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Preview: France vs. Ecuador

May 26th, 2008 | By: Laurie | 26 Comments »

Good news for France fans in the US. This game will be shown on Setanta, as will the other two friendlies. So at least we have viewing options this time around, and with English commentary, no less. I think you can subscribe by month for less than $15 — something to consider if you’re desperate to see the games. Or feel free to post streams links in the comments.

I may be liveblogging this one to gear up for Euros. We’ll see how much energy I have.

As far as lineups, all of the cup players will be given a rest. This means most of the Lyonnais — Benzema, Squillaci, Coupet, Govou, Boumsong and Toulalan. Ben Arfa and Clerc didn’t play, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them tomorrow, especially since they’ll both have something to prove. (I find it interesting that Clerc is not Perrin’s automatic starting choice for Lyon, but he’s always the one who gets the nod from Domenech for the NT over Reveillere.) And Ben Arfa is definitely going to want to show that he’s worthy of a roster spot and shouldn’t be sent home on Wednesday.

Mexes and Vieira also won’t play because of the Coppa Italia (and Mexes due to that injury.)

Goal.com is listing this as a probable starting lineup.

Predicted line-up: Frey, Sagnol, Abidal, Gallas, Thuram, Makelele, L. Diarra, Malouda, Ribéry, Nasri, Anelka

I’m guessing it’s mostly accurate, although I’m not sure Domenech will play his number three keeper instead of Landreau. And do we really expect to see Nasri and Anelka up front? That could be interesting. Also, with the cup players out and Escude’s fitness in question, there are really no other options than Gallas and Thuram at central defense, are there? That’s kind of scary.

One interesting thing I’m seeing about Anelka is that after the penalty miss in the Champions League final, Domenech is now wondering whether Nico will have the right state of mind to be on the team. How mad would it make me to see Anelka cut now? Very. That’s how mad. Especially since Anelka was the one who said, before call-ups, that he didn’t want Domenech to call more than the allotted 23 players, because it hurt too much to be so close and then get cut.

Please tell me Domenech wouldn’t cut Anelka. Even after the season he’s just had at Chelsea.

Wait. I don’t hear you saying anything.

Sigh.

I also expect to see Gomis playing, at least for a short while, to tie him to the France team and keep him from playing for Senegal. (More on that later. The Senegal coach is NOT happy with Domenech over this callup.)

On the plus side, everybody on the team (or at least Gallas and Thuram) seems to be wearing their happy faces and saying how well all of the players are getting along and how much team spirit there is among the players.

Does esprit de corps win games and score goals? We can hope.

Whether or not I liveblog, I will have a post open here for comments. It’s always more interesting to watch the games when you’re here keeping me company, so be sure to stop by tomorrow and leave your thoughts during the game, which starts at 12:00 Pacific and 3:00 Eastern.

Allez les Bleus!

Tags: Euro 2008

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 26 comments.

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By Michel-Olivier | May 26th, 2008 at 8:38 pm

im not going to pay $15 to see france play a crappy team with anelka and lasagna diarra in the starting line up. until domenech leave the french post, i don’t care about the team.

Posted from United States

By Magnusson | May 26th, 2008 at 8:51 pm

Wha do you have against Anelka Michel-Olicvier?

And Laurie, I think “NOT Happy” is the understatement of the century.
Lamine Ndiaye will insult Domenench to whomever will listen.

By Ronald | May 26th, 2008 at 8:57 pm

woooooooooooooooooo, Ecuador play frace. Thats like a dream match up for me ( Since im Ecuadorian and i Frnace to the fullest ).

its gonna be hard to go for one side in this match. My best prediction is that Ecuador will try to field there best team cause of the South American Qualifiers that re coming up. But Guerron and Urrtia will not start since Liga de Quito play tommorrow in the Copa Libertadores.

woooooooooooo.

By Ronald | May 26th, 2008 at 8:59 pm

( apologize for spelling France wrong ).

and i resent what Michel-Olivier said about Ecuador being a crappy team.
* Mean face *

By Michel-Olivier | May 26th, 2008 at 10:20 pm

@ magnusson, anelka cost chelski the champions league.
@ ronald, the french team is crappy not ecuador , i’m a big fan of valencia and mendez.
all i’m saying until france as a team of mostly indigenous french and antillean french players it will aways be a crappy team of foreign origin.

Posted from United States

By Inara | May 26th, 2008 at 11:02 pm

Oh god, not again.

By set | May 27th, 2008 at 11:29 am

I really hope this is not going to look like an A’ game.

Posted from France

By lefutur | May 27th, 2008 at 11:31 am

seriously

By terry carvallo | May 27th, 2008 at 11:53 am

can u see the game on fox soccer or goal tv PLEASE HELP

Posted from United States

By Laurie | May 27th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

Sorry, Terry. As far as I know Setanta is the only one showing it. If it helps, we’ll post stream links as kickoff nears.

(Inara and anybody else, feel free to post your links.)

