France Beats
Costa Rica 2-1
In Friendly
By Jerome
Pugmire (AP)
LENS, France -
Mathieu Valbuena
scored in his
international
debut to help
France beat
Costa Rica 2-1
in a World Cup
warmup
Wednesday, with
Raymond
Domenech's team
showing
encouraging
signs in a new
attacking
formation.
Valbuena hit a
low shot past
Costa Rica
goalkeeper
Keylor Navas in
the 83rd minute
after coming off
the bench in the
second half,
breaking a 1-1
tie.
"I knew he would
score," France
defender Patrice
Evra said of
Valbuena.
"There's
something about
him, he's one of
those players."
Domenech, who
called up the
inexperienced
Franck Ribery
just before the
2006 World Cup,
seems to have
taken another
clever gamble on
the 25-year-old
Valbuena, who
was playing
semiprofessional
ball only four
years ago.
"It's special
for me. To be
taking part in a
World Cup is
exceptional for
any player, to
come on and
score is
extraordinary,"
Valbuena said.
"I got the ball
through the
middle,
controlled it
quickly and
shot. When I saw
it was in the
back of net it
was very
emotional for
me. Scoring for
France is
something
special."
Carlos Hernandez
gave Costa Rica
the lead in the
12th minute with
a low shot which
bounced under
the body of
France
goalkeeper Steve
Mandanda, and
France equalized
when Franck
Ribery's cross
from the left
deflected in off
defender Douglas
Sequeira.
Arsenal defender
William Gallas
played his first
match since
March 31 after
recovering from
a calf injury,
and was replaced
by Sebastien
Squillaci at
halftime.
Domenech plans
to give Gallas
more playing
time in the next
two friendly
games before the
World Cup match
against Uruguay
on June 11.
"I wasn't
worried, the
thing he needed
was to play
games," Domenech
said. "Gallas
needs to get his
rhythm back
little by
little. (He will
play) one hour
on Sunday
(against
Tunisia) and 90
minutes against
China."
Domenech
switched the
French team to a
4-3-3 formation,
dropping his
usual two
holding
midfielders and
picking Nicolas
Anelka in
attack.
"It shows what
we're capable of
doing, we've
been telling the
players to just
go for it. We
need to keep
showing the same
desire, the same
panache,"
Domenech said.
"Our attacking
play was more
encouraging, but
(the system)
poses problems
defensively that
we will have to
address. We will
need to be a bit
stronger and
solid, we
shouldn't get
carried away."
He has long
favored a
cautious 4-2-3-1
lineup with
Jeremy Toulalan
and Lassana
Diarra shielding
the defense, but
Domenech
reconsidered
after Diarra
went home last
week because of
a genetic
red-blood cell
disorder.
In the 10th
minute, Florent
Malouda's pass
cut through the
Costa Rica
defense and
Sidney Govou
forced a good
save from Navas.
Mandanda
redeemed himself
for not saving
the deflection
goal by Ribery
midway through
the first half
with a fine
tip-over save of
Bryan Ruiz's
curling shot,
but France again
showed a glaring
weakness on
set-pieces when
Ruiz's header
hit the crossbar
in the 34th
minute.
Bordeaux's Yoann
Gourcuff and
Chelsea's
Florent Malouda
were beside
Toulalan in a
new midfield.
The back four
Domenech used
against Costa
Rica are likely
to be his
defense in South
Africa, with
Arsenal defender
Bacary Sagna at
right back,
Barcelona's Eric
Abidal alongside
Gallas in the
center, and
Manchester
United's Patrice
Evra at left
back.
The crowd gave
the players a
huge cheer when
each name was
read out, but
Domenech was
jeered, as was
the case at
every game
during the
qualifiers.
The French fans
also gave a
raucous and
heartfelt
rendition of the
national anthem
"La
Marseillaise", a
far cry from the
groans, jeers,
whistles and
insults at Stade
de France during
the tense World
Cup qualifiers.
Thierry Henry
replaced Anelka
at half time,
with Domenech
keeping the same
formation.
Sagna missed a
good headed
chance early in
the second half,
Henry almost
scored in the
58th when he ran
onto Ribery's
pass and clipped
a shot wide of
the post, and
Gourcuff hit a
powerful shot
wide.
Valbuena came on
with 25 minutes
to go, and soon
shot wide after
cutting in from
the right.
Having adjusted
his sights, he
gathered a pass
from Ribery and
neatly slotted
the ball into
the left corner
in the 83rd for
the eventual
winner.
Navas had made a
superb
point-blank save
from Sebastien
Squillaci with
20 minutes
remaining as
France wasted
chances to put
the game
comfortably
away.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
