France fans came in legions but celebrated as one after the final whistle sounded.
Spain enjoyed an early lead at the 28th minute when David Villa scored a spot kick which lasted for 13 minutes.
After the half both teams’ attacking plays lessened as the midfield players clamped down on each defending their side. France captained by Zidane controlled the game using their experience against a young team like Spain which later on translated into two more goals from veterans — Patrick Vieira on the 83rd minute and Zidane on injury time.
Impressive Performance
Juventus star, Patrick Vieira, picked off from where he left in the last game of the first stage by setting the play that led for France’s Frank Ribery scoring their first goal. He played solid defense throughout the game combined with swift and dangerous attacks to the goal which paid off on his 83rd minute goal.
France coach Raymond Domenech has this to say (via Yahoo):
I didn’t see a great difference between the first and second half. The match followed the same script from the very first minute. There was no improvisation as it were – it just followed its natural course.
We won because we were patient, worked hard, stuck together and were intelligent. We started slowly but we were in top gear by the end. The players were prepared to beat Spain, and it’s not always easy to face them. We had some very difficult moments, but the players used their heads and their intelligence and that won the day. They made the most of Spain’s anxiety and stopped them from playing their game.
It is fitting to describe France as the more patient team given their experience led by 34-year-old Zinedine Zidane.
Neverthless, Spain’s young team can look forward to a bright future given their age and talent, Fernando Torres said it best (via Yahoo):
We can go home with our heads held high because we’ve performed well and this is a young team with lots of quality. I’m sure the nucleus we have here can bring more joy to the fans at the next World Cup.
When we were 1-0 up we didn’t exploit the space available and that was the story of the game. It’s a strong Spain that went out tonight and although I suppose you could say it was the right result, it all feels a bit strange.
[tags]FIFA World Cup, World Cup, FIFA World Cup 2006, Switzerland, Ukraine[/tags]
