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World Cup 2002

[02/06/2006]

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KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / AP

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Portugal's head coach Luis Felipe Scolari ,left, confronts referee Jorge Larrionda, center, of Uruguay, and his assistants after losing 1-0 to France

Web Exclusive | The World Cup | Match Report | France v Portugal

Hungry To The Final Whistle

France stage a huge turnaround to clinch a third World Cup Final appearance and send Portugal home

Bruce Crumley: Runners-Up Final Is No Compensation
Preview: Vying For The Home Favors

Posted Wednesday, July 5, 2006; 22.52BST
This World Cup's second semi-final match in Munich pitted two teams and players who knew each other well, knew exactly what they needed to do to be able to beat the other, and played with a fever showing they both really, really wanted the shot to take on Italy in the final. It all made for an excellent night of football (the second straight); it's almost a shame someone had to lose in the end. But someone did, and that means France has qualified for its second World Cup final in three campaigns — and staged one of the most radical turn arounds in recent memory.

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Les Bleus wound up prevailing on a 33rd minute penalty kick that wound up being the night's only score. But before and after that, both sides played the kind of driven, hungry soccer that was largely lacking in the Cup's earlier rounds (quite possibly as teams saved their energy to be able to play the way these two sides did). Portugal's heart and soul was the young Cristiano Ronaldo, whose flights of humor and supposed role in the red carding of his Manchester United team mate Wayne Rooney in the quarter final match made him the object of lusty booing all game against France.

Ronaldo darted, charged, dribbled, faked and dazzled all evening, and — despite being obviously hobbled by a thigh injury sustained against the Dutch — showed a ferocious desire to make the difference alone if his team couldn't manage it together.

His French double was the 34 year-old Zinedine Zidane, who never ceased calling for the ball, directing traffic with tight passes, and drawing multiple defenders to him with flashy dribbles that helped free up his team mates waiting for the ball closer to the cage. Zidane was lurking in the area when Thierry Henry snuck into the penalty area in the 32nd , where he was felled by Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho. Fittingly, it was Zidane who also put the following penalty shot into the net, securing France's trip to Berlin.

But not before the Portuguese had their word to say coming right back, taking its pressing game to an even higher, tighter level, and provoking a veritable mid-field war for control of the ball. Like most wars, it wasn't a delicate affair Miss Manners would have enjoyed. Although play remained tough but even-handed, it only took the slightest whiff controversy to set the benches off. A hard tackle from behind on Zidane that wasn't called sent the French bench into a tizzy; that immediately provoked ordered shouts from the Portuguese that that shut their clams.

A subsequent dive by Ronaldo that was called a foul — to evident French incredulity — launched Portuguese coach Luiz Felipe into a veritable fit of obscenities. Similar kurfuffles ended with the entire Portuguese coaching staff and reserves standing, gesturing, and swearing over to the French bench. The French gazed back rather passively — probably aware that kind of provocation is part of the Scolari play book when things aren't going well.

If that was indeed Scolari's plan, it didn't work: even his own players remained so focused on pressing the French, keeping the ball, and creating opportunities to score they didn't have time for any theatrics or dives. Well, usually, anyway. But what it did produce was a second period so dominated by Portugal that it will take a week for the ground teeth and clenched guts of France fans to stop throbbing. The French visibly began holding back, playing defense, and giving the Portuguese little choice but to keep pressing on, controlling, and creating virtually all scoring opportunities in the period.

Those included one free kick French keeper opted to handle like some mutant volleyball dweeb — producing a near gift goal that Luis Figo is probably still sure must have gone in. In the end, the French were fortunate not to have suffered the equalizer — or worse.

Despite that, it's France who is going on to the final — and with none of their players suspended due to bookings as feared. That means Zizou gets the opportunity to go out with the biggest bang in the game, a chance his former Real Madrid team mate Luis Figo had also dreamed of. Indeed, when he left the pitch in Munich, Zidane was wearing Figo's jersey to honor his friend, and will doubtless take it on the trip with him to Berlin. To beat the Italian side that sparkled so wonderfully against Germany, however, Zizou will not only have to be wearing his own jersey when he takes to pitch in the final — but stuff an extra-potent dose of Zinedine in it if he and his fellow Bleus want a chance to pull off the unthinkable.

And no, I'm not too happy about it. If I smile any harder, the corners of my mouth are going to meet at the back of my head. And I won't even care how chode-y that looks.

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The Matches

Sun, July 9 – 20:00*
FINAL: Berlin


Italy	v	France
1 (5)		1 (3)

*local time (CEST)

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