- 2 days ago
Hosts France needed penalty kicks to get past Italy. Croatia are the surprise team of the tournament beating Germany 3-0 in the Quarter Finals.
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00:01France is no different from any other country
00:03everyone thinks they know what the national team should be
00:06and virtually no one agrees with the national team manager
00:09Emi Zsacki keeps faith with Newcastle new boy Stefan Givas
00:13despite the claims of the young Monaco striped twins Henri and Trezeguet
00:18it's the same team which started against Italy in the quarterfinals
00:22no need for Croatia to even contemplate changing the line
00:26which tramped Germany in the last eight
00:28where number 19 Goran Vlavic and number 9 Davos Sukher scored the late goals
00:33which completed the job
00:34Sukher now has four for the tournament
00:36coach Miroslav Blazovic who says he's had several job offers from French clubs
00:41is a keen astrologer
00:42and actually forecast a Croatia-France final before the tournament
00:46got it completely wrong didn't he
00:50in charge tonight the Spaniard who blew the first whistle of the tournament
00:54four weeks ago
00:55Jose Manuel Garcia Aranda took charge of Brazil versus Scotland here at Stade de France
01:05France has decided it's Brazil for them here on Sunday nights in the dream final
01:12but have Croatia read the script I wonder
01:24given away to Karen Burt
01:27this is Slavin Bilic
01:31Sukher turning and turning into Karen Burt
01:34Jokher wants to get forward racing Jokher up almost
01:38instead it's Givar the back here for Zidane
01:42smart interplay from France
01:44Zidane didn't quite get the placement on the shot he wanted
01:47yeah very slick movement good balling from the right
01:50lovely little touch there from Givaric
01:52as you say hasn't really got a full shot on the ball but a nice bright sharp movement from the
01:58home side
02:04it's in long towards Vlaavic
02:06Barthez is committed and Barthez is in control
02:12Emmanuel Petit of Arsenal
02:17Zinedine Zidane
02:20just opened up for him a little bit and he couldn't resist the shot and he got
02:23underneath and he was reaching for a little bit got a little excited actually
02:26yeah very poor shot he's really lost his mark
02:29Isolde doesn't look as if he's entirely happy doing the man marking shot
02:32it's a poor shot but the way he's finding space all over the field Zidane
02:36that is looks ominous for Croatia
02:51Jokia
02:56Sanovic penalized
02:58felt it shoulder to shoulder
03:00a little unlucky maybe
03:06you'll care at a full of some of it's a short as they have
03:24they show to see down right by a suitcase of all people
03:34Varte is looking long and Divas has stolen Marvichimic managed to go away and as far as Petit
03:39licked it in towards Zidane well that's three attempts a goal that Zidane's had in the first
03:44ten minutes and that's not very good news for Croatia I mean you would you would fully expect
03:51Croatia to win most of the aerial balls coming down the middle but there's Zidane again he's
03:55taking up all sorts of positions and he's once again he's on that he's in on the back of
04:01Jani that particular time
04:06they'll be happy in the knowledge Croatia that if the longer the scoreline remains 0-0 the more
04:12frustrated the French are likely to be in view of the fact that they haven't haven't particularly
04:17knocked in an amount of goals over the last few games France scored nine times in the three first
04:22face games but have only Laurent Blanc's golden goal in nearly four hours of knockout football since
04:30then Emma Jackie had actually compiled a videotape of all the chances they made in the quarter-final to
04:38show the players to try and keep their spirits up in the last couple of days of course they missed
04:43those chances against Italy and had to win their quarter-final penalties to it out turn away by Bilic
04:53Boban rather play to Sanovic back into trouble Zidane just seems to be popping up all over the place
04:57and the ball seems to be finding him these are a zoo Zidane again look at the space for him
05:06can't help but have a go
05:12well that's set up nicely from it all right that's his best effort yet a bit of luck he could
05:17have had a deflection not terribly
05:19difficult from Bilic but to invite a player that can crack them the way he can to keep having shots
05:23at your goal I think
05:24it's a recipe for disaster and away by Shemich solo trying to dig it out for Croatia but Emmanuel Petit
05:33is in the way and
05:33Petit took a kick I'm not sure how intentional it was but it was pretty painful and it's been penalized
05:39and it will be a chance for France to give some more attention to Christian Karambo is in trouble
05:59it's Kivas found a way through to Ladic don't know how much he saw of that but he got plenty
06:04behind it
06:09wonder who's going to be on the free kick to Newcastle United next season
06:14France are going to make a change
06:17and Thierry Henry will replace Christian Karambo who seems to have been soldiering on with an injury
06:24for a little while now
06:30here's a big chance now for Osanovic
06:34he just couldn't quite get the ball onto his favorite left foot the little gestures towards
06:38Suka who was in some kind of space Osanovic would have preferred it on the left
06:43there's some excellent skill good closing out from the French though and there's a lovely little
06:47threaded ball very quickly as you say he'd like to bend it but watch watch how he's closed out by
06:52Blanc
06:52Blanc has forced him away on his worst side
07:00to Aram adding his muscle to the equation
07:04Osanovic did well he's had a good tournament for Croatia
07:06so inevitably as I said that he gives it away to Blanc in towards Givash
07:12Zidane
07:12oh!
