France needs convincing win against China

Posted Friday, June 04, 2010 by YAHOO Sport

SAINT-PIERRE DE LA REUNION, Reunion Island (AP)—France is hoping its fragile confidence will get a boost from a convincing performance against China in its final World Cup warm-up match.

France looked out of sorts in a disappointing 1-1 draw with Tunisia on Sunday, struggling both in defense and attack, and France striker Djibril Cisse said beating China in style is important.

“A good last match against China, with some good play, goals and a win,” Cisse said. “That will allow us to feel more confident.”

France opens its World Cup campaign against Uruguay on June 11, and also faces Mexico and host South Africa in Group A.

Cisse said France must forget any idea that it is favorite to win the group.

“If we think we’re above those teams, we’ll soon be on our way home,” he said. “We have a lot of work to do, but we really want to shut the critics up and change people’s opinions.”

Although France’s 2-1 win over Costa Rica on May 26 was encouraging—the team showed much of the attacking flair lacking during World Cup qualifying— the lackluster draw in Tunisia again raised considerable doubts, both as to who should lead France’s attack and how to shore up the center of defense.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has started both warm-up matches so far, and is likely to start against China. But coach Raymond Domenech will expect him to play much better, and to stop dropping deep all the time, as he does so well for Chelsea.

Anelka’s unselfish attitude is perhaps not suited to a lone forward’s role, and neither is his tendency to drift out wide. His touch, control, experience and awareness, however, weigh in his favor ahead of Cisse and Andre-Pierre Gignac.

The center-half pairing of William Gallas and Eric Abidal—Barcelona’s left back—is still in its early stages, and the two have played only a handful of games together.

Gallas, who is recovering from a calf injury, is not yet fully fit, and Abidal looked lost against Tunisia, where he was constantly out of position. Domenech desperately needs Gallas back to his best to lead the defense in South Africa.

Domenech is loath to change his back four, and wants to keep the same system in place, with Arsenal’s Bacary Sagna on the right and Manchester United’s Patrice Evra on the left.

Switching Abidal back to left back would mean dropping Evra, the new team captain, and Gallas would then have to move over to the left side of central defense to make room for the less experienced Sebastien Squillaci to play on the right.

Domenech could do without this headache, and will be hoping Abidal—sent off early on when France lost its final group game to Italy at the European Championship two years ago—finally proves he is a center back of international class.

Cisse, meanwhile, is challenging Anelka, Thierry Henry and Gignac for a starting place in the new 4-3-3 formation—after Domenech finally ditched the 4-2-3-1 formation that he used throughout qualifying.

“We knew the system would change, that we would play with just one center forward,” Cisse said. “Obviously, that leaves three of us by the wayside. It’s up to us to be ready if we’re called upon. I have been ready, for a long time.”

Given Henry’s difficult season at Barcelona, where he hardly started a game under coach Pep Guardiola since the turn of the year, it had been somewhat expected that Domenech would not pick him to start.

Henry is France’s all-time leading scorer with 51 goals, and he helped France win the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Domenech, however, had no choice but to drop him from the starting lineup because he played so little for Barcelona—he last played the full 90 minutes of a game way back in January.

“The coach came to see me in Barcelona, he told me I wouldn’t be starting the World Cup, he wanted to prepare the team that would be starting,” Henry said. “If he brings me on, I will give my all, if not, I’ll wait for the next game. You have to put your pride to one side in football.”

Henry arrived at the last World Cup after a long and draining season, with his former club Arsenal going all the way to the Champions League final in 2006, so at least this time he will be fresh.

“Physically, I feel fine,” the 32-year-old Henry said. “If the coach calls on me, I will have to be ready.”