Chapter 127 Strong Enemy France
In the knockout round, they have to face a strong enemy France, while Ukraine, which has advanced as the second place in Group H, has to face a relatively weak Switzerland. It is not known whether Belgium, which won the first place in the group, should be happy or worried.
The French team is one of the most influential football teams in Europe today and in the century. They won the European Championship twice in 1984 and 2000. In 1998, the French team won the World Cup at home. The French team has experienced the glory of the Platini era, and also fell into the trough in the early 1990s. With the emergence of Zidane, Henry and other stars that have attracted the most attention in world football, the French team has once again welcomed Came brilliant, and became the first team to win the European Cup after winning the World Cup.
Ligue 1 is one of the five major leagues in European football, and it is also the cornerstone of training French stars. In recent years, Ligue 1 teams have played an increasingly important role in European football, especially the sudden rise of Lyon in recent years, which has impressed the entire world of football.
In today's French national team, coach Domenech has a talented midfield organizer like Zidane, Henry, Trezeguet and other "top scorers" lead the striker, and the defense Butters, Thuram, etc. are old and strong. On the stage of the World Cup, the strength of the French team is still outstanding.
But if you analyze it carefully, it is not difficult to see that France is no longer a world-class team at present. Every country has this time. From the perspective of the league, the combination of Henry and Trezeguet is very threatening, but in the national team, Henry has always been unable to support Ah Fu, veteran players with rich experience in midfield Zidane, Makelele, Vieira and others can play a role at critical moments, but they are somewhat lacking in physical strength. Although there is Thuram in the back line, it must be admitted that France has become a low-level defensive team. The third line of the entire team is strong. A contrast between one medium and one weak.
And the biggest problem that plagues the French is who will carry the banner of French football after Zidane. As early as June 25, 2004, when the French team lost to the Greek team and was eliminated from the European Cup. Zidane issued a statement to the outside world, announcing his withdrawal from the national team.
On February 4, 2005, he announced that when he completed his contract with Real Madrid, that is, after the 2006-07 season, he would bid farewell to this green field.
In 2005, Zidane's fans could be described as mixed with sorrow and joy. On the one hand, when the French team was struggling in the European World Cup qualifiers and the qualifying situation was in jeopardy, Zidane announced that he would return to France. The French national team to help a team that had stumbled in World Cup qualifiers at the time establish their qualifications. On the other hand, he chose to retire early and after the 2005/2005 season, he will never play for any club again.
Perhaps Zidane's influence is really amazing. When he announced on his official website: "I have made the decision to come back." Ram has chosen to return. ?? Stadium Maniac 127
This old and strong French team achieved a good record in the next qualifiers, proving to the world that although Zidane is getting older, his technical and tactical abilities are still outstanding.
But in any case, Zidane, who has won all the honors, chose to retreat bravely. For him, saying goodbye to his beloved football in the 2006 World Cup final was undoubtedly the best way.
Although in the eyes of the aging lineup, although Zidane will retire after the World Cup, the lean camel is bigger than the horse. In Group G where the French team is located, Switzerland, South Korea, and Togo are not strong enough to compete with France in terms of strength. It should not repeat the path of the last World Cup.
But the facts have proved that the French team in this World Cup, like the previous Korea-Japan World Cup, entered the state slowly. It drew 0:0 with Switzerland in the first match, drew 1:1 with South Korea in the second match, and defeated Togo 2:0 in the final round. With the help of Switzerland, he narrowly qualified.
However, in the previous life, after the appearance of the group, the French team became more and more courageous. In the 1/8 finals, they eliminated Spain 3:1.
In the final final, France led by Zidane played against Italy. Zidane calmly scored a penalty kick and tricked Buffon.
However, in the second half of overtime, he was sent off for headbutting Italian defender Materazzi. France narrowly lost to Italy in the final penalty kick, ending the World Cup trip and winning the runner-up. After the World Cup, Zidane retired.
Facing such a strong French team, even a man like Degan, who is extremely confident, is not sure of winning. What's more, the French team is now united, without the previous factional struggles and conflicts. Everyone wants to use a World Cup trophy as a retirement gift for Zidane.
"France is a strong opponent, and Zidane is a great player. It is a pity that he will retire after the World Cup, but fortunately, I still have the opportunity to compete with him face to face!"
In an interview before the game, Degan also expressed his expectation for this game. It has always been his dream to compete with the best players in the world. There is no doubt that the greatest football player in the world today The most popular player is Zidane, and Digan became uncontrollably excited to compete with this football master before he retires.
Of course, Degan's remarks were used as an excuse to attack him, thinking that he lacked the most basic respect for a great player, just like he ignored Basten at the beginning.
However, Zidane is very open about this: "I know him. Degan is one of the best strikers in world football. He has a terrifying scoring efficiency. Any team in the world becomes the core, and how to defend Degan in the game against Belgium will become our main job. The previous game has proved that we must not give him the opportunity to easily get the ball in the frontcourt, otherwise, we will There will be a heavy price for negligence!"
Henry, the head striker of the French team, said: "I lost to Degan in the Champions League final. I hope to win it back on the stage of the World Cup. Degan is very good, but the overall strength of the French team is even stronger!"
Players on both sides are ready, and the battle is about to start!