scored twice as France became the first team to benefit from goalline technology at a World Cup in their easy victory over ten-man Honduras. The moment occurred in the forty eighth minute for France's second goal, when the system ruled that keeper Noel Valladares had nudged Karim Benzema's shot over the line. The Real Madrid forward had given France the lead from the penalty spot after Paul Pogba had been fouled by Wilson Palacios. Benzema also added a late third with a vicious strike from a tight angle. The match will be remembered for that historic moment when the GoalControl tool was called into action and when the BBC's own tool, Jonathan Pearce, had 'a moment' live on air (see below). Brazilian referee Sandro Meira Ricci awarded the goal straight away as Benzema's sidefoot effort came off the far post, rolled across the line, bounced off Noel Valladares and appeared to fully cross the line before the keeper could claw the ball back into play.
At first the system ruled 'No Goal', causing some confusion inside the Porto Alegre stadium when that message was displayed on the big screen (and, much confusion inside the empty mind of Pearce). 
But that was for the initial hit off the post. A second judgement then came on whether the ball crossed the line after coming off the Honduras keeper. Which it had. Despite the technology showing the ball had clearly crossed the line, Honduras players and coaching staff remonstrated with the officials and whinged like a bunch of girls. Already well on top, France never looked back from the moment that Benzema converted from the spot just before the interval, shortly after Palacios had picked up a second yellow card for a moment of utter stupidity. Palacios's clumsy, premeditated foul on Pogba, with whom he had clashed earlier in the first half, was going to result only in one outcome and left Honduras facing an exercise in damage limitation. But they could have had little to complain about regarding the end result. This game always had the potential to be feisty. The pre-match build-up had been dominated with talk about Honduras's physical approach, on the back of their goalless draw with England in Miami, when Steven Gerrard complained about some 'horrific' challenges. Luis Fernando Suárez had protested that Honduras 'can't be called a violent team' but the manager's words had a hollow ring to them inside the opening forty five minutes here. The match was stop-start and already riddled with fouls when Pogba and Palacios tangled inside the Honduras half, prompting a melee and a couple of yellow cards. It was a sign of things to come. When the two players fell to the ground, Palacios appeared to stamp on Pogba, prompting an angry reaction from the young Frenchman, who kicked out at the Honduras midfielder. While Pogba's frustration was perhaps understandable, he could count himself fortunate that the Brazilian referee took a lenient view of a clear act of retaliation. Palacios hardly covered himself in glory with the way that he threw himself to the ground and there was a sense that the feud might not have come to an end. So it proved later in the half, when the Dirty Stoke midfielder picked up a second yellow card for a ridiculous foul on Pogba that smacked of retribution. 
Barging Pogba in the back as the Juventus midfielder tried to take Yohan Cabaye's immaculate cross on his chest, Palacios left the referee with no option but to send him off. Benzema calmly dispatched the resulting spot-kick, sending Valladares the wrong way. France had already gone close before the penalty through Blaise Matuidi, when his shot was pushed over by Valladares and through the exceptional Antoine Griezmann, whose header struck the bar. For France, who had far too much class for limited opponents, it was a matter of how much they wanted to twist the knife in a second half littered with further examples of the Honduran physical approach. With the superb Cayabe influential in the centre of midfield, Les Bleus continued to dominate and added a second in the forty eighth minute when Benzema's shot came back off the upright and Valladares pushed the rebound over the line. There was no doubt about his third. Diminutive Mathieu Valbuena - who also had a great game - delivered an excellent free-kick from the right which found Griezmann. The young Real Sociedad winger's low drive was blocked, as was a follow-up by Mathieu Debuchy, but there was Benzema to blast the rebound into the roof of the net. France can now seal their passage into the knock-out round with victory over neighbours Switzerland on Friday. The painful memories of South Africa will soon begin to fade if this is a sign of things to come from Didier Deschamps and his players. Inspired by Benzema, who was left out of the squad that created such a furore at the World Cup four years ago, France got off to the perfect start in Brazil over a Honduras side that did nothing to alter their reputation for playing ugly. France were brilliant and should, rightly, be considered as strong contenders for the title even though in this match they were playing a team of klodhopping numskulls and this match had all of the competitive qualities of Sheikh Yer Man City versus Hartlepool. Nevertheless, it'll be good to see them up against a proper footballing side. Although looking at the rest of their group, that might be while coming.
