Viewing Options for France-Argentina, and BOUMSONG?!?!?

Not sure where Yahoo France gets its info but they list
Mandanda
Sagna Mexes Gallas Abidal
Toulalan L. Diarra
Ribery Gourcuff Henry
Anelka
Which is preferable to L’Equipe’s, though I’d still like to see Nasri instead of Diarra. With maybe two exceptions (Evra/Clichy for Abidal being one), I think this is the 11 we’ll see the rest of the year.

But the thing about these friendlies, however enticing and intriguing, is that while the group arguably comprises France’s best players, they haven’t played as a unit in months. In a one off such as this, it’s then difficult to judge. In a more perfect world, qualification would take place in bunches, say the first-run through the group in Feb/March and the second the following summer. International breaks lasting 10 days or so, to accommodate a pair of friendlies maybe, might be scheduled in between.

i also want to see nasri instead of diarra

“It doesn’t get much better than that” — agreed that it’s amazing to see ESPN here in the US air a football involving France but I’m sure it’s because the game involves Argentina that they’re broadcasting it. The only downside of course is that we have to tolerate the incredibly idiotic commentary.

Evra and Clichy are injured, I think. Well, Clichy must be, judging by that nasty collision in Arsenal’s game last Sunday. Evra’s just getting over one …

I can’t agree with the above comments about Nasri. We’re gonna need everything we got defensively against these guys. For offense, I’ll take Henry on the left over Nasri …

I bet we see Benzema in the first half and Anelka in the second half.

I hope this is a good game for neutrals, like the Brazil-Italy one, and not a borefest. I do love the Argentine team (don’t tell my Brazilian family that) but I really want to see France beat such an incredible group of talented players. It’d be a huge confidence booster.

Agreed Sandrahn. Let’s just hope it’s not a nil-nil snoozefest or a Netherlands-style blowout.

Yahoo France was right! Mexes and Anelka.

This is a GREAT link. Just make sure you use IE.

http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-wabuk-5.html

Thanks, Inara. It’s 25 minutes in, and I’m really liking what I’m seeing. These guys came here to play.

I’m also liking Gallas and Mexes in the center, and even Lassana Diarra is impressing me. Sagna, too.

What’s happening, what’s happening?

oh man gourcuff put anelka in 1v1. good save for whoevers keeping for the argies. gourcuff is GOOD.

ARG! Anelka! How many times has he chipped it over the keeper in a circumstance just like that!!

Steve, try Inara’s link. It’s an excellent game, still 0-0, but France is looking sharp, especially in the midfield.

The game could still go either way (we know how that goes) but France seems to be winning about 75% of the 50-50s.

Good game to watch, definitely. And our boys are looking great. I love love LOVE Gourcuff!

thanks inaras great linkk

yay i get 2 euro from jaap-willem tomorrow because toulalan gets a yellow card

gourcuff always hangs his mouth open

heinzes an oaf`

DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!!! Argentina 1-0

Die

better than 11-0

*sigh* Argentina score.

domenech got nice footy glasses

Now the entire feel of the game has changed. They need to get a goal to get their confidence back.

phew time to take a break

yea they need a goal

argentinia stole their confidence

Yikes I missed the goal. Was it anyone’s fault, or just sheer brilliance from Argentina?

am I being too harsh on Mandanda? I don’t know, it looked like he could’ve done better to save that strike.

Mandanda didn’t watch the near post…the ball bumped right infront of him..We need Lloris and Benzema

ye that was not nice action mandanda

i want big benz

Hoping for a half time sub benz and lloris, and maybe take off a dm and add nasri

Just re-watched the goal, and I think Sagna could’ve covered better.

Hi maradona

is long hair the new trend or wot

norway scored the germans

lmao i thougt i saw makelele but it was diarra

toulalan runs like a donald duck

if abidal hadnt just fouled aguero on the breakaway, it would have been 2-0

Benzema!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! has a weird haircut

Yesssssssss anelka in for benz

it took Dom too long to take off Anelka and put on Benzema.

