FRANCE - PORTUGAL
ZIDANE PROLONGS FRENCH REVOLUTION
FRANCE 1 PORTUGAL 0
The Lowdown: The French squad continued their unprecedented resurgence at World Cup 2006 by seeing off a disappointing Portugal courtesy of a Zidane penalty to book a place in the final against Italy. It must be said that France were the more fancied side entering this match due to their outstanding performances against Spain and Brazil, but Portugal were no slouch either having beaten an impressive lineup of opponents: Mexico, Holland, England. However, the way they accomplished these victories(with no small amount of play-acting, time-wasting, and other beguiling tactics) didn't win them many fans and there were surely many smiles around the world when France deservedly topped them here, especially in England. Nevertheless, the quality of their side is unquestionable and for my money(not that I have any) they deserved to be here. It's just a
shame that they have to resort to such negativity because with their array of attacking talent(Pauleta exluded, he's shite) you feel they really don't need to, and with playmaker Deco back in the lineup a victory for France was no sure thing. Things were pretty cagey early on with both sides trading possession. Everything turned in favor of France after Henry received a ball in the penalty area around the 33rd minute and tipped it around defeder Carvalho only to be tripped as he went to retrieve. Now, let me set the record straight about this penalty. Yes, Henry could have avoided Carvalho's sweeping leg and stayed on his feet, but that's not the point. The point is that he was fouled, plain and simple, and Zidane coolly fired the ensuing penalty past Ricardo even though the Portuguese player dove in the right direction. From that point on Portugal sought in vain for the equaliser and as the match wore on you got the feeling it wasn't going to happen as they appeared tired and utterly uncreative with the exception of Ronaldo. Scolari took off the useless Pauleta(had he actually stayed on his feet instead of fake-diving on a couple of occasions he might actually have gotten a shot off) and replaced him with Simao late in the second half, a move which should have been done much earlier. Figo looked like the tired old man he is, Deco disappeared, Miguel got injured, and it was all over. France's one real scare came after Barthez spilled a high shot into the air in front of goal only for Figo to scandalously send the header awry. To be fair France were the better team and always looked more likely to add a second than Scolari's men did to equalize.
shame that they have to resort to such negativity because with their array of attacking talent(Pauleta exluded, he's shite) you feel they really don't need to, and with playmaker Deco back in the lineup a victory for France was no sure thing. Things were pretty cagey early on with both sides trading possession. Everything turned in favor of France after Henry received a ball in the penalty area around the 33rd minute and tipped it around defeder Carvalho only to be tripped as he went to retrieve. Now, let me set the record straight about this penalty. Yes, Henry could have avoided Carvalho's sweeping leg and stayed on his feet, but that's not the point. The point is that he was fouled, plain and simple, and Zidane coolly fired the ensuing penalty past Ricardo even though the Portuguese player dove in the right direction. From that point on Portugal sought in vain for the equaliser and as the match wore on you got the feeling it wasn't going to happen as they appeared tired and utterly uncreative with the exception of Ronaldo. Scolari took off the useless Pauleta(had he actually stayed on his feet instead of fake-diving on a couple of occasions he might actually have gotten a shot off) and replaced him with Simao late in the second half, a move which should have been done much earlier. Figo looked like the tired old man he is, Deco disappeared, Miguel got injured, and it was all over. France's one real scare came after Barthez spilled a high shot into the air in front of goal only for Figo to scandalously send the header awry. To be fair France were the better team and always looked more likely to add a second than Scolari's men did to equalize.Match Rating: 3 out of 5. Quite disappointing for a semi-final. Portugal showed little verve in attack, but credit must go to France's forbidding defense as they have now bedeviled three offensive juggernauts in succession(Spain, Brazil, Portugal).
Man of the Match: The best player on the pitch was Ronaldo who used the incessant booing whenever he touched the ball as motivation to go on some dangerous, high-flying runs deep into the heart of the French defense and at one point he laid a beautiful backheel pass that Maniche fired just over the crossbar. Zidane was not as spectacular as in the prior two games but he did put away a superb penalty. I suppose it has to be Henry whose deadly turn in the box forced the foul on Carvalho and who nearly scored himself in the second half when his shot was saved by Ricardo but spun ominously near the goalpost.