BBC commentator - and daft plank - Jonathan Pearce felt the wrath of Twitter after his apparent failure to understand the concept of goal-line technology. The BBC veteran worked himself up into a right old frenzy during Sunday's clash between France and Honduras, when the goalkeeper Noel Valladares clearly bundled Karim Benzema's shot over his own goal-line early in the second half, to double France's lead. The Real Madrid forward's effort hit the inside of one post and rolled along the line but, as Valladares tried to claw it away, he could only push the ball momentarily over the line before eventually scrambling it clear. The technology system did exactly what it was supposed to and immediately picked up the fact that the ball had crossed the line, awarding France the goal. But, the former Robot Wars commentator Pearce seemingly struggled to understand the basic concept, despite co-commentator Martin Keown's best efforts at an explanation. Jeez, when Martin Keown understands something and you don't, it's time to go back to school, frankly. The first stage of the replay showed Benzema's effort hit the inside of the post, where the whole ball hadn't - at that stage - crossed the line, before moving on to show the goalkeeper's mishap resulting in the goal. 'Well, look at the boos and the Honduran players. And look at this again. We've seen so many spurious goal line technology replays. And it signals no goal,' bellowed the gormless berk. 'No goal has gone up on the screen. The fans have heard it, the Honduran players have seen it.
Oh, goodness me, they've changed their minds now. Does goal line technology work or doesn't it? Which replay are we supposed to believe? This was supposed to be a flawless system.' As Pearce began ranting that the referee couldn't give a goal if he had any doubt, Keown - showing the patience of a man trying to explain quantum physics to a mollusc - said: 'Yes, but it the ball was over the line on the second instance.' Pearce, though, wasn't having it and continued for the rest of the game to whinge about the allegedly 'controversial' second goal. Which drew the great and the good to Twitter to call Pearce a daft plank.. Check out some of the best ones here. And, here. Pearce's horrific night was compounded when he later called another goal for France when the ball had, in fact, hit the side netting. Back in the studio even Robbie Savage took the piss out of him, the clearest case this blogger has ever seen of the blond leading the bland. Speaking of Savage, as Peter Lack on the excellent Gallfriey Base World Cup Thread noted, the former Welsh international and current pain in the arse spent the entire evening 'carrying the countenance of a teenager who has won a competition to appear in the BBC studio alongside real footballers.' Though, as yer actual Keith Telly Topping noted, to be fair, he does that every week. Actually, he used to play like that as well.
Substitute Haris Seferovic scored in the third minute of stoppage time to earn Switzerland a dramatic win over Ecuador in their opening Group E match. Seferovic turned in Ricardo Rodriguez's low cross as Ottmar Hitzfeld's side came back from behind to claim victory. Fellow substitute Admir Mehmedi headed Switzerland level after Enner Valencia had given Ecuador a half-time lead. Valencia's header from a Walter Ayovi free-kick was his fifth goal in successive games for his country.
He may be 'football's cleverest man' with ten A-grade GSCEs, but Clarke Carlisle clearly isn't too good on geography. The former Premier League defender was in ITV's commentary box for Ecuador's group opener against Switzerland. After the South American's took an early lead through Enner Valencia's header, Carlisle slickly attempted to lavish praise on Ecuador's strike options. 'When Jackson Martinez can't get in the side, they must be pretty good,' spouted the man who won Britain's Brainiest Footballer in 2002. Unfortunately for Clarke, the side that Martinez can't get into is Columbia he being, you know, Columbian.