I am really liking Mexes. He’s the master of the brutal tackles that get just enough of the ball to not be fouls.

omg ma guts

I agree Laurie, mexes is a beast!

But an intelligent one.

that was a nice run of gourcuff

mexes looks like bootstrap bill from pirates of the caribbean
and he also looks like that tennis player, davidenco?

Henry !!!

OMGFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

#@*(!)*#()!@*$)(!#*$()

Damn. A fresh Tevez just smoked Lassana Diarra on that goal.

what a wonderful surprise messi.
we suck at corners…

Torn apart by Messi there. France are crap under Domenech – I’ve hardly seen them string 5 passes together or make any decent move today. France are gonna have no success with Domenech. Also Mandanda is a very unconvincing keeper – surely Lloris should be starting

The defense is at fault for both goals, BUT watching Lyon play almost every match, I am pretty confident in saying Lloris would have saved both, or at least one, of those goals. I wish Ray-Ray would give him a chance…

ribery is having a shit game

i wonder whats going on in domenechs head

Commentator: “There didn’t really seem to be a Plan B, did there, for the French?”

Doesn’t that just sum up the Domenech years? It only worked when Plan A included Zidane.

voila.

Vive le grand Domenech!

Well, that game sucked! Anelka should not get the start… he depends on service which he just isn’t getting from Gourcuff or Ribery. Benzema was also very disappointing. I disagree with Benji.. I though Ribery played well (or relatively well). Anyone else want to see Nasri out there?

At least you can’t fault his player selection. He played all the people we wanted to see: Sagna, Mexes, Gourcuff, Ribery, Toulalan, Mandanda. He put on Benz in the second half too.

I think France just has no team spirit. I blame both Domenech AND the players. No other NT seems to have the extent of clashing ego problems that we do.

Not quite true, Inara, the Dutch are famously for infighting. But yeah, I do think they lack team unity and spirit.

* famously = famous

Madanda was awful! bring back bartez!

Anyone else notice how the Marseilles crowd turned on Les Blues near the end? They cheered every Argie pass and broke out in full blown boos when France would win the ball. That’s one (abolutely classless) way to express your disappointment.

Never mind the team selection, its the coach’s job to get the maximum out of his players and Domenech gets a big fat “F”.

This team has lost faith in the coach and has no confidence. The FFF will regret keeping him on after the Euros.

How many more scoreless games from France do we need to endure??

&^$$^%##$%^!

I agree with you Yevy, no matter what, you’re there to cheer on the home team. I think they went overboard with cheering for the opposition.
Now to the game I thought they outplayed Argentina in the first half, and Ribery was a little selfish on some of those chances, as he ignored Anelka through out the match. The second half Maradona tightened the grip in the middle of the field and the momentum clearly changed, not to mention that Steve Mandanda already guilty of ruining a great first half for Les Bleus. They really missed the magic of Nasri. I think along Ribery they would have caused more problems for the whining team in stripes.
Many fouls by them went by without a yellow card.
Diarra with the exception of the last gaff was very good and so was Toulalan who put out 100%. Benzema takes a valuable spot away from other center forwards, he was his usual non factor. No doubt we need a better goal keeper. Sagna inability of providing the cross hurts this team as it does the Gunners, he doesn’t have the same touch as before.
Looking forward to the match against Lithuania, it is still possible.

I dunno why Benzema plays so bad for France, I reckon he’s a better player than Anelka and needs a good run of games in the team to establish himself.

it was a great first half until the goal and could domenech have possibly said to make the team play worse in the second, is there any way they can fire him now?

For the first time in ages, I really wasn’t too unhappy with our defense. I thought they all had a pretty creditable game. I wish Gallas and Mexes had played more together before this. And I also thought Diarra and Toulalan played well, except for that second goal, which Diarra should have shut down.

