The Hindu : Sport : France gets a goal, but win still eludes

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Tuesday, Jun 20, 2006

Sport

Sport

France gets a goal, but win still eludes

Michael Walker

Leipzig: France seems to have been in a state of drift for so long that to restate it risks tedium, but last night in Leipzig it drifted into new territory. Losing to Senegal in the tournament opener four years ago was shocking, more so than letting a lead slip against South Korea here, but this is the team of here and now and, while we have become familiar with its faults, France somehow remains surprisingly bad. Any thoughts of revival, which raised itself briefly after Thierry Henry gave France a ninth-minute lead, had already subsided as it failed to enforce territorial superiority in the rest of the first half. During the second, listlessness set in — though these were the best weather conditions so far in this stadium — and gradually South Korea moved up the pitch.

The Koreans were hardly pummelling the French. By the 80th minute Fabien Barthez had not made a save worthy of the term. But 30 seconds later the Wolverhampton Wanderers player Seol Ki-hyeon sped down the right flank and sent in a deep cross to the far post. Cho Jae-jin met it there and provided an intelligent knock-back.

OH, NO! France's goalkeeper Fabien Barthez looks on agonisingly at William Gallas's unsuccessful attempt to prevent Park Ji-sung's equaliser from going in. — Photo: AP

The ball was now four yards out and Barthez, Lilian Thuram and William Gallas were around it. But the first man to it was Park Ji-sung of Manchester United. Park got a fleeting touch, so did the gloved hand of Barthez and the ball looped agonisingly into the air. When it came down it was about one foot across the line. Gallas picked it up and booted it away with a degree of frustration that may say something. Park and Seol cavorted with their colleagues.

Made In England

When France was at the height of its powers, after Euro 2000 when it was simultaneously European and World champion, so many of its players were appearing in the Premiership that it was claimed France was Made In England. Here in the old East Germany it was two England-based South Koreans who had grabbed the glory.

The result leaves South Korea on top of Group G, with Switzerland to play in Hanover on Friday. For France it is Togo in Cologne the same day and the depressing statistic stands: France has not won a match in the World Cup finals since the Paris final of France 98.

Togo will have to be faced without its captain Zinedine Zidane — booked again — though the way the France captain played he is in danger of being referred to as the once-great Zidane. Sloppy and slow, this was not the Zidane we will recall or want to recall. Zidane might argue that the apparent tension with his manager Raymond Domenech is not helping him; if he wanted to point to a Zidane pass that released Henry after Park's equaliser, then he could do that, too. Henry was odds-on to score but Lee Woon-jae sprinted off his line to make a vital save.

Vieira's header

It was not Lee's only telling moment. In the 31st minute he scooped away the ball when it looked to have crossed the line from Patrick Vieira's head. For some reason the Mexican referee Benito Archundia gave a free-kick.

France had a couple of other good opportunities but, although the formation, more adventurous than against Switzerland, worried the Koreans throughout the first half, Lee will not be remembered for a string of stops.

Florent Malouda was lively but greedy, Sylvain Wiltord was willing as usual but Zidane, the third of the trio supporting Henry, spent too much time wandering.

Korea's substitutes were more significant. Ahn Jung-hwan, the pin-up of 2002, came on after 72 minutes and immediately lifted his team-mates. Nine more minutes and were level. South Korea is a team on the up. France has long been the opposite.

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