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Does France have a problem?
French advance despite inability to score
Posted: Monday July 06, 1998 11:26 AM
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Djorkaeff says he will score against Croatia (AP) |
CLAIREFONTAINE, France (AP) --
Why can't France score anymore? The question was on everybody's lips Monday
as the host nation geared up for its World Cup semifinal clash with Croatia for the
berth in the trophy match. Coach Aime Jacquet even made a special
video to show the way to the net, and top scorer Youri Djorkaeff is already
psyching himself up and promising a hopeful nation he will score in
Wednesday's match at the Stade de France. "I know I will score. I
feel I will score against Croatia," he said Monday. Djorkaeff has scored 18
goals so far for France in internationals, but has only one penalty goal in
five World Cup games so far. After slotting nine goals in its first
236 minutes of World Cup action, France was limited to just one in the last
268 minutes as it struggled to a Golden Goal injury time 1-0 win against Paraguay and a
0-0 penalty shootout victory over Italy in the
quarterfinals. "It certainly weighs on us. It could even have been
fatal," said French coach Aime Jacquet, remembering how close France was to
elimination in the penalty shootout against Italy. So to lift the
morale of the troops, Jacquet prepared a special video with all the great
opportunities the French created during the quarterfinal. "It is to
reassure the players," Jacquet said. The lack of the final stab to finish
off the work just depended on "coolbloodedness," he said. France is
already preparing the nation that its offensive impotence might last
through the last two games. But with an iron-fisted defense that allowed
only one penalty goal in five matches, it might be enough to win the Cup.
"It doesn't matter if I don't score. The most important is the defense
and the title," said Stephane Guivarc'h, the French league top scorer for
the past two seasons, who hasn't scored a single goal here.
Fortunately, France is getting over the injury worries that have hit its
strike force. Three-goal winger Thierry Henry, who came on only as a late
substitute against Italy because of an ankle sprain, is fully fit again.
And even Christophe Dugarry, who scored France's World Cup opener
before he was sidelined with a torn hamstring, has resumed full training
sessions and will be ready as a substitute on Wednesday. France's
goal drought is not because of lack of intention. Over the wings and
through the center when playmaker Zinedine Zidane was playing, Les Bleus
have created wave upon wave of attack. But when the final shot had
to come, players stalled, miscued their shot, hit the post or failed to
show that bit of poise that marks the true World Cup striker. "It's
an area you really cannot work on," said captain Didier Deschamps. A
coach either has a Dennis Bergkamp or Ronaldo to work with or a Guivarc'h
or Dugarry. "We won't win the semifinal 5-0, that's for sure," said
Deschamps. Djorkaeff said that perhaps the players were looking too
much for a work of art to finish off great preparation. "Maybe we are
looking too much for perfection," he said. And goals are beside the
point. Just look at France's Just Fontaine, still the World Cup top scorer
of all time with 13 goals when Les Bleus reached the semifinals in 1958.
"Maybe we should ask Just Fontaine if he would have preferred to have
played the final instead," said Djorkaeff.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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