Group C Only France and Germany have won the Henri Delaunay Trophy more than once. The French won as hosts in 1984 and again in 2000. There were a number of occasions when the 2000 win could have turned out very differently. Spain’s Raul could have sent the the quarter final into extra time but missed a last minute penalty for Spain and France won 2-1.
The semi final against Portugal was decided in favour of France by an extra time golden penalty kick from Zidane. And in final Italy was only seconds away from winning when Sylvain Wiltord equalized sending the game into extra time. David Trezeguet then scored a golden goal winner just before the break.
How they qualified France’s two losses to Scotland made the headlines but once all was said and done the French still scored more goals (25) and conceded fewer (5) in finishing second by three points to Italy in Group 8. Thierry Henry was France’s leading scorer with six goals.
The Coach Outspoken and eccentric Raymond Domenech continues to prove the old adage about never underestimating an over achiever. Domenech succeeded Jacques Santini after France lost in the last eight of Euro 2004 to the eventual winners Greece.
Although France made heavy weather of World Cup qualification and the first two games of the finals against Switzerland and South Korea they did reach the World Cup Final before losing on penalties to Italy.
His selections are rarely anything but controversial and he has done it again setting off a heated debate after leaving the likes of Djibril Cisse, Philippe Mexes, Mathieu Flamini (recalled later as cover for a Patrick Vieira) and Hatem Ben Arfa out of the final squad of twenty-three named last week.
Key Players Karim Benzema does not have the name recognition of some of his illustrious team mates but over the next decade this youngster could become one of the world’s best players. Don’t be surprised if Domenech uses him sparingly but given a chance the 20-year-old could turn a game or two France’s way.
Franck Ribery impressed everyone in Germany two summers ago and a move to Bayern Munich last year led to him being named Bundesliga Player of the Year. Ribery has skill, close control, pace and creativity in a package that makes even the best defenders fear him.
Great Euro Memory Two second half goals from Platini and Bellone gave France a 2-0 win over Spain in the 1984 final in Paris. The 90th minute clincher from Bruno Bellone was the fourteenth goal scored by France in the tournament finals and the only goal scored by a French striker.
Synopsis Every tournament has to have a GROUP OF DEATH and for Euro 2008 Group C is it. When you look at the players available to Domenech it is impossible to dismiss France as legitimate challengers for the trophy. They have talent in every area but a nagging feeling persists that they may find it difficult to breakdown a resolute defence – ala Scotland.
Coming Up in World Cup Qualifying Austria, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania and Faroe Islands will be the opposition in Group 7.
Italy has now made it to the last four finals and won the tournament in 1968.
How they qualified After an opening game home draw to Lithuania and a loss in Paris to France Italy then rattled off a sequence of nine wins and a draw to win Group 8 by three points over France and five points ahead of third place Scotland. With five goals Luca Toni led the scoring for Italy.
The Coach Roberto Donadoni has achieved something that Italy failed to do after winning the 1982 World Cup and that is reaching the following European Championships finals.
Key Players Luca Toni may have only scored twice in Germany in 2006 but he was pivotal to Italy’s success. A massive player -both in size and in temperament.
The reigning bad boy of Italian football Antonio Cassano is in Donadoni’s squad and all eyes will be on how both deal with a situation that may be inherently unstable. Cassano was the only bright spot for Italy four years ago in Portugal but missed out on the 2006 World Cup after falling out with everyone except the baker, the butcher and the pizza-maker.
There is a quality to the Italian squad that few can match.
Great Euro Memory The Championship win in 1968 against Yugoslavia after a replay takes pride of place. Down by one to a first half Dragan Dzajic goal with around ten minutes to play, Domenghini’s equalizer took the final to a replay. Goals from Luigi Riva and Pietro Anastasi saw Italy lift the trophy in the rematch.
Synopsis Enter the tournament as World Champions although they were not assured of qualification until they had faced Scotland in the last group game. A
A team that should probably be building for a title defence in two years in South Africa but Coach Roberto Donadoni has generally stuck to experience with a significant number of World Cup winners returning two years on.
The trio of Antonio Di Natale, Marco Borriello, and Fabio Quagliarella does however offer the coach some interesting options up front. No one would be surprised if Italy won the tournament but by the same token a traditionally slow start in the anointed GROUP OF DEATH could prove very costly.
Coming Up in World Cup Qualifying Drawn in Group 8 with Bulgaria, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia and Montenegro.
Apparently a senior Roman Catholic Cardinal has suggested that the Vatican could field a team that could compete in Serie A. The National Post (sourced from the Daily Telegraph) included a column on the possibility in Tuesday's edition.
