|
|
 |
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE | |
First-time champs France blanks Nigeria wins first U-17 World Cup
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- Propelled by the record-breaking offensive power of Florent Sinama Pongolle, France shut out mighty Nigeria 3-0 Sunday for its first championship trophy in the FIFA under-17 World Championship. For French soccer the victory at Hasely Crawford Stadium means yet another trophy to add to an already impressive collection. France's adult national team is at the top in FIFA rankings after winning the 1998 World Cup and last year's European Championship. The first-half goal by Pongolle, already widely considered the finest player of the championship, was his ninth of the tournament. With the score, he broke the longstanding tournament record of eight made by West Germany's Marcel Witeczek in the 1985 competition in China. Pongolle, from tiny French possession Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, was signed by the Liverpool organization last month and will likely soon begin play in the English leagues. "I'm thinking with great happiness of all the people watching me on the island where my roots are," he said after the game. In the third-place match, Paul Gorogo and Henoch Conombo each scored as Burkina Faso upset Argentina 2-0. Nigeria, which had the stingiest defense in the tournament, allowing only two goals in its previous five games, was undone by a methodical French attack that picked away at its defense. Nigeria's defenders also failed miserably in shutting down Pongolle and his sidekick Anthony Le Tallec, also signed by Liverpool, who also had a goal. Nigeria had beaten France 2-1 in the tournament debut for both teams. The Africans were also the only team that had won all its games. But in the final, France dominated. The first half began evenly, but France quickly gained the upper hand as its player won control of the midfield. The French team also was virtually flawless on defense. Midfielders Stephen Drouin and Hassan Yebda and defender Julio Colombo played hard at interrupting Nigerian passes and breakaways, preventing the fleet-footed Africans' efforts to build momentum. A bicycle kick in the penalty area by Pongolle in the 5th minute was easily controlled by goalkeeper Akpan Bassey. But that was only a preview of what was to come from the diminutive striker, with his well-honed instinct for goals. African defender Ndala Ibrahim took a powerful shot on goal in the 18th minute, coming out of nowhere and just barely missing the goal from outside the penalty area. In the 28th minute, talented Nigerian midfielder Omonigho Temile found himself with some space near the edge of the goal area and launched a shot that was just barely tapped out by goalkeeper Florent Chaigneau. Pongolle soon extinguished the Nigerian's offensive rally, reappearing to make a masterful goal in the 34th minute. Teammate Le Tallec delivered a perfect long pass from the midfield to find Pongolle, who was hovering at the top-left corner of the Nigerian penalty area. Feinting right and left with his dribble, Pongolle got the better of defender Emmanuel Baba and drilled the ball into the goal. Pongolle was crushed by teammates as he celebrated his record. In the second-half France continued to dominate. High-scoring Nigeria did not have a single shot in the second half until well into injury time. In the 52nd minute, Pongolle was left alone close to the goal and almost got his second with a shot that went just wide to the left. Le Tallec took France to 2-0 a minute later. With a fast and carefully controlled dribble, he pulled the entire Nigerian defense only to turn and shoot in the opposite direction. Bassey dove, but the ball went in beyond his reach. In the 81st minute, Pongolle set up substitute Samuel Pietre in front of the Nigerian goal. Pietre didn't have trouble beating goalkeeper Bassey, unloading a cannon shot that sealed the victory for France. Nigeria, like Ghana and Brazil, has won the tournament twice and was favored going into the game. "France was the better team in every department," Nigeria head coach Musa Abdullahi said after the game.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