Disappointment of the Match: Deco, no question. I can't recall one good thing he did this whole match as Viera completely shut him down, and Pauleta is a close second. Portugal's whole team(Ronnie excepted) looked bereft of ideas but again, all credit to the French and their stellar defense. Ronaldo was tearful after the game and complained that the ref did them in; he's in for a rude awakening when he returns to the Premiership where he will surely be persona non grata throughout the league. Big Phil Scolari lost his first ever World Cup game and apparently didn't know what to do so he decided to abuse the ref and some officials. He later came to his senses and admitted that the better team won.
The Fallout: Portugal's cinderella story is over and the World Cup will again be won by a large footballing power, Italy or France. Scolari's incredible, record-setting World Cup managerial run has ended. He had won eleven straight World Cup matches before the draw against England(penalty shootout wins aren't technically counted as losses or wins) and this was his first ever loss. I predict it will be a long, long time before this is repeated and it probably won't be in our lifetime as more and more nations become adept at football.
Extra: Portugal were the most polarizing team at this World Cup and they made quite a few enemies. I was always pulling for them only because they have never won the tournament and their attacking spirit is both impressive and fun to watch. However, their cynical tactics really were reprehensible at times. Still, I think they deserved to be at this semi-final. Holland can cry all they want but they were an equally dirty team and they started the whole ugly affair by trying to kick Ronaldo off the field, although Figo should have been disciplined for the headbutt on Van Bommel; the fact that Frings of Germany was suspended for a post-match incident really makes FIFA look hypocritical, but Van Bommel is known as a dirty player anyway and the cameras showed his hand firmly entrenched in Figo's chest to provoke reaction. As for England, well Rooney's sending off was unfortunate and was undoubtedly spurred by Ronaldo's furious protest to the referee. Nevertheless, if England want to blame somebody for another four years of heartbreak it should be Sven for his lame tactics(Walcott was a great idea, ditto leaving Lennon on the bench until late in games) and Frank Lampard for going awol, not to mention the lacklustre performance of Steven Gerrard. Kind of ironic that the only English players who showed fight were the less-hyped likes of Lennon, Crouch, and the previously ridiculed Hargreaves. Can anyone honestly say that for all of the spirit they showed in the Portugal game that England deserved to be in the semi-final instead of Portugal? So English fans should stop the Ronaldo hatefest: they are actually using a mass-email campaign to ensure that the Young Player Award goes to Ecuador's Valencia instead of Ronaldo. Well here's some British hilarity: there's a counter, pro-Ronaldo campaign in Scotland to get Ronnie the award. No disrespect to Valencia who played a great tournament but this decision is a no-brainer and for all his immaturity it should go to Ronaldo without question, though Carlos Tevez should be in with a shout(I don't quite know the age requirement) and Messi surely would have won it if given half a chance.
Extra: Zidane has one last game left in his career. Be sure to savor it because there will never be another like him.
posted by Journo Blog at 12:53 PM
10 Comments:
The penalty call on Henry is a great example of why Soccer is considered a "p*ssy sport" in America...because it is a "p*ssy sport".
That being said, Portugal had its chances early, and disappeared within France's defense in the 2nd half. France outplayed them period.
Moreover, I'd like to point out that the player for France was clearly (in my opinion) Viera. He shut down Deco and was amongst some key defensive plays. He is highly underrated in that team...for the obvious reason that there are two huge stars on the team.
As for Christiano Ronaldo. I became a huge fan of his 2 years ago during hte Euro Cup, and he did not disappoint me at all this tournament. He is the real deal, and my favorite Soccer player. To "blame" him for the Rooney foul is pathetic apologism (nothing new for you, as it is England you are apologizing for). Rooney committed the foul, Ronaldo has every right to try and get the call...the call came cause of Rooney's action, and RE-action. If he didnt seem so guilty, perhaps he wouldn't have been considered guilty.
All in all, Portugal disappointed me as I thought they would win it all, but they did a good show compared to what everyone ELSE predicted. The "Lusers" may not have won, but they certainly aren't losers.
Dan, thanks for the "youtube", that is one funny clip! lol
But, last I checked, he didnt get away with it did he? Moreover, he got kicked out of the game didn't he? The officiating is usually pretty good, and most players dont get away with this kind of crap. Moreover, this is college, and not even the Professional (or International) levels, where officiating is even tighter/better.
That being said, I see nothing wrong with trying to get a call...what I see wrong is the officiating of the tournament as a whole. It was quite bad, and very inconsistent.