Now what to do about the offense? And while we’re at it, why do we not have anybody who can create anything on set pieces?!?!

You make a great point about the set pieces Laurie. I think the answer would be Zizou retired and V.Persie is Dutch so he’s ineligible!
Today they should have converted on a couple specially with the Argentine keeper who seemed quite vulnerable.It would have been nice to see Henri taking a couple of those shots, unfortunately today the ones he took split the upright right in the middle, he can still dribble pretty darn good for his age and far away from washed up. So why doesn’t the coaching staff concentrate on these crucial parts of the match, do you have their e-mail address by any chance?
On the second goal Messi weaved through 4 defenders and he fired a shot that could have been saved, LASANA can not be solely responsible.

It was clearly a game of two halves.

France dominated untill the 41st minute, with very good, fast play and very dangerous situations from Franck R and Nico A, with Titi H coming back to get the ball and carry it up. It was just something pleasurable to see. Obviously none of the teams thought it was a friendly.

After the Agrentinian goal, the morale just wasn’t there anymore, some very alarming lack of fighting quality which reminds me of Euro 08 when we fell behind against NL and Italy. Things became disorganized and painful, IMO with some good fighting moments from Toulalan and Ribéry; Benzéma, after a few cute things, just faded. I thought Gourcuff and Diarra were dead tired towards the end, that’s when Samir N could have had a chance! I thought also that the ref overlooked many dings on Ribéry and others, which after a while might have disheartened the team.

OK, Lithuania won’t be a good I think.

He should have called up Hoarau, we need a pure finisher in a target man…

Benzema simply doesn’t know how to lead the line, he roams around too much and depends on his individual brilliance. Lyon is not a good team for him, he needs to make the move abroad (He shouldn’t be wearing the number 10 but instead number 9).

I don’t know why he starts Anelka, he isn’t starting material for the NT. Anelka has scored 14 goals this season for Chelsea and only two have been the game winning goal. It’s quite telling that Anelka only scores goals when the team is up and the game opens up (three goals have come in 1-1 draws). He isn’t the same type of game changer that Henry or Trezeguet are.

The DF has looked better than it has in quite a while, Messi’s brilliance may have made the result a little lospided… There may be some hope for the near future as France looks more assured than in their disastrous Euro.

Was I the only one who watched les Espoirs…?

im glad that toulalanthebest is consistent but he is the only one. the gunners play better at arsenal and benzema becomes invisible when he is with les bleus (except that nice pass).

i dont want anelka as starter too, i want benzema to practise more to become a teamplayer. the first half our was so nice. i dont think nasri would have made a big difference anyways because he plays quite selfish too. and i want to see more from lloris becos mandanda might be even more dangerous than barthez.

france is not really a team and domenech shoud change that. they got nice handgloves anyways and ribery nice shoes

I am from the Argy blog and thought you might like an opinion from the perspective of the competition. The first half France was the better team but seemed to lack any ability to put togetehr passes in the final third. The one time that you did anelka was not up to the chance. That would have changed the game but then again Messi had a pretty good chance that was blocked as well. The only player that seemed to really trouble us was ribery but once he made him moves you never got the feeling that he could link up with anyone else. Also I am not sure why he dissapeared in the seond half. Once the goal was scored it did seem that france became dispirited and never played the same after that. From an outsider perspective it seems the team might lack some unity and character. Overall I thought it was a very hard fought game for a freindly and in the long run both team could benefit from such a game. good luck to your team and to your blog.

HOARAU ! COUSIN ! CISSE !

where are these hommes ?

