France out-wit Spain 3-1 and clinch quarter-final spot

June 27, 2006 France came from a goal down to win their round of sixteen game 3-1 against Spain in Hanover, Tuesday.

The win was a tactical triumph for the French coach Raymond Domenech whose team gave up 61 per cent of ball possession yet restricted their opponents to seven shots - two on target - and ran out three goal winners.

Nor did the French have many chances as for the majority of the game Spain patiently passed the ball around them. When they did have the ball they constantly pried at the Spanish offside line and therein found the weakness that lead to victory.

Though the French were offside eight times the crucial equaliser came from a Franck Ribéry run on to a Patrick Viera pass that beat the line of Spaniards close to half time. At speed Ribéry rounded Iker Casillas to slot home.

So solid were the French in defence intercepting passes, blocking shots and making tackles the only goal conceded - which put them behind - was from a penalty kick. This was slammed in low by David Villa on 27 minutes after Pablo had been clattered from behind by Liliam Thuram.

Ten minutes into the second half the score was at 1-1 but the French continued to test the Spanish offside trap. A worried Luis Aragonés brought on two substitutes and changed his system from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1. The Spanish defence sat closer to their penalty area so there was less room to pass balls behind them.

But still the Spanish line was caught on 82 minutes when Thierry Henry was fouled by Puyol as he attempted to connect with another through ball. Henry fell as if hit in the face by Puyol although this could not be confirmed with television evidence. Zinedine Zidane floated the resultant free kick into the box, there was an inadvertent flick on from a Spanish player and Viera nodded in at the far post off Sergio Ramos.

As the Spanish pressed for a last minute score the French broke through again, Zidane this time cut back to lose Puyol, and with the keeper off balance he reversed his shot to the near post to put the game out of reach.

So efficient was the French performance FIFA statisticians logged the team with just 19 minutes actual playing time. Brazil, who the French will play in the quarter-finals, too conceded the majority of possession in their game but in comparison beat Ghana 3-0 with 27 minutes actual playing time, Tuesday.



Round of sixteen
Match 56

Attendance: 43'000

France


Substitutes
 * 74' Sidney Govou for Malouda
 * 88' Sylvain Wiltord for Henry

denotes one goal scored.

Spain


Substitutes
 * 54' Luis García for David Villa
 * 54' Joaquín for Raul
 * 72' Marcos Senna for Xavi

denotes one goal scored.

Officials
Referee: Roberto Rosetti

Assistant referee: Cristiano Copelli

Assistant referee: Alessandro Stagnoli

Fourth referee: Markus Merk

Fifth referee: Christian Schraer