France Upsets Defending Champions Brazil
Posted July 1, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Forget Ghana, Switzerland and the Ukraine – France provided the biggest and most memorable upset of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Saturday, with a surprise 1-0 quarterfinal win over defending world champions Brazil.
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry put to bed questions about his lack of clutch scoring in international play, providing the match’s only marker in the 57 th minute and thus leading his team into the semi-finals.
The goal came when Zinedine Zidane curled a free kick into the miraculously unmarked Henry, who volleyed it off his right foot and into a gaping space on the right side of the Brazilian net.
Many if not most expected the Brazilians – five time world champions – to cruise at least into the semi-finals, where they would’ve faced former colonial ruler Portugal.
But instead the veteran France side, accused at times of being too old to compete with the elite clubs, dominated play and it will be they who face Portugal in Munich on Wednesday.
France has emerged as Brazil’s most formidable nemesis on the world stage after beating the South American powerhouse 3-0 to capture the 1998 World Cup title. Brazil hadn’t lost since that game, but they also hadn’t played the French since.
And when they finally did on Saturday, it was many of the same characters in white doing the damage.
Zidane, France’s captain, was chief among them.
Headed into retirement following the tournament, he scored a goal in their previous 3-1 win over Spain and will be absolutely essential in his midfield position if the French are to continue on to the finals and possibly win their second World Cup.