Lionel Messi scored a superb goal as Argentina began their World Cup campaign with a rather underwhelming win over World Cup débutants Bosnia-Hercegovina. Argentina went ahead when Messi's free-kick was put into his own net by defender Sead Kolasinac. Messi then played a one-two with Gonzalo Higuain, jinked past two defenders and rifled in to make it 2-0. The goal lifted Argentina and, despite Vedad Ibisevic slotting in late on for Bosnia-Hercegovina, they held on. All eyes were on Messi in the first game of the tournament at The Maracana stadium in Rio and, even though the four-time World Player of the Year took time to get going, he announced his arrival in sparkling style with his goal. The strike was his second World Cup goal in nine games and provided the one piece of mesmerising magic Messi managed in a game in which he and Argentina improved the longer it progressed.
The blue and white of Argentina fans was prominent at the spiritual home of fierce rivals and hosts Brazil, although they had to watch on as a disciplined Bosnia stifled their side for most of the first half. There was huge hype around Messi and Argentina getting their campaign under way, and the forward helped his side take an early lead with his first meaningful touch. He supplied the left wing free-kick which was flicked on by team-mate Rojo before the ball came off defender Kolasinac and went into his own net. However, Argentina rarely looked like adding to the goal as they lacked pace and invention, while regularly giving the ball away. Argentine coach Alejandro Sabella brought on Higuain and Fernando Gago after the break and the move from three-five-two to four-three-three worked as La Albiceleste had more urgency about them after the reshuffle. The improvement culminated in Messi's eye-catching goal. He played a one-two with Higuain before his balance, poise and pace helped him to evade two Bosnia defenders on the way to arrowing in an eighteen-yard shot off the inside of the post. Bosnia gave Argentina some late concern when Lulic slipped a pass through for Vedad Ibisevic to angle in a low shot with six minutes left, but Sabella's side avoided any more scares.
England have changed from relying on long balls to a skilful side with 'one of the strongest attacks in the World Cup', says Italy boss Cesare Prandelli. Mario Balotelli's header gave the Azzurri victory in their Group D opener after Daniel Sturridge cancelled out Claudio Marchisio's early strike.
'It was an epic match and I feel that England is one of the strongest teams in the World Cup,' said Prandelli. 'They have changed a lot, and I am so satisfied. We played a great game.' England were deservedly knocked out of Euro 2012 by Italy after a quarter-final penalty shoot-out, having struggled to create any chances of note. But two years on, Roy Hodgson's youthful side created numerous opportunities in Manaus, with Wayne Rooney spurning a good chance to level when he pulled a shot wide at the near post. 'We don't have players who are as powerful as England's but we have technically skilled players, and in the first half we had better ball possession,' said Prandelli. 'Until just a few years ago, England relied on long balls but they are now a skilled team with excellent triangular passing.' Prandelli said it was 'crazy' there were no time-outs or drink breaks in the intense heat and humidity of Manaus, but was pleased with how his team coped with the energy-sapping environment. 'We suffered, but the response of the players to the conditions was extraordinary,' he said.
Match Of The Day Live had overnight ratings figures of 11.51 million punters between 10.20pm and 1.30am with a peak of 15.64 million around 11:40. Just over twelve million viewers were still around at 12.45am, during the match's final few minutes. This is said to be one of the highest rated programme ever shown after 11pm in over eighty years of television broadcasting in the UK.
It had the the third highest audience share ever recorded for a single broadcast (seventy eight per cent) and the highest average audience ever recorded for its time slot. In comparison, the audience for England's first match at the 2010 World Cup against the USA peaked at twenty million, with an average of 16.1 million - but that game kicked off at half-past-six in the afternoon. The ratings, of course, only count people watching at home and on TV. Before the match, the British Beer and Pub Association estimated that three million people would watch in pubs and bars. Although where, exactly, they got that figure from, they didn't say. Thousands more saw the match on big screens at the Isle of Wight music festival, where fans had to choose between watching the football or The Red Hot Chili Peppers on the main stage. Most, wisely, chose the football. Earlier in the day, an average of 5.46 million watched Costa Rica cause an upset, beating Uruguay 3-1. The match, on ITV, peaked at its conclusion with 7.11 million at 9.45pm. Over eight million overnight punters watched The Netherlands demolish the reigning champions Spain in the World Cup on Friday evening as the BBC's coverage dominated Friday's ratings. 
