"Those that doubted football's cruelty ought to have been on hand here in Paris."
-David Hytner of the Guardian, following Ireland's 1-1 draw (2-1 aggregate loss) to France on Wednesday.
Applaud these men.
This is obviously a non Chelsea-related post, but I don't care. On this day, the Ireland national team deserves recognition across the board -- across the world. Those boys in green are no doubt worthy of a spot at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. They won't be there; a Thierry Henry hand -- or two -- made sure of that. But they should be.
So, I ask you to join me in raising a pint (a Guinness if you've got one) for the Irish. They deserve it.