Updates Before France-Lithuania

“Is anybody else as nervous as I am?”

Are you kidding? I was actually nervous about the team screwing up the game against the Faroe Islands!! The FAROE ISLANDS for heaven’s sake! That’s how nervous I am!! I’ll be nervous until the end of the game against Ukraine!! Bad enuf that England beat France in the rugby world cup on Saturday — that was very disappointing! (Sebastien Chabal is one of the hottest athletes on the planet)!

I thought I was alone in finding the somewhat neanderthalian Chabal attractive. What is it about the guy? It’s not as if he’s good looking. Yet as you say, there is a definite hotness there.

Wait. Did I just say that?

I got hooked on rugby when I was in Paris at the start of the Rugby World Cup — it was what I used to keep myself up nights trying to get my body on France time.

I’d say you guys should be nervous too. Now that Ukraine is done, by the way what the hell happened to them, its between you and Italy now, Scotalnd are on fire and they’e not letting this one go. So really it does come down to the game versus Ukraine, but seeing how they’ve been playing lately you have nothing to worry about.

It’s not as if he’s good looking. Yet as you say, there is a definite hotness there.

Wait. Did I just say that?
===============
bwahahaha. Laurie, let this article unconfuse you:
http://www.muriel-tournadre.com/index.php/2007/08/27/300-pourquoi-sebastien-chabal-est-sexy

If that doesn’t work, I seem to recall that Sandra has mentioned some nude calendar pictures in the past…? (actually, speaking for myself, I’m not sure if I’d want to see those)

Lithuania shouldn’t pose too much of a problem for us tomorrow. I am more afraid of the Ukraine, it will be their last game and they are going to want a victory against one of the world cup finalists and at the same time perhaps eliminating France. Ukraine are a dangerous team to play and now that they have nothing to lose they will be even more dangerous. Italy and Scotland will both have everything to lose so it could be a very cautious and defensive game and experience could be difference. I ultimately feel Italy will get the victory but Scotland may just do enough to get a draw. We will see.

[...] Laurie wrote a fantastic post today on “Updates Before France-Lithuania”Here’s ONLY a quick extractFox Soccer replayed the Faroe Islands game yesterday and I got to watch parts of it. I found myself impressed with Jérôme Rothen’s ability to distribute the ball to his teammates, at least in the first half. And yes, Franck Ribéry was … [...]

Well, I’m not overly nervous. At this point, it’s to be played as playoffs anyway…you lose, you die. So you might as well play your heart out. France, I think, “likes” to be against the wall.
We know there are players that can get the job done. It all depends on what they will encounter. Probably a groupped defense and a counterattack setup. The conditions are well-known. The absolute necessity to score early, by any means. There could be some good far-away shots, there could be just one moment of brilliance from Ribéry or Henry or any other, which makes the difference. There could even be a stroke of luck when the ball bounces off a defender right into someone, the kind of goals France haven’t had for a while. I have a feeling Lithuania will not defend as well as Scotland and there will be at some point something loose.
But I almost can’t think of a team design. At some point, let’s try maybe the usual 4-2-3-1 for balance, but why not a 3-2-3-2 or something wild like that after a point? Just so there would be balls coming, and two people to receive them!
In the end, it’ll be fine. I think Domenech never underestimates these kinds of teams. I see 2-0 and that would be enough.

re: our guy Chabal

I think he triggers a very interesting reaction in all of us, on many levels. He is so unlike the French stereotype that has been portrayed especially in US and UK media lately.
Here’s a pretty wild picture of him:
http://superfrenchie.com/?p=1387#comments

Love the picture, Doumé, and also Glatisant’s blog post. The anti-Beckham. That says it all, doesn’t it?

Question for male readers: Is Chabal the kind of guy who inspires what Seinfeld would call a “man-crush”?

Oh, P.S. It appears that Scotland is currently losing 0-1 at the half.

Hey Laurie, you and I are not the only ones — last week Chabal won the honor of being “the sexiest player at the world cup” in a national poll in France. Chabal has won the hearts of women around the world during this wc. And sure, he’s physically unlike the stereotypical French guy, but so are the entire French rugby team!!! Have you looked at that hottie Freddie Michalak??? That stereotype never held true anyway, the French are just as diverse physically as the rest of the world. Chabal also endeared himself to many of us when he broke down when France lost to England on Saturday.

As to the calendar….yes, there’s a calendar released every year of the French rugby team—very hot! And that photo of Chabal with the baby has become iconic — it’s part of a photo shoot he did for the wc — that baby is his daughter. I’ve seen photos of Chabal when he was a younger player (he plays in the English premiership) and you’d never think it was the same guy! No beard, no long hair or moustache.

And I agree about the Ukraine game — I am nervous about Lithania but I am far more nervous about Ukraine — esp. because it’s on their home ground, which is not an easy place to go to for a game. They have nothing to lose. As I write, btw, they’re beating the Faroe Islands and England have just lost to Russia in Moscow. I think the Lithuania game is about to start.

Now it’s 2-0 Georgia. I kind of feel sorry for the Scots. I was hoping they’d win today, then knock off Italy next month. But a loss for them really would make France’s lives easier.

I agree entirely, Laurie, I was hoping for the same result. Still, it will be very interesting to see how they do v. Italy in Glasgow — after all, Celtic did just beat CL champions Milan in Glasgow.

ok, I’m very nervous — halftime and it’s 0-0!

Georgia just did us a major favor.

My broadband connection isn’t working well enough to show the game, so I’m following it on live blogs. Sounds like Lithuania is playing with eleven defenders. How do you score with that?

Forty-two for Henry!!!!! And now forty-three!!!!!!

Woo-hoo!!! I literally skipped back and forth between my TV and my computer afterwards!!!

YES!!!

Ok, I can breathe easier now until November.

et nous avons gagné…

ALLEZ LES BLEUS!… la victoire est toujours en nous!

And this puts me in the very awkward position of feeling like I need to root for Italy next month.

“And this puts me in the very awkward position of feeling like I need to root for Italy next month.”

Hmm. Very awkward.

I love france forever

Hello, everybody !! Laurie I read you went in France for the match against Scotland, i hope you weren’t too much disappointed. Tonight, the victory wasn’t easy and always strange tactical choices from Domenech which one day could pay badly. I m afraid Benzema will be no longer Lyonnais after this match.

Thierry, despite the outcome of the game, when I’m ninety I’ll still be telling my great-grandkids how much fun that trip was. I particularly enjoyed heading out to Metz for the Metz-Lyon game.

It’s France’s fault that Scotland are even in contention..What’s wrong with your fuckin team. This group should have been wrapped up last month. I think Ukraine is going to cause you a shit load of problems if Italy and Scotland draw. They are going to come out guns blazing with the intent of knocking you out. Good Luck to you!

[...] Updates Before France-LithuaniaAnd l’Equipe seems to be questioning whether Karim Benzema will be starting against Lithuania, possibly due to the fact that he and Henry didn’t play on the same scrimmage squad in practice. And I’ve seen several articles wondering if … Posted in Lithuania | Trackback | del.icio.us | Top Of Page [...]

>>In the end, it’ll be fine. I think Domenech never underestimates these kinds of teams. I see 2-0 and that would be enough.