The rematch of the 2010 World Cup final, which the Dutch won 5-1 in a scintillating display of attacking football was seen by an average audience of 8.22 million from 7.30pm on BBC1, a fraction more than the audience ITV had for the Brazil versus Croatia game the night before. The audience peaked at 11.05 million around 9.30pm. Just around the time Arjen Robben was knocking in the fifth goal, in fact. ITV's coverage of Cameroon versus Mexico earlier in the day was watched by an average audience of 3.33 million from 4pm, while the late game between Chile and Australia was seen by 3.1 million from 10.30pm.
Yer actual Keith Telly Topping can't stand Thierry Henry, dear blog reader. Never could. Great player, of course, no question about that. But, he knows it. There's an arrogance about him that this blogger, personally, has always found extremely distasteful. Plus, he's one of those blokes that always seems to walk around with a look on his face like he's just smelled shit nearby. However, this is not an opinion that's share by many others and he does appear to have been something of a hit as a pundit for the BBC at this World Cup. At least, if social media is any indication (which, despite what the Gruniad Morning Star would have you believe, it really is). However, comments he made during the England versus Italy game have reawakened one of the most controversial moments of his career. One of the main incidents from the first-half was a penalty shout from the Italians from what appeared to be handball against Glen Johnson. Henry - along with Rio Ferdinand and Alan Shearer - put forward a solid case for the England defender not being penalised - noting that as Johnson had his hands by his side, the referee was probably correct not to award a spot kick. Then Gary Lineker asked, mischievously:: 'Ever get away with a handball, Thierry?' The reference, of course, was to Henry's deliberate handball against Ireland in their World Cup play-off in 2009 which wasn't spotted by the referee and led to a goal. Many in Ireland still claim that one incident cost the Republic their place at the finals. Henry laughed off the comment saying: 'No, never.' At that point the shit really hit the fan across the Irish sea. They've got long memories in the Emerald Isle, obviously. I mean, look they still hate us over The Potato Famine (not entirely undeservedly, either).
And finally dear blog reader, a thought for the day. George Best never appeared in a World Cup finals. Neither did Ryan Giggs. But, today, Shola Ameobi might. Truly, it is a strange, strange world we live in.
But that was for the initial hit off the post. A second judgement then came on whether the ball crossed the line after coming off the Honduras keeper. Which it had. Despite the technology showing the ball had clearly crossed the line, Honduras players and coaching staff remonstrated with the officials and whinged like a bunch of girls. Already well on top, France never looked back from the moment that Benzema converted from the spot just before the interval, shortly after Palacios had picked up a second yellow card for a moment of utter stupidity. Palacios's clumsy, premeditated foul on Pogba, with whom he had clashed earlier in the first half, was going to result only in one outcome and left Honduras facing an exercise in damage limitation. But they could have had little to complain about regarding the end result. This game always had the potential to be feisty. The pre-match build-up had been dominated with talk about Honduras's physical approach, on the back of their goalless draw with England in Miami, when Steven Gerrard complained about some 'horrific' challenges. Luis Fernando Suárez had protested that Honduras 'can't be called a violent team' but the manager's words had a hollow ring to them inside the opening forty five minutes here. The match was stop-start and already riddled with fouls when Pogba and Palacios tangled inside the Honduras half, prompting a melee and a couple of yellow cards. It was a sign of things to come. When the two players fell to the ground, Palacios appeared to stamp on Pogba, prompting an angry reaction from the young Frenchman, who kicked out at the Honduras midfielder. While Pogba's frustration was perhaps understandable, he could count himself fortunate that the Brazilian referee took a lenient view of a clear act of retaliation. Palacios hardly covered himself in glory with the way that he threw himself to the ground and there was a sense that the feud might not have come to an end. So it proved later in the half, when the Dirty Stoke midfielder picked up a second yellow card for a ridiculous foul on Pogba that smacked of retribution. 
