Let’s Check Out the Hopefuls

I have a file in my computer’s “France Football” filing cabinet labeled “Hopefuls.” It’s where I keep all of the articles about the players who are still anxiously awaiting their first cap for the national team.

The France team at the moment might seem pretty static. Not a lot of important changes since World Cup. No new players on the original list for France-Argentina. (There were two — Mathieu Flamini and Julien Rodriguez — called up when Domenech saw the extent of the injury list, but neither of them saw playing time.)

That can’t be the case forever, though. Thuram is 35, Coupet and Makelele are 34. Sylvain Wiltord is 32, Vieira’s 30, Sagnol turns 30 mext month, Henry and Trezeguet are 29…

Did anybody else just get a little chill?

So who’s next? Who’s going to replace these guys? (Yes, that thought makes me sniffle, but if we’ve survived losing Zidane… Well after that nothing’s hard, right?)

The new French football blog L’Equipe Moustache just did a post on this issue naming some of France’s up-and-comers. Complete with YouTube videos. (Love that!) So be sure to check out their post, The Yoann Gourcuff Generation to see the faces we may be looking at in the future.

P.S. Speaking of hopefuls, can anybody tell me what’s up with Lyon’s Karim Benzema? I adore this kid — so sweet and level-headed — and it’s like he’s dropped off the face of the earth. Injured, then back for two days and reinjured, then reported to be back in training and then nothing! The only time I see his name is when he’s in the middle of Lyon’s weekly injury list. What’s going on with him?