France v Denmark (31st May) - {R}

[ruudgullit]

I wouldn't mind seeing a Saha/Henry partnering. I really have never been that impressed by Henry/Trezeguet together in attack. Not to take anything away from Trez, but some players just don't play well together.

Anyone that saw the game....Did Zidane look any better than against Mexico?

[navid90]

It's over in Lens. 2-0 France.

Ribery is da man! Come on Guignol, you aren't going to convince anyone around here the Ribery is only as good as Govou!?!? For pete's sake!

LMAO guignol thinks ribery and govou are at the same level? :rolleyes: now arent we a biased lyonnais fan.... but then again i say pedretti for dhorasoo so what can i say

[guignol]

well that was a good deal better !

zidane didn’t do a better zorro than antonio banderas did, but if he picks up his game again as much as since mexico, we’re going to see one helluva a chinese fire drill et plus si affinités!

flo and abidal were dazzling again, and above all they supported each other slendidly. You’d think the’ve been playing together for years! ;)

solid defense again, even if thuram was a bit pale. sagnol was ok against mexico but last night we saw the real article, pitiless on defense and livelier up front. looked silly for 5 seconds and imperial all the rest of the time.

saha didn’t earn a starting spot but proved he belongs, and he’ll be in plenty of 16’s. henry put in a sweet one, and just missed two: an easier one that malouda served him up and a tough one he worked out all by himself.

maka was tough, viera only semi-tough. but it was interesting to see his positioning in the first 10 minutes, more right back than MF. curiously malouda slotted into the same slot in the last 10 minutes. couple that with flo on the right for the first 10 minutes against mexico and you start to have an idea that ray’s game plan has something to do with the old shell game.

ribery sure looked convincing and I’m very close to taking back any doubts I had about him; he never chose the easy solution, always the exciting, pertinent and dangerous one, and pulled most of them off. The last reticence is that, except for the lightning pace he reminded me, he reminded me exactly of … dhorasoo (at his best).

Finally, barthez. He didn’t have much work to do, one shot, one sloppy backpass and one ball in the air, but did it perfectly. If I wanted to carp, I’d say he didn’t always communicate well with his defenders (he called “degage!” once to gallas when the only thing possible was play to the keeper, and once he let sagnol head a ball that was already out), his famous kicking game wasn’t there (mind you most of his kicks were on balls played back to him without much room, he backed up the team splendidly) and that there was one dangerous corner that he let ricochet around an excruciatingly long time from back on his line, when coupet would have been first to the ball end of story. But it’s too late for that now. He was good… enough. :o

[gabisu no ken]

I think we should play 451 with Henry as the only striker and Malouda/Zidane/Ribery or Wiltord
But the problem is : we don't have enough midfields to play like that for a full World Cup. As predicted, Domenech's list is unbalanced.

[sl7vk]

ribery sure looked convincing

Ok, who are you and what have you done with Guignol! :mad:

[sl7vk]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=369850&cc=5901

[sl7vk]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=369876&root=worldcup&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1&cc=5901

[allezlesbleusno1]

Wow that was a great article! Ribery is certainly emerging as the new threat. I'd like for him to start against China.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=369876&root=worldcup&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1&cc=5901

[sl7vk]

Wow that was a great article! Ribery is certainly emerging as the new threat. I'd like for him to start against China.

Yes, Ribery needs to start against China. See what he can do, and rest Zidane already. The guy needs it at this point, no point wearing down Zidane before the WC even starts.

[Lensois]

Wow that was a great article!

I agree and while it's great Ribery is emerging I don't think one can lose sight of the other major point of the article: the emergence of Henry as a team leader. Watching last night I had for the first time a real sense that he understood the team was more his than Zidane's. I've knocked him recently for not being a more prominent figure in the past two tournaments but after last night I have a new found confidence in him because I think he understands he has to be the main man. He can defer to Zidane in many ways but when it comes to what is done on the field I think perhaps he's figured out how to respect Zizou while taking more control himself.

[allezlesbleusno1]

Absolutely, I agree. Having been Arsenal's captain this season has made him into a new-born leader on the field. That is why we see him partnering well with Zidane now and able to carry some of the load onto himself. His new confidence with the French squad is what many were asking of him. If France are to get deep into this World Cup than Henry will have to be at his best. But what we saw yesterday was a great start. Let's see how the game versus China goes.