Barging Pogba in the back as the Juventus midfielder tried to take Yohan Cabaye's immaculate cross on his chest, Palacios left the referee with no option but to send him off. Benzema calmly dispatched the resulting spot-kick, sending Valladares the wrong way. France had already gone close before the penalty through Blaise Matuidi, when his shot was pushed over by Valladares and through the exceptional Antoine Griezmann, whose header struck the bar. For France, who had far too much class for limited opponents, it was a matter of how much they wanted to twist the knife in a second half littered with further examples of the Honduran physical approach. With the superb Cayabe influential in the centre of midfield, Les Bleus continued to dominate and added a second in the forty eighth minute when Benzema's shot came back off the upright and Valladares pushed the rebound over the line. There was no doubt about his third. Diminutive Mathieu Valbuena - who also had a great game - delivered an excellent free-kick from the right which found Griezmann. The young Real Sociedad winger's low drive was blocked, as was a follow-up by Mathieu Debuchy, but there was Benzema to blast the rebound into the roof of the net. France can now seal their passage into the knock-out round with victory over neighbours Switzerland on Friday. The painful memories of South Africa will soon begin to fade if this is a sign of things to come from Didier Deschamps and his players. Inspired by Benzema, who was left out of the squad that created such a furore at the World Cup four years ago, France got off to the perfect start in Brazil over a Honduras side that did nothing to alter their reputation for playing ugly. France were brilliant and should, rightly, be considered as strong contenders for the title even though in this match they were playing a team of klodhopping numskulls and this match had all of the competitive qualities of Sheikh Yer Man City versus Hartlepool. Nevertheless, it'll be good to see them up against a proper footballing side. Although looking at the rest of their group, that might be while coming.BBC commentator - and daft plank - Jonathan Pearce felt the wrath of Twitter after his apparent failure to understand the concept of goal-line technology. The BBC veteran worked himself up into a right old frenzy during Sunday's clash between France and Honduras, when the goalkeeper Noel Valladares clearly bundled Karim Benzema's shot over his own goal-line early in the second half, to double France's lead. The Real Madrid forward's effort hit the inside of one post and rolled along the line but, as Valladares tried to claw it away, he could only push the ball momentarily over the line before eventually scrambling it clear. The technology system did exactly what it was supposed to and immediately picked up the fact that the ball had crossed the line, awarding France the goal. But, the former Robot Wars commentator Pearce seemingly struggled to understand the basic concept, despite co-commentator Martin Keown's best efforts at an explanation. Jeez, when Martin Keown understands something and you don't, it's time to go back to school, frankly. The first stage of the replay showed Benzema's effort hit the inside of the post, where the whole ball hadn't - at that stage - crossed the line, before moving on to show the goalkeeper's mishap resulting in the goal. 'Well, look at the boos and the Honduran players. And look at this again. We've seen so many spurious goal line technology replays. And it signals no goal,' bellowed the gormless berk. 'No goal has gone up on the screen. The fans have heard it, the Honduran players have seen it.
