*****España V France match thread*****

[Figaro]

Aragones has lost the plot.

 

You don't put a player into the team just because it's his birthday, you senile old c nut!

 

Me Meo F eck off Raul.

 

It's like going back in time - the c nut is useless and you drop Luisito to play the stiff. Get a grip!

 

 

Teams according to Marca:

 

España: Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Pablo, Puyol, Pernía; Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fábregas, Xavi; Raúl, Fernando Torres and Villa.

 

Francia: Barthez; Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Abidal; Makelele, Vieira, Ribéry or Malouda, Zidane; Henry and Trezeguet.

[Guest Kev]

Really looking forward to this game, come on Spain

[Stevie H]

that's such a slight on garcia who has looked a far better player than raul so far this world cup. unlucky luis.

[Bailo]

Raul must be popular within the squad.

[D.Boon]

Hope France stuff them.

 

Nice safe early return home for our lads.

[Stevie H]

will be interesting to see how zizou performs as well. could well be his last ever professional match.

[Tetti]

 

Will still win though

 

[Stevie H]

by the way, number of times that zinedine zidane and thierry henry have played together for france? 53.

 

number of goals that zidane has set up / assisted for henry in those 53 games?

[Figaro]

by the way, number of times that zinedine zidane and thierry henry have played together for france? 53.

 

number of goals that zidane has set up / assisted for henry in those 53 games?

 

 

they don't get on allegedly - so 0

[Stevie H]

they don't get on allegedly - so 0

 

it is in fact, none. which is absolutely ridiculous.

[Figaro]

it is in fact, none. which is absolutely ridiculous.

 

I heard stories from one of the Madrid players at the time of the Aragones-Henry racist comment to the effect that Zidane and Henry could stand each other and that they haven't spoken to each other for years - bit stupid, isn't it?

[Stevie H]

I heard stories from one of the Madrid players at the time of the Aragones-Henry racist comment to the effect that Zidane and Henry could stand each other and that they haven't spoken to each other for years - bit stupid, isn't it?

 

i don't know the ins and outs but there have been rumours for years about the french not playing to their strengths, i.e. henry, and funnelling every pass through the ageing zidane and subsequently henry and others getting the right a*se about this.

[_00_deathscar]

Hope France stuff them.

 

Nice safe early return home for our lads.

 

It's all about momentum - I personally like to see our players do well.

[Figaro]

España 3 Francia 1

 

Torres, Torres y Torres.

 

Henry.

[DanielS]

i don't know the ins and outs but there have been rumours for years about the french not playing to their strengths, i.e. henry, and funnelling every pass through the ageing zidane and subsequently henry and others getting the right a*se about this.

 

You trying to suggest that a national side would harm its chances through continuing the policy of fielding players who no longer "cut the mustard" based simply on their past reputation? I doubt if there would be a Spaniard, Brazillian or Englishman alive who'd agree.

[Figaro]

You trying to suggest that a national side would harm its chances through continuing the policy of fielding players who no longer "cut the mustard" based simply on their past reputation? I doubt if there would be a Spaniard, Brazillian or Englishman alive who'd agree.

 

The Zidane V Henry feud has been going on for yonks.

[DanielS]

The Zidane V Henry feud has been going on for yonks.

 

So has the Figaro v Raul feud. Stevie H v Inzaghi too.

[Gilps]

2-1 Spain aet.

 

Villa and Henry

 

Substitute Luis Garcia with extra time winner.

[Stevie H]

I'd like to see Iniesta on for the last 25 minutes with the French tiring and peddling back

 

I'd have gone for

 

Casillas

 

Ramos Pablo Puyol Pernía

 

Joaquin Xavi Xabi Cesc

 

Torres Villa

Joaquin with orders to run at the defence and switch flanks to start with and then taking off Joaquin in the second half for Iniesta. Possibly Reyes for Villa

 

if you play that team you risk spain getting overloaded on their right flank. zidane, malouda, henry and abidal will all attack that side. spain could profit by starting a left-winger to attack the space in front and behind of sagnol. that would also stretch vieira out from the middle as france don't play a right mid.

[Eskimo]

I'm pretty nervous about this game...I think we will out play them and then get stung near the end as usual

 

PS. Anything interesting happen in the 2 weeks I've been away?

[Coyler]

Had a lovely post half-written about how I f*cking love Spain vs France matches as I remember it being one of the first games in Mexico '86 and us all being called in off the road at the same time for it.

 

Feckers never met.

 

Upshot: people lie.