07:14Blanc has just got there this is Thierry Henry
07:16and it's headed behind by Robert Yarny an explosive moment from Zinedine Zidane
07:23well he had the attempts earlier which hadn't quite made it and that's his best that's his best attempt to
07:29up to date
07:30and it's hit he done the full volley swerving dipping actually going wide but Ladic
07:35isn't to know that
07:38quarter get to France Emmanuel Petit takes
07:41Marcel Desailles was arriving but Ladic got it all right again
07:46just giving the fans a little bit of a spark they're desperate for someone to cling to at the moment
07:52Thierry Henry trying to lift the home fans
07:55but it's been a first half of two distinct phases
07:59the first in which France in particular Zinedine Zidane
08:02dominated the game
08:04threatened really to run riot
08:06Zidane had two or three shooting opportunities inside the first quarter of an hour
08:10and the second phase of the game during which
08:12Croatia slowly but steadily became a factor
08:15and looked at least as much if not more of a threat
08:19in the moments just before half time
08:21first half of the second semi-final has ended
08:24with no goals
08:26if the French are starting to feel a little edgy
08:29their nerves will not be eased by the knowledge that in three previous World Cup semi-finals
08:36France have been beaten on each occasion
08:38Pel茅's hat-trick against them in Stockholm in 1958
08:44the Brazil team of that era beating the side of Copa and Fontaine by five goals to two
08:50here's another chance for Suker to add to their misery
08:53it's Croatia who lead in Paris
08:56a goal within 30 seconds of the restart by Davos Suker
09:02and France really do have a problem now
09:07all those memories are rushing back
09:09are they to be beaten again in the semi on home soil
09:15and if anyone deserves to score five it was that man Suker but a brilliant piece of work from Osanovic
09:20great reverse ball he's setting up a fine position and he tucks it away
09:25springs the offside two rounds playing them all onside no suggestion there and he's took that clinically like the top
09:31strikers
09:32but credit to this man of Sanovic beautiful play beautiful vision beautiful reverse ball bang one nothing
09:38it's a side issue but Davos Suker is now joint leading goal scorer in these World Cup finals with Christian
09:45Vieri and Gabriel Balastuta
09:47and Suker is still very much here to add to his tally
09:52France will have to come from behind for the first time in the tournament
09:56and maybe here they will do it they have it's Turam
10:02Lillian Turam who perhaps have to take a share of the blame for the Suker goal
10:08has within a minute within a minute equalized for France with his very first international goal
10:16what a sensational start to the second half
10:21it's France one Croatia one
10:26well that's the mistake that led to the goal fine little ball from York here
10:29good finish from somebody who's not a natural finisher that's a lovely little ball through
10:33but Boban will carry the can for that some terrible terrible caught in possession giving the ball away in a
10:41dangerous area
10:48Turam the French goal scorer on the ball look at the space here for Thierry Henry
10:54he came last off a current crowd indeed it is a corner cake it's love and village who was across
10:59the family
11:10Emmanuel Petit will take the corner
11:16in towards Desailly, Radic didn't really get it away, Laurent Blanc had the shot hit by Jorkaev
11:21and then by Zidane
11:22a block by Stimats
11:27pinball
11:29well the scores are level still
11:32psychologically now there's a big change big swing in it
11:35from being absolutely down and
11:37really
11:38really depressed straight after half time
11:42you can sense that the adrenaline is flowing again with the French side and that last attack
11:46they virtually pinned them in
11:48three ricochets finishing with Stimats block on Zidane's volley
11:54some space here for Kivac, what a pass that is
11:57for Marcel Desailly
12:01Ory
12:02just couldn't quite whip it beyond Jarny
12:06chance there for Turam
12:10useful ball in
12:11Zidane is there
12:12so too Starnic
12:13Emmanuel Petit on the volley
12:15just couldn't quite get it
12:16to come down quickly enough
12:19yeah but the convictions back there now with the French side, I mean
12:22chest control, good chest control, alright he's leaning back and he's hooked it over
12:25but at least now
12:27they're really pumped up
12:32space here for Stimats
12:38strong play by Suker
12:39and then he tried to, well I was going to say he tried to buy Freaky
12:42it was a successful purchase
12:47I think Zidane is penalised
12:54yeah he's definitely, he's definitely
12:55kidded the referee there
13:02Boban is standing over the free kick
13:14important header by Emmanuel Petit
13:16he's really forced to the way
13:24Starnic
13:26throw in
13:33little rush of blood that France had
13:35immediately after
13:37their equaliser goal has subsided
13:50Stimats