I agree and while it's great Ribery is emerging I don't think one can lose sight of the other major point of the article: the emergence of Henry as a team leader. Watching last night I had for the first time a real sense that he understood the team was more his than Zidane's. I've knocked him recently for not being a more prominent figure in the past two tournaments but after last night I have a new found confidence in him because I think he understands he has to be the main man. He can defer to Zidane in many ways but when it comes to what is done on the field I think perhaps he's figured out how to respect Zizou while taking more control himself.

[ilv2]

henry and zidane combining finally? (hmm however is it still 0 passes decisives btwn the two?)
ribery continuning his form?
vikash staying on the bench?

hooray.

[lefutur]

Great points you guys. Not being overly-presumptuous by I've been thinking for a while that this would be Henry's tournament with Les Bleus.

If he can continue to show this type of leadership it will serve the offense better and the whole team as well. Thierry is too talented to not make a big impact on the WC.

[allezlesbleusno1]

After commanding Arsenal to the CL finals, Henry is in a good state mentally I think. Not to speak too fast of our progress either though. We'll have to see how the China game goes.

[Nikogfrog]

Absolutely, I agree. Having been Arsenal's captain this season has made him into a new-born leader on the field. That is why we see him partnering well with Zidane now and able to carry some of the load onto himself. His new confidence with the French squad is what many were asking of him. If France are to get deep into this World Cup than Henry will have to be at his best. But what we saw yesterday was a great start. Let's see how the game versus China goes.

In my opinion, they all have learned their lesson after what happened during WC 2002. They were too much dependent on Zidane and unfortunately he got injured in one of the friendlies before the tournament started. As you have noticed, Zidane is no longer the first choice when it comes to passing the ball up front. They now really appear to able to build up attacks without relying on ZZ only (which is a good thing for ZZ, he can't keep up as he could even 2 years ago!!). On the other hand, Zidane (In my opinion) doesn't challenge the ball as he used to but I think he's saving his energy for the upcoming official matches. Moreover (and to my mind, that's the main point) he doesn't want to get injured before WC matches - I mean, he doesn't want history to repeat itself: this is his LAST participation in a world cup, what do you think he has in mind??? I am convinced he will struggle and shine more in a couple of weeks.

[guignol]

As you have noticed, Zidane is no longer the first choice when it comes to passing the ball up front. They now really appear to able to build up attacks without relying on ZZ only (which is a good thing for ZZ, he can't keep up as he could even 2 years ago!!)... I think he's saving his energy for the upcoming official matches. Moreover.. he doesn't want to get injured before WC matches... I am convinced he will struggle and shine more in a couple of weeks. i hope you're right, and the whole of your post leads into these comments i was preparing in my head on the way to work...

looking at the contributions of zidane and thuram in the last couple of matches, what if domenech's first and vitriolically maligned moves as selectionneur, to wit, leaving zz and tutu off, was, in the final analysis, the right one? what if he realized that it was impossible for them to have any juice in june, and we would have to learn to make do without them in germany whether we liked it or not?

with just a few little breaks, if zuberbuhler lets in just one of about a dozen chances, if trezeguet doesn't headbut ben haim, the blues qualify without anyone thinking of them coming back, and we are perhaps in a much stronger position right now. :confused:

[Rima067]

What was Henry's goal celebration w/ the "L" hand gesture, anyone know?

[Maou]

What was Henry's goal celebration w/ the "L" hand gesture, anyone know?

Seems to mean "Loser", for a bet or something like that.

[Metropolitan]

What was Henry's goal celebration w/ the "L" hand gesture, anyone know?It wasn't an "L", it was a "2" (like two fingers).

Indeed, thanks to that goal he is now the 2nd top scorers of the French squad in History. The only one remaining above him being Platini.

[sl7vk]

It wasn't an "L", it was a "2" (like two fingers).

Indeed, thanks to that goal he is now the 2nd top scorers of the French squad in History. The only one remaining above him being Platini.

I wonder how Trezeguet felt about that?