Oh, goodness me, they've changed their minds now. Does goal line technology work or doesn't it? Which replay are we supposed to believe? This was supposed to be a flawless system.' As Pearce began ranting that the referee couldn't give a goal if he had any doubt, Keown - showing the patience of a man trying to explain quantum physics to a mollusc - said: 'Yes, but it the ball was over the line on the second instance.' Pearce, though, wasn't having it and continued for the rest of the game to whinge about the allegedly 'controversial' second goal. Which drew the great and the good to Twitter to call Pearce a daft plank.. Check out some of the best ones here. And, here. Pearce's horrific night was compounded when he later called another goal for France when the ball had, in fact, hit the side netting. Back in the studio even Robbie Savage took the piss out of him, the clearest case this blogger has ever seen of the blond leading the bland. Speaking of Savage, as Peter Lack on the excellent Gallfriey Base World Cup Thread noted, the former Welsh international and current pain in the arse spent the entire evening 'carrying the countenance of a teenager who has won a competition to appear in the BBC studio alongside real footballers.' Though, as yer actual Keith Telly Topping noted, to be fair, he does that every week. Actually, he used to play like that as well. Substitute Haris Seferovic scored in the third minute of stoppage time to earn Switzerland a dramatic win over Ecuador in their opening Group E match. Seferovic turned in Ricardo Rodriguez's low cross as Ottmar Hitzfeld's side came back from behind to claim victory. Fellow substitute Admir Mehmedi headed Switzerland level after Enner Valencia had given Ecuador a half-time lead. Valencia's header from a Walter Ayovi free-kick was his fifth goal in successive games for his country.
He may be 'football's cleverest man' with ten A-grade GSCEs, but Clarke Carlisle clearly isn't too good on geography. The former Premier League defender was in ITV's commentary box for Ecuador's group opener against Switzerland. After the South American's took an early lead through Enner Valencia's header, Carlisle slickly attempted to lavish praise on Ecuador's strike options. 'When Jackson Martinez can't get in the side, they must be pretty good,' spouted the man who won Britain's Brainiest Footballer in 2002. Unfortunately for Clarke, the side that Martinez can't get into is Columbia he being, you know, Columbian.
Lionel Messi scored a superb goal as Argentina began their World Cup campaign with a rather underwhelming win over World Cup débutants Bosnia-Hercegovina. Argentina went ahead when Messi's free-kick was put into his own net by defender Sead Kolasinac. Messi then played a one-two with Gonzalo Higuain, jinked past two defenders and rifled in to make it 2-0. The goal lifted Argentina and, despite Vedad Ibisevic slotting in late on for Bosnia-Hercegovina, they held on. All eyes were on Messi in the first game of the tournament at The Maracana stadium in Rio and, even though the four-time World Player of the Year took time to get going, he announced his arrival in sparkling style with his goal. The strike was his second World Cup goal in nine games and provided the one piece of mesmerising magic Messi managed in a game in which he and Argentina improved the longer it progressed.
The blue and white of Argentina fans was prominent at the spiritual home of fierce rivals and hosts Brazil, although they had to watch on as a disciplined Bosnia stifled their side for most of the first half. There was huge hype around Messi and Argentina getting their campaign under way, and the forward helped his side take an early lead with his first meaningful touch. He supplied the left wing free-kick which was flicked on by team-mate Rojo before the ball came off defender Kolasinac and went into his own net. However, Argentina rarely looked like adding to the goal as they lacked pace and invention, while regularly giving the ball away. Argentine coach Alejandro Sabella brought on Higuain and Fernando Gago after the break and the move from three-five-two to four-three-three worked as La Albiceleste had more urgency about them after the reshuffle. The improvement culminated in Messi's eye-catching goal. He played a one-two with Higuain before his balance, poise and pace helped him to evade two Bosnia defenders on the way to arrowing in an eighteen-yard shot off the inside of the post. Bosnia gave Argentina some late concern when Lulic slipped a pass through for Vedad Ibisevic to angle in a low shot with six minutes left, but Sabella's side avoided any more scares. England have changed from relying on long balls to a skilful side with 'one of the strongest attacks in the World Cup', says Italy boss Cesare Prandelli. Mario Balotelli's header gave the Azzurri victory in their Group D opener after Daniel Sturridge cancelled out Claudio Marchisio's early strike.
