Highlights – Ukraine vs France

Including Frey’s howler off Sheva’s header…will he ever wear the blue jersey again?

France draw Romania, Serbia and Austria in World Cup Qualifiers

Group 7 

• France
• Romania
• Serbia
• Lithuania
• Austria
• Faroe Islands

For once we managed to avoid Belgium, Israel and Switzerland. Not a bad group I’d say – I reckon most teams would be happy with that group.

France Draw in Ukraine

Last night France played out another 2-2 draw in their final qualifying match of Group B. With the group already decided, both teams were simply playing for pride.

Early in the game Voronin had given the Ukraine the lead, but France were soon level with a goal from Henry. Govou then put France in front, only for Shevchenko to draw Ukraine leve in the 46th minute – and that is how it stayed until the final whistle.

After the match Domenech said that he had wanted to show that France didn’t need any favours to qualify and that the draw (the result that France would’ve wanted had Scotland and Italy themselves drawn) did that. While it is true that France got the draw one can be assured that it would’ve been a very different atmosphere had France needed the draw. Also, what Domenech also fails to realise is that if he truly wanted to show that France didn’t need any favours to qualify then they should’ve won in the Ukraine – because, had Scotland beaten Italy, that is the result they would’ve needed.

Ukraine vs. France Preview

So we’ve qualified, all the pressure is off – although we here at Les Bleus: France Football would’ve liked to have seen France beat Ukraine and win their way into the Euros. But then, as always, a win was never necessarily a result that France could be relied upon to get. Not in the way that Germany and Italy do their business and win games when they matter most.

It’ll be interesting to see which France turns up. The cocky, self-assured, nothing to lose (because we do, after all, have nothing to lose) France, or that most frustrating of spectacles: A rudderless France, with no direction, playing a Sunday game and getting upset when the opposition actually wants to play serious?

France Qualify for Euro 2008

Merci Panucci.

That’s pretty much the sentiment rippling through French fans today as Les Bleus slide into next summer’s European Championships.

France held to 2-2 draw by Morocco

In a cracking atmosphere at the Stade de France, Morocco came back late to grab a draw vs France. The North Africans jumped ahead in the 8th minute through Sektioui. Govou responded for France levelling the score in the 15th. Les Bleus finally pulled ahead in the 2nd half with a goal from Marseille’s Nasri (76th min). However, France were denied the victory when substitute Mohktari scored the equaliser 5 minutes from time (85th min). It was a deserved scoreline.

France: Landreau, Clerc, Gallas (Abidal 46), Thuram (Squillaci 64), Evra, Rothen (Flamini 81), Makelele (Toulalan 46), L. Diarra, Nasri, Govou (Ben Arfa 75), Benzema (Anelka 63) 

Goals: Govou (8th min), Nasri (75th min)

Morocco: Lamyaghri, Ouaddou, Chretien, Kissi (Boukhari 46), Sketioui (Mokhtari 74), Hadji (Zairi 83), El Kaddouri, Kharja (Kabous 46), Rbati, Safri, Chamakh (Alloudi 66)

Goals: Sektioui (8th min), Mokhtari (85th min)

France vs Morocco — Match Preview

France welcome Morocco to the Stade de France tomorrow night, 8pm BST, in a tune-up to their final European Qualifying match vs the Ukraine next Wednesday, the 21st.

Obviously, this is a good chance for Domenech to satisfy his curiosity and see if there are any new options available to him for the Ukraine game (and beyond). And because of various injuries it looks like he will be able to do just that.

Those missing out on training yesterday were:

Trezeguet out of final Euro Qualifier

Domenech has dropped Trezeguet again for France’s final qualifying match against Ukraine, and the friendly against Morocco a week earlier.

Samir Nasri has recovered from a virus and has returned to the France squad, as has Sebastien Squillaci.