It was not as bad a match as some make it out to be, there were some good parts for Les Bleus. Mexes for one.

http://thebeantownfrog.blogspot.com/2009/02/france-limp-into-next-months-wc.html

However I will agree that the crowd got ugly at the end, that was not good to see. But the French have always been harsh on their team. Look at how they turn on the team when they give the same performances at the Stade De France? I just think people are fed up with a team that shows little spirit…something I will place directly on the shoulders of the manager. This team has too much talent, too much potential to be this mediocre. And I am not saying that losing to Argentina is bad, to me they are one of the top 2 teams in world right now with Spain, but it is the cumulative effect – goalless draw versus Uruguay, poor showing against Roumania, terrible game at Austria, Euro fiasco, and the list goes on. Yet somehow the FFF continues to stick with Domenech. That to me is the tragedy of all of this.

Guy, thanks for the detailed comments on your blog. Your not the only one upset with Domenech (naturally!), Laurent Blanc is mad about Gourcuff being played a full 90 mins. He says he was told by the NT staff that Yoann would be subbed by Sami after the half.

I didn’t see the game, but have read much about it. The comments above by toddutah and in the Argentine blog are often quite complementary about France, but without of course leaving any doubt as to which is the better side.

I share your frustrations, but no one has presented any solutions here.
Easy for us fans to ask for Domenechs neck.
To be fair to Domenech he was the coach in the first half as well, in which
they played superbly minus the lucky goal.
Don’t you people think that team spirit should be led by the players themselves specially the CAPTAIN?
If the chemistry is the problem then perhaps some of our favorite superstars have to step aside in favor of players that would bring in a more positive attitude on the pitch.
Personally I think when we fall behind, as great a player as Toulalan, becomes a liability as he’s not creative enough to produce opportunities.
I would have brought in Nasri along side with Ribery, two extremely fast players,bench sagna if he ever makes his useless crosses, and Henri as center forward. Henri is that kind of weapon, even now in his 30’s.
Also our defensive flanks fail to quickly counter attack and get caught up in a mucky midfield battle in which Argentina executed perfectly in the second half, totally shut the barn door.
Les Bleus have some interesting friendlies coming up, be interesting to see the match against Turkey.

its the fans fault. All the players think about is not messing up. The fans need to cheer for the team and give them spirit. France has the players to win the world cup but they need one more player on their side that is the fans.

You cant blame it all on the coach even though it is Domenech

In general the French are more interested in politics, politics, politics, arts, culture, fashion, cuisine, and of course SEX!
Did I mention POLITICS?
I’ve spoken to many French people and the majority don’t really care, I know I’m gonna get body slammed by this comment, but it’s true.
The night of the match against Austria I was in Paris, and it was my first time in that amazing city, so excited I rushed out with joy wearing my Ribery jersey and my Les Bleus ball cap trying to find a cafe that showed the match. Finally I found one on the curve of the “Republique” circle, after waiting patiently for the loser bartender to change the channel I finally gave up, even the server was quite embarrassed about it, telling me that’s Parisians for you!
Anyhow I finally got to see it at another Cafe with an obnoxious Greek owner and a couple of Algerians who were semi interested and another gentleman from the ivory coast who got into an argument with the owner.
Folks I did not see, not even a one person on the street wearing anything
Les Bleus as I think it’s not tres chique and later in Canada my French language teacher from Bordeaux told me wearing a ball cap is considered “American” and “teenage like” and If I wanted to protect my head from cold I should have worn a beanie hat or a real hat!
Next time pay attention when walking in Paris and notice the odd person wearing a ball cap. I’m not ridiculing by any means I’m just observing that’s all.
I know some of you would assume that most people elected to watch the game at home unlike here in North America to enjoy with a whole group of fans, the following day I found out that the ratings for the match viewership were quite abysmal.
The only day that I saw more jerseys was at the match against Serbia in which I will explain some very funny moments later.
There is a daily newspaper dedicated to the team, so there has to be some interest, but unfortunately I didn’t see any, and during my 8 day stay in Paris, I managed to cover every square meter of that beautiful city.
I would definitely go back but this years itinerary is to visit Camp-Nou followed by the Emirates stadium.

What the are you trying to say… This is not the place for this.