13:51straight to Petit
13:53Deschamps
13:54Henry is moving to his right
13:55he has Zidane in the centre, just those two up
13:57Gibar's trying to get there
13:58Thierry Henry on the wall
14:02tried to go for goal himself
14:04Mladic made a smart save but no better than that
14:07Zidane was well pleased
14:10yeah but nobody's more thankful than Igor Stimats for that
14:13he's trying to rectify his own mistake
14:15but fortunately for him Mladic has done it
14:18he was a man who's heading for Newcastle
14:21he's being replaced by the other Monaco man David David Trezeguet
14:29just 20 years of age
14:33he's figured in every game so far for France at some stage
15:00Zidane
15:01Tudane
15:07Henri
15:09Thuram made that his
15:10oh he's looking for another goal
15:13and he's got another goal
15:17a remarkable story
15:20Lilliam Thuram of Palma
15:22has in the space of 25 minutes at the start of this second half
15:27scored his first two goals for France
15:30in a World Cup semi-final in France
15:34and the second was special
15:39he's not even left footage
15:47well this is a cracker of a goal
15:50he shows short for a 1-2 off Henri
15:52he gets the 1-2
15:53doesn't quite
15:54doesn't quite get round it
15:56Jani can't quite deal with it
15:57but there's no doubting the finish
16:00he's gone in with power
16:01he's had one look at it
16:03he swings
16:04he's seen only the back of the ball
16:05and he screams it into the net
16:11the coach of Croatia
16:14Miroslav Lazovic can only hope
16:26Liza Razu
16:30all over by Starnic
16:33yellow card for Starnic
16:35on the way
16:37yeah he can have no complaints about that
16:39I mean Liza Razu has now started a force issue on this side
16:43he's seen what you see what Turin's done on the opposite flank now he's starting to do what he's good
16:47at and that's charge forward
17:06now can they ease the pressure on themselves
17:08Zidane with a free kick
17:10he's gone down inside the penalty area
17:19it's Laurent Blanc who's being called to the referee in actual fact
17:22now what happened there
17:23it's a red card for Blanc
17:25out of the game
17:26and out of the final
17:29referee must be pretty certain what he saw
17:32and Laurent Blanc who you remember
17:34scored the golden goal
17:36against Paraguay
17:37which kept Franz on route for the finals
17:41has been wound up by Bilic
17:43and he did not strike him in the face
17:45I don't think for one moment
17:47well there was a little bit of an incident in the first half
17:49involving Petter in the penalty area
17:51he has struck him in the face
17:53not violently
17:54certainly hadn't hit him as hard as that
17:56but he certainly touched
17:57smashed him across the
17:58or stroked him across the face
18:00with his left hand
18:01it's an open hand
18:02at the lower part of Bilic's chin
18:05and he's gone for his forehead
18:09Sarnovic
18:09now Slavin Bilic getting forward
18:14it's in towards Davos Sukher
18:16but Barthez jumps across very well
18:20he's been very very impressive in the tournament
18:23and he's handling from high crosses
18:28Starnic though
18:30looking to examine French resolve again
18:33driven in
18:34and all the header was a snap header from Sukher
18:38came upon him quickly
18:39and he just couldn't quite guide as he wanted
18:42but at least there's a sense of urgency
18:43and a sense of purpose about Croatia now
18:50Tossed in towards Maric
18:51Liza Razou had plenty of time to get there
18:54Zidane can set up a break for France
18:56only Trezeguet up with him for the moment
19:00Zidane still going
19:01it's Zidane
19:02side netting
19:04it's a side netting but it's a strong powerful run
19:07and he's brought up time there
19:10France believe it's their turn at last
19:14to be fair even with Temer
19:16they haven't really looked in trouble for me
19:19it's such expectation
19:21Sordo plays it in there
19:23still a chance for Flavic
19:24he was deflated
19:25and Barthez just managed to help it over the bar
19:29had to readjust his feet very quickly
19:31had to keep his head too
19:34done it well
19:35well composed
19:36doesn't flap
19:37puts it into the
19:38out of the danger area
19:41the last few seconds of the most important game
19:43that any of these players have played
19:46Kossinetsky into the near post
19:47he nearly found a way through
19:48it was
19:49Desailly who was back there
19:51to get it clear
19:53Jarny
19:57here's Maric
20:02Turan has made the challenge
20:03he's scored the goals
20:05and they've done it
20:07France have made their
20:09their date with destiny
20:12they'll return to their national stadium at the weekend
20:15for their first World Cup final
20:18their dream World Cup final
20:22it's World Cup history
20:24because for the first time ever
20:27the host nation will entertain the reigning champions in the final
20:30Brazil will defend their title
20:33here against national heroes
20:36France have done it just
20:38from behind
20:39by two goals to one
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