'It was an epic match and I feel that England is one of the strongest teams in the World Cup,' said Prandelli. 'They have changed a lot, and I am so satisfied. We played a great game.' England were deservedly knocked out of Euro 2012 by Italy after a quarter-final penalty shoot-out, having struggled to create any chances of note. But two years on, Roy Hodgson's youthful side created numerous opportunities in Manaus, with Wayne Rooney spurning a good chance to level when he pulled a shot wide at the near post. 'We don't have players who are as powerful as England's but we have technically skilled players, and in the first half we had better ball possession,' said Prandelli. 'Until just a few years ago, England relied on long balls but they are now a skilled team with excellent triangular passing.' Prandelli said it was 'crazy' there were no time-outs or drink breaks in the intense heat and humidity of Manaus, but was pleased with how his team coped with the energy-sapping environment. 'We suffered, but the response of the players to the conditions was extraordinary,' he said. Match Of The Day Live had overnight ratings figures of 11.51 million punters between 10.20pm and 1.30am with a peak of 15.64 million around 11:40. Just over twelve million viewers were still around at 12.45am, during the match's final few minutes. This is said to be one of the highest rated programme ever shown after 11pm in over eighty years of television broadcasting in the UK.
It had the the third highest audience share ever recorded for a single broadcast (seventy eight per cent) and the highest average audience ever recorded for its time slot. In comparison, the audience for England's first match at the 2010 World Cup against the USA peaked at twenty million, with an average of 16.1 million - but that game kicked off at half-past-six in the afternoon. The ratings, of course, only count people watching at home and on TV. Before the match, the British Beer and Pub Association estimated that three million people would watch in pubs and bars. Although where, exactly, they got that figure from, they didn't say. Thousands more saw the match on big screens at the Isle of Wight music festival, where fans had to choose between watching the football or The Red Hot Chili Peppers on the main stage. Most, wisely, chose the football. Earlier in the day, an average of 5.46 million watched Costa Rica cause an upset, beating Uruguay 3-1. The match, on ITV, peaked at its conclusion with 7.11 million at 9.45pm. Over eight million overnight punters watched The Netherlands demolish the reigning champions Spain in the World Cup on Friday evening as the BBC's coverage dominated Friday's ratings. 
The rematch of the 2010 World Cup final, which the Dutch won 5-1 in a scintillating display of attacking football was seen by an average audience of 8.22 million from 7.30pm on BBC1, a fraction more than the audience ITV had for the Brazil versus Croatia game the night before. The audience peaked at 11.05 million around 9.30pm. Just around the time Arjen Robben was knocking in the fifth goal, in fact. ITV's coverage of Cameroon versus Mexico earlier in the day was watched by an average audience of 3.33 million from 4pm, while the late game between Chile and Australia was seen by 3.1 million from 10.30pm. Yer actual Keith Telly Topping can't stand Thierry Henry, dear blog reader. Never could. Great player, of course, no question about that. But, he knows it. There's an arrogance about him that this blogger, personally, has always found extremely distasteful. Plus, he's one of those blokes that always seems to walk around with a look on his face like he's just smelled shit nearby. However, this is not an opinion that's share by many others and he does appear to have been something of a hit as a pundit for the BBC at this World Cup. At least, if social media is any indication (which, despite what the Gruniad Morning Star would have you believe, it really is). However, comments he made during the England versus Italy game have reawakened one of the most controversial moments of his career. One of the main incidents from the first-half was a penalty shout from the Italians from what appeared to be handball against Glen Johnson. Henry - along with Rio Ferdinand and Alan Shearer - put forward a solid case for the England defender not being penalised - noting that as Johnson had his hands by his side, the referee was probably correct not to award a spot kick. Then Gary Lineker asked, mischievously:: 'Ever get away with a handball, Thierry?' The reference, of course, was to Henry's deliberate handball against Ireland in their World Cup play-off in 2009 which wasn't spotted by the referee and led to a goal. Many in Ireland still claim that one incident cost the Republic their place at the finals. Henry laughed off the comment saying: 'No, never.' At that point the shit really hit the fan across the Irish sea. They've got long memories in the Emerald Isle, obviously. I mean, look they still hate us over The Potato Famine (not entirely undeservedly, either).
