Day 11 - The Blues

Ehem... sorry, I meant, The Bleus... as in "Allez Les Bleus !! "(go Blue team!)

You might not be aware of this, but right now there is the European soccer Cup going on. As the name suggests, this is the european equivalent of the World Cup, except only European countries play in it. Other than that, it's the same principle: the teams are sorted out into groups that play eachother two years before in order to qualify for the Cup. Only 16 teams make it into 4 groups that play against each other during the Cup in a series of elimination rounds.... As with the World Cup, the European Cup also comes along once every 4 years and is played in a different host country each time (this time, host countries are Switzerland and Austria). And of course, just as with the World Cup... during the European Cup... when your country (or adopted country) is playing... nothing, and I mean nothing, else matters.

Anyway, this time around, France hadn't started with the right foot. They tied their first game against Rumania and lost to an embarassing 4-1 against The Netherlands. So their last chance to rake a measly 3 points and qualify for the next round was for them to win their game against Italy tonight.

Now, if you are in the least bit interested in soccer, you must now that during the last World Cup in 2006, the final was played between Italy and France. In the history of sport, that game will be forever remembered as "the one where Zidane lost it and head-butted Materazzi" bringing upon the downfall of the french team (deemed favorite to win the Cup) which up until then had a tied game with Italy. After's Zidane's "memorable performance" in the last minutes of the game, the French then went on to loose 5-3 in the penalty shootout against a highly abnoxious italian team. I seem to recall a three day grieving period was observed throughout the country after that game.

Anyway, the french were hoping the time of revenge had at last come. If they won tonight's game, not only would they still be in the race, they would have kicked Italy out of the European Cup (the italians also having started off the competition with the wrong foot) and thus finally lick the wounds of 2006 which have not yet healed.....

..... and wont be healing anytime soon.

After a catastrophic 1st half (one seriously injured Ribery carried out of the field at the very beginning of the game, one Abidal sent to the bench after a questionable fault, one dubious penalty transformed into a goal) the French went on to endure a painful, slow death playing most part of the game with 10 players against 11 and loosing 2-0.

So, I guess this is where the road ends for les Bleus... :*(

Fned.

P.S. This reminds me.... There is also the Mundialito de Futbol going on on the other side of the planet....... Allez US team!!!