Moreover, I totally agree (though a fan of the Lusitanos) that Portugal is ridiculous when it comes to trying to get calls. If you know Portuguese people, it wouldnt shock you though. lol It's in their culture.
Agree that Viera has been a major reason for France's success at this tournament but I wouldn't call him underrated as he has been rated as one of the world's best midfielders for many years now. He did have a poor showing last season with Juventus though and is probably past his prime so if anything his stellar play is a return to form but there is no questioning his pedigree.
Thanks for the Figo clarification Dan. Jeetan, yes soccer is considered girly in America but it is a highly physical sport that requires a unique combination of athleticism and skill, whereas in American sports brute physical specimens dominate. I do love American sports but to be honest elite American professional athletes spend more time in the gym than on the playing field and being a massive goon is a distinct advantage; compare this to futbol where the two greatest players of all time are 5'7" and 5'5" inches tall(Pele and Maradona respectively). It is everyman's game and comes down to skill; consequently it is the world's most aesthetically pleasing, accessible, and universal game which also explains why it is the most popular.
There is no question that Portugal played dishonorably at times but sadly this is a big part of the game in the Americas, Italy, and Spain/Portugal; as you say Jeetan it is very much a cultural thing. At the risk of getting overly general and philosophical here, it seems that in these regions it is heroic to pull a fast one on the authorities, whereas in Northern/Western Europe authority is revered. Could be a colonial phenomenon, and certainly there is no questioning that players there are more emotional than their Northern Slavic/Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic counterparts: hence the theatrics in front of the refs and the tears of despair after losing(was Birch Italian?)
Like it or not, it's also very smart tactically: the Europeans counter superior latin technical ability with raw physicality and tactics, so any advantage is deemed appropriate. Still, Portugal took it to another level. However, several German players took to the ground quite readily in the Italy semi-, Henry's ridiculous overreaction to contact with Puyol arguably gave France victory over Spain, and I've seen all-English boy Stevie Gerrard flop like a fish on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, something needs to be done and if reports are to believed it will be as FIFA are convening a committee to decide on a new policy.
Viva La France!
Mike, Pele and Maradona have not played in years. What is the height of the best players today. They aren't 5'5, and 5'7. Your example may not fit anymore.
Actually, many of today's biggest stars aren't very tall. America's best player Donovan is 5'8." England's best Rooney is 5'9." Argentina's best Messi is 5'7" and looks like a little kid out on the field. Cannavaro, who looks like a runt, has been the best player at this World Cup.
I'm not saying soccer players are all short; actually Zidane is about 6'2" if I'm not mistaken, and being tall is an advantage for strikers and defenders.
My point is that size is not as prohibitive in soccer as it is in American sports.
Prohibitive in American sports? In American Football, there is a position for every body type. Running backs? 5'9 or shorter. Linemen? Fat 300 pound guys. DBs? Shorter is good cause of agility.
In Baseball pitchers have an advantage if they are tall, but there are guys like Roy Oswalt, and Billy Wagner who are 5'9. They throw 100 mph GAS!!!
For that matter, a shorter person is probably the better infielder. Guys like Arod are considered physical anomales playing SS at their heights.
Essentially, other than Pitcher and QB, it is a FALLACY to believe that height is a major factor in a players' ablitities in Baseball or American Football.
The reason why Soccer is open to shorter players is because it is played by the World...and well, most of the World is shorter compared to America. Period.
Yes, football is a highly specialized sport but there are basically two positions where players are generally short, running back and defensive back, and the requisite for those positions is raw physical prowess, period. Find me a running back in the NFL who is under 200 lbs. Those guys are beasts. What is the average height and weight of NFL players across all positions? Football is a horrible example.
For your baseball example you gave me two anomalies. Big deal. In the post-war era there is only one pitcher under 6 feet to make the hall of fame. That's a ridiculous stat.
For infielders you make a good point, and actually of the four major American sports baseball is the one in which raw physicality is rewarded the least. Why? Because it requires the most skill of those 4, which was exactly my point about soccer's appeal. In that way baseball and futbol are similar in that they reward skill, and so you find countries from Latin America to Japan where people aren't generally large excelling at baseball.
Your last point begs a question: Do people choose to play sports they are more physically equipped to excel in? Probably, but I would argue that generations of participation in a particular sport also changes the physical attributes of a population. NFL players weren't always huge, in fact 300 lb. players were a rarity until the 90s. Similarly basketball players are also getting taller and taller.
My original point stands. Soccer is the world's most accessible sport.
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