Posted from United States

By Laurie | May 27th, 2008 at 12:44 pm

I agree about the A’ comments. I didn’t get to see the Mali one (despite being in Paris that night. My kids preferred to see the Eiffel Tower. Imagine.) But the Congo game was dreary. I don’t think anybody really wants to see how eleven people who’ve never been on the field together will play.

My guess would be that Domenech will play mostly regulars with a few key exceptions to see how they affect chemistry.

Posted from United States

By F. Sosa | May 27th, 2008 at 12:51 pm

what u.s. time will they play today?

Posted from United States

By Laurie | May 27th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

F. Sosa, the Setanta coverage starts at 11:55 Pacific, 2:55 Eastern.

Posted from United States

By F. Sosa | May 27th, 2008 at 1:09 pm

thanks, i do not have setana, where can i go to get close updates on the game while it is played?

Posted from United States

By Laurie | May 27th, 2008 at 1:14 pm

Do you speak French? I know of several liveblog sites in French that usually carry the games. Try this one.
http://www.sport24.com/var/storage/multiplex/football/equipe_de_france/match_amical_/france-equateur-live-9055.html

Does anybody know of any in English?

And I promise to update this site at least every five minutes.

Posted from United States

By F. Sosa | May 27th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

haha no, but i really appreciate you giving updates every five minutes, im ecuadorian, so si se puede

Posted from United States

By Laurie | May 27th, 2008 at 1:23 pm

Not sure how helpful I’ll be with Ecuador news. I’m unfamliar with the team and can’t even find a starting lineup. But now that I know I have a fan reading, I’ll perhaps be a little less biased than I might be otherwise.

Posted from United States

By frenchnetherlandsfan | May 27th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

not an A’ game
just few players to test to be sure of his 23
(and maybe ^^give a little chance to stay for player like gomis)

@michel-olivier, thanks for written the most unclever comment ever
and maybe you should try to play soccer, if u’r better than ‘antilleans’ (even if they’re french) you’d be on the 23.
how people could be so stupid, looking players skins before their skills
maybe u should support Zenith st pettersbourg who forbid the coach to sign black players

Posted from France

By Lucas | May 27th, 2008 at 2:01 pm

GOGOGO France!
wheres Ribéry ??

Posted from Taiwan

By Michel-Olivier | May 27th, 2008 at 2:46 pm

@frenchnetherlandsfan
i have antilleans origin just like thierry henry, my grandmother is martiniquais.
players like gomis, madada, diara’s, narsi, sagna, benzema and many more can play for other national teams beside france if they want to. players like henry, toulalan, clichy, mexes, briand, and thuram can only play for france and only france. all i’m saying they should give other players that can only play for france opportunities to represent the national team.

Posted from United States

By frenchnetherlandsfan | May 27th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

hé hé what a great vision i had about gomis

@michel-olivier, ok sorry but .. martinique, gouadeloupe or réunion .. that’s a part of france, that’s not other countries.
in usa you won’t play for florida or texas instead of usa.
if diarra could also play for senegal it’s because it’s a country.
dom-tom are not countries. talk is over.

Posted from France

By Michel-Olivier | May 27th, 2008 at 4:32 pm

@frenchnetherlandsfan
i know dom and tom are not countries. why do you think i wrote “henry, clichy, briand, and thuram can only play for france and only france”

one question, did you realy read what i wrote before?
if you can’t read it i can rewrite it in french or quebecois?

Posted from United States

By Miguel Rosado | May 28th, 2008 at 2:54 am

Hello i’m a dutch fan and I wanted to know how you think will go through in this group?. I go for Holland of course and France.

By frenchnetherlandsfan | May 28th, 2008 at 6:25 am

@michel-olivier ..i understood well
but gomis or diarra are french.
antilleans too … why would u make a différence based on the origins of men.
these players are french, domenech will make his list with the 23 best ones (or nearly ^^).
france is not usa, no ‘positive action’, we haven’t different considerations if people come from there or threre, they are french, they could play for france.
choose an antillean because he’s antillean instead of diarra for exemple is considering a kind of racial différence.
of course they won’t do that.

@miguel rosado , i’m affraid that france is more ready than our oranje team.
the defensive bloc is ok, whereas our one (we still dont know who’ll play and where !!) heitinga is the only real one who’s ok.
france ‘ll probably be ahead.
the only weakness of france is the animation …if ribery isn’t good, there’s something to do.
I hope oranje’ll beat italians, 2000’s revenge ^^, i think we could.
careful about romania, we know them now.

Posted from France

By set | May 28th, 2008 at 7:43 am

Michel-Olivier:
“all i’m saying they should give other players that can only play for france opportunities to represent the national team.”
Well, I’m French, all my ancestors are French, but I don’t see why somebody who has foreign parents wouldn’t have as many chances as I do to represent France. The best players are chosen, period. Ancestry can’t be taken into consideration.

So when you say “until france as a team of mostly indigenous french and antillean french players it will aways be a crappy team of foreign origin.”
I would correct that to : “As long as France is a team made of players of any ethnicity and origin, but with a strong tie to France, they will never be a crappy team of 100% French players who don’t know how to play the ball.”

Posted from France

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