[Gilps]

More build up to the tie of the round

 

Rebuilt Spain feel destined to destroy old monuments

 

Dominic Fifield

Tuesday June 27, 2006

The Guardian

 

The second round has smouldered already, though its most combustible tie may have been saved for last. Spain and France meet this evening, a contest to conjure memories of Luis Arconada fumbling Michel Platini's free-kick at Parc des Princes or Raúl creasing to the turf after skying a last-minute penalty in Bruges. With Spanish failings in 1984 and 2000 in mind, it should come as no surprise that the talk now is of revenge.

 

This is a clash to catch the imagination. Spain rampaged through their group, humiliating the other eventual qualifiers Ukraine en route and demonstrating newfound strength in depth and resilience to sweep all before them. The average age of their team in the group was 25 years and seven months, their bright young things confronting the oldest side left in the tournament tonight, average age over 30. Xavi described the French as "monuments" yesterday and, even if he was attempting to be reverential, the sense that this is a meeting of old and new abounds.

 

"We respect them so much because half of their side won the World Cup but, if we want to climb to the same level as these type of players, we have to beat them," said the Barcelona midfielder. "Historically there's a rivalry between these two teams but, for us, we'll use that as a positive. To play France in a finals is an extra motivation. If you only knew what Luis Aragonés is like when he talks to us about this game . . . I was only four when we lost the European Championship final to Spain in 1984 but I could tell you everything that happened in the game off by heart. Playing France now is our destiny, an opportunity to gain revenge."

 

Cesc Fábregas, who at 19 was not even born when Platini inspired that success, is expected to start tonight having excelled in flashes to date, though Aragonés should offer one concession to experience by starting with Raúl on the Real Madrid forward's 29th birthday. Such is the confidence sweeping through the Spanish that they have been bullish in their approach to this game, Aragonés insisting his team "will win" and the explosive Fernando Torres adding: "We have respect for France as former world champions but they finished second in the group for a reason. We don't have any fear."

 

His own form justifies that optimism - there have been three goals from his two starts here- with his side revelling with a style of play similar to Barcelona's. "We've learnt to think and be aware of where our team-mates are even before we receive the ball," said Xavi. "Our rhythm is more up-beat than France's and we think quicker. Look at Claude Makelele and Patrick Vieira: they collect the ball, control it, then, after a while, decide what to do with it. We're more instinctive."

 

"This is the first time I'll be celebrating my birthday at a tournament because we're usually out by now," said Raúl, whose penalty miss in the Euro 2000 quarter-final helped prolong a sequence with the Spanish having never defeated the French in a major tournament, even if this is their first World Cup tête-à-tête. "But our squad has more quality than any other in recent memory and that's why the coach has adopted this style based on having the ball at our feet. We have a great mixture of youth and experience."

 

It is a blend the French lack. There is concern within their camp at the pace they must nullify in Spanish ranks tonight, though there is also quiet confidence that their wealth of experience could yet derail Spanish progress. Lilian Thuram has already insisted that this game can be "won in the mind". "Age won't be a deciding factor but experience might be," said Willy Sagnol. "We know what we offered against Korea and Switzerland won't be enough to beat the Spanish but we can improve."

 

The hope is that the return of Zinédine Zidane after a one-match ban will help them do just that. "He will be the difference," said Eric Abidal. "He's ready. He was frustrated, like I was, not to have played the last match. He's a winner, whether we're playing head tennis or five-a-sides in training. And he knows Spain from his time at Real. They're young, the Spanish, but we have experience on our side and players who can make the difference at any given moment. They don't have a Zidane, do they?"

 

"Zidane, he's different class, the best player of the 1990s," added Xavi. "Nobody in the Spanish squad thinks he's a spent force. He's France's principal danger. But there's [Thierry] Henry, too. He's a bomb that could explode at any moment if you don't look after him. You have to keep two or three on him to make sure he doesn't get away from you but we can do that. We are young, progressing and we will win this match."

[Figaro]

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡VENGA ESPAÑA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

...and the ref is an Italian...

 

Roberto Rosetti

 

at least two sending offs and a dodgy French goal on the cards then...

[Stevie H]

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡VENGA ESPAÑA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

all that time drunk british people on holiday have been saying it wrong?

[Figaro]

I've been in Portugal for the past 2 weeks and it was pretty crazy out there so I can only imagine what its like back home. I've had various family members on the phone all morning driving me mad, even the Catalans are getting in on the act according to my sis in Barca

 

Fingers crossed eh...

 

 

 

yeah it is wild now...

 

Will be one hell of a party when we win