After an early exit
4 years ago, France advances to World Cup knockout stage.
They exited South Africa four years ago a bitter, divided lot. Without form or direction.
After France’s L’Equipe newspaper published details of an expletive-filled rant by slightly unhinged striker Nicolas Anelka at coach Raymond Domenech, the gloves were off. Anelka was packed off home for insubordination, inciting a Patrice Evra-led protest that saw the team sitting on a bus, refusing to practise.
The whole farce had become downright Inspector Clouseau-ish.
By the time it had dragged to a conclusion, French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes resigned, Domenech was summarily sacked and an exasperated French president Nicolas Sarkozy had summoned striker Thierry Henry for a private chat about the embarrassing unravelling.
Les Bleus slunk away in shame, having failed to win a game at the World Cup.
Fast forward four summers and helmed by Didier Deschamps, the man Zinedine Zidane once derisively called “the water carrier” for those wonderful sides that culminated in the 1998 World Cup title, the French are busy repairing their damaged reputation.
On Wednesday, it was a far different scenario from South Africa as France finished first (2-0-1) atop Group E after a scoreless but entertaining draw against a stubborn, courageous 10-man Ecuador.
“We were lacking efficiency,’’ Deschamps said post-match, “but the essentials are there. It’s important that every player have rhythm. Sometimes it’s hard to win. Sometimes when there are few opportunities, we score. That was the case last Friday (against Switzerland, a 5-2 win).
“We have qualified for the knockout rounds. It’s all going well.’’
Yes, it is. Pouring out of the Maracana stadium, jubilant French fans lifted voices high in a stirring rendition of national anthem La Marseillaise that rever- berated into the Brazilian night.
As other European powers — Spain, Italy, England, Portugal — set themselves afire and crash out of this tournament, France, poster boys for bad behaviour in 2010, continue to move relentlessly on without much fanfare.
Even pulling starters Mathieu Debuchy, Evra, Raphael Varane, Mathieu Valbuena and Yohan Cabaye out of the lineup with top spot in Group E all-but-confirmed (via a comfy plus-6 in the for-against tiebreak), Deschamps was able to field a pretty good lineup.
The Ecuadoreans, reduced to 10 on a crippling 50th-minute straight red to Antonio Valencia, were forced to withstand a sustained onslaught but depart this World Cup with heads held high.
For the French, a night of missed opportunities. Paul Pogba somehow headed wide from five yards out. Karim Benzema just missed after a lovely 1-2 with substitute Olivier Giroud. Giroud’s powerful header was right at overworked Ecuador ’keeper Alexander Dominguez. After a mazy run, Pogba dragged his shot wide of the near post.
More significantly, next up for France, a Round of 16 match against Group F runners-up Nigeria in Brasilia on June 30th.
And Deschamps will not be entirely dissatisfied that his group, after gorging itself on eight goals through the first two matches, received a bracing slap of reality heading into the knockout phase.
This united France, shorn of the backbiting, is capable of big things.