They included the following: Soccer v. Catholicism.
Subject Of Worship - Pele /God.
False Idols - David Beckham /Beasts, fish, etc.
Celebrates The Pursuit Of – Goals / Piety.
Bearing False Witness Is -Common, in the form of feigning injury / Forbidden.
Top Authority - FIFA president Sepp Blatter / Pope Benedict XVI.
Sepp Blatter has indicated that FIFA will consider taking the Golden Ball away from Zidane.
I am not defending Zidane' s actions but at least when he got the red card he accepted it without any claim of innocence. Other players might have spent 10 minutes claiming to be the victim.
FIFA would setting a precident if they decided to revoke Zidane's award - would all awards in the future be dependant on not being sent off or a no head-butt rule by sufficient!
Diego Maradona was the recipient in 1986 - the same year as the Hand of God. I guess FIFA could argue that the incident happened earlier in the tournament and the journalists were aware when they voted. (Zidane could have claimed the Head of God I suppose).
Zidane wouldn't have been my pick but I cannot see how you can justify taking the award away without setting a very difficult precident.
Mike Collett’s view of the World Cup Final had me questioning whether I watched the same game as him. “They served notice of their intent in the first minute when Thierry Henry was clattered to the ground by Italian skipper Fabio Cannavaro. He needed an ice-pack and smelling salts before he could continue.” – that is some interpretation of what was clearly an accidental collision.
The big decision was the penalty call and the referee got the call absolutely right. Portugal is getting nothing out of Pauleta as the lone striker as the French always have enough players back to cover.
Makalele has Deco in his back pocket while Zidane is being given a lot of room to operate in.
I would say that France looks to be the team most likley to score again as Portugal gives free kicks away in dangerous positions.
The longer the second half goes on the more Portugal will have to push players forward nd the game will stretch - all the better for Henry.
Gabriele Marcotti looks at some of the truths and myths of this World Cup.
Simon Kuper on Jurgen Klinsmann’s training methods.
Sepp Blatter continues his quest to be in the newspapers more often than the weather forecast - this time he wants to change the yellow card system. Of course another idea might be to actually reserve yellow cards for fouls of some substance.
When will India field a decent international team? Sanjay Rajan interviews the much traveled English coach Bob Houghton the new national team coach.
James Lawton looks at the end of Zinedine Zidane’s career and how some other greats brought the curtain down.
France played the almost perfect game against Brazil. Defensively they were solid and they ran at Brazil when they got the chance.
Domenech has found the role for Zidane just behind Henry - he was fantastic.
Malouda and Ribery were the lags of the team in midfield and Vieira and Makalele fitted in perfectly.
Zidane's first ever assist on a Henry goal for France?
The Brazil inquest will be underway all ready - I wonder if I should pull out the "Ten reasons why Brazil won't win the World Cup" article fom May to help the process.
A very disappointing display from Brazil over the five games. We never really saw the pace and power that was expected.
An article produced by Der Speigel earlier in the tournament on changes to the German squad’s attitude under Jurgen Klinsmann.
Der Speigel issued a World Cup special magazine that I picked up a few weeks ago. This article on their website was part of the special and looks at the German coach and I thinks it gives great insight into what Klinsmann took on. Written by Dirk Kurbjuweit, The Reviled Reformer is an appropriate title.
The Koreans fitness told on the French in the last quarter of the game. For the second game Korea has come back to get a result so that has to say something. The French must be kicking themselves letting that one slip. Zidane picked up a second yellow so it is possible that we may have seen the last of the great man on a soccer field.
The Switzerland - Togo game tomorrow becomes very interesting and the French may have to rattle in a few goals against Togo if they mean to move on.
Man of the Match – Lee Woon-jae for no other reason than a terrific save from Henry, low to his left, in the second half.
This is a much improved performance from France. With Ribery dropped to the bench and Malouda operating mostly on the right it has opened up more space for Henry to operate in. Although he set up Henry’s goal it is still a bit of a mystery why Wiltord is starting ahead of Trezeguet or Saha.
Zidane is operating further up the field and that has helped. It looks as if France is maybe playing a 4-3-1-2 system. They might need another goal as the Koreans will just keep coming at them. Lee Chun-soo is looking particularly dangerous at times.
For the neutrals there has not been much here to hold interest.
Zidane is slowing the game down and playing to deep to pose any real danger to the Swiss. The difference between Zidane at his peak and today is about 15 yards. Now he can't get forward into the positions where he can hurt a team and when he does he can't get back to cover - that's why France has to play with two holding midfield players.
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