France throw it away
For 80 minutes France dominated possession against South Korea, but rather than go for a second killer goal they decided to play keep ball and paid for it as Park’s bundled 82nd minute effort earned the Koreans a draw. Only after the equalizer did France start to play with any degree of urgency. Vieira and Henry had excellent chances but Vieira skyed his and Henry, normally so clinical shot too close to Korean keeper Lee.
At least there are a few positives that France can take from this match. First, Thierry Henry scored their first goal in a World Cup finals since Petit scored their third in the final agoinst Brazil in 1998. Second, their performance was a vast improvement on their match against Switzerland.
On the negative side, first they should never have allowed the Koreans a way back into the game. Second, Barthez has started acting like a clown again which must make an already unhappy Coupet furious. Third, Zidane earned a yellow card and now misses their third match against Togo. Visibly irritated with Domenech following his withdrawal when it was already too late, Zidane threw his sweat band at the bench. If France fail to reach the last 16 we will never see him play again.
Henry is desperate for more support up front and it is puzzling why Trezeguet has played such a small role so far. Domenech’s overcautious style is hampering Les Bleus. They now need a win against Togo to have any chance and will have to hope the Swiss win their next two games otherwise there might be a three way tie at the top which the French are unlikely to be favoured by. Gone are the golden years. This is very much a team clinging on to past glories.
