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FIFA World Cup 2010 match 20 - Group A France: Lloris, Sagna, Abidal, Gallas, Evra, Toulalan, Malouda, Diaby, Ribery, Govou (Valbuena 69), Anelka (Gignac 45). Mexico: Perez, Rodriguez, Salcido, Marquez, Osorio, Moreno, Juarez, (Hernandez 55), Torrado, Franco (Blanco 62), Vela (Barrera 31), Giovani. Surely this was the most enjoyable game of the 2010 World Cup so far for England supporters. France will almost certainly be eliminated after this abject defeat and you could not help but enjoy watching the pathetic way in which the French surrendered. England may not be the best team in the world and our style of play might be scorned by some but I would like to think I will never see an England team basically give up. The French simply did not seem to care whether they lost this game or not. Against a lively, skillful and fully committed Mexico this meant there was only ever likely to be one outcome. The game was not one sided. The first half saw both sides having attacking opportunities in roughly equal number but when play moved towards the final third at either end there was only one team that looked interested. The French attack was disjointed and powderpuff while their defence was simply a shambles. Mexico tracked runners and tackled keenly in defence and probed cleverly for openings when they attacked. Mexico's recurring failure was in not making their chances count. No doubt sensing the lacklustre approach of their opponents it was Mexico who carried all the threat during the first half. Giovani hit the inside of a post with a low drive but had strayed offside. This should have served France with a warning but Mexico's forwards were consistently able to run beyond the centre halves unchecked either from onside positions or simply played onside by the full backs. The most amazing example of this was when a chip down the middle by Marquez found three attackers running clear and onside. Vela wasted the chance with a wild finish, however. Giovani demonstrated the gulf in confidence, or was it simply ability?, by leaving Abidal on his backside just outside the box but again the finish was lacking. Mexico's oozing confidence was exemplified by the left back Salcido who was now bombing forward at will. He linked well with Franco before shooting wide and then embarrassed Sagna out wide before stabbing a shot straight at Lloris as Gallas stood back and let him shoot. Gallas, apparently, has been at the heart of the reported unrest in the French camp and he is cementing a reputation as a Grade A arsehole. He might think that he should have been the captain of this team but his attitude to being overlooked confirms that he would have been a terrible choice in the first place. A good captain would never consider himself to be more important than the team. Salcido then provided a great cross which Lloris punched straight against Barrera and was lucky to see the rebound drop wide. Nobody would ever want to be a fly but if I had to be one I would have liked to be the one on the wall of the French dressing room at half time. Not to listen to what was being said, after all, I'd be a fly but simply because it was a dressing room full of shit. Half Time: France 0 Mexico 0 France were hardly transformed after the interval but their initial attacking efforts carried slightly more urgency. Malouda, Evra and Ribery combined in their best move which ended with Malouda shooting fiercely but too close to Perez who tipped over. Perez was also tested by Ribery but scarcely needed to punch a routine effort behind for a corner. As France seemed to have no interest in scoring from corners, however, this scarcely seemed to matter. France soon lost any conviction they had ever had in striving for victory and the neat play of the Mexicans' again became the dominant feature of the game. The cutting edge they needed finally arrived just past the hour mark when Marquez chipped another ball straight down the middle which found Hernandez moving towards goal as Abidal set off the other way and the striker was waved onside to calmly round Lloris and slot into the empty net. This was a marginal call but looked a good decision. Adding the strikers' benefit of doubt there could be little argument. The French simply didn't look bothered enough to argue anyway. There was no meaningful response to this setback by the French and fifteen minutes later they conceded again to just about as bad a goal, from a defensive point of view, as you could ever see. Barrera received the ball on the right about forty yards from goal and faced by Patrice Evra. Barrera made no attempt to trick Evra but simply pushed the ball past him and, from a standing start, left the defender in his wake without any sort of response from the full back whatsoever. Barrera then headed straight for the penalty area where he was met by a comical, luge style challenge from Abidal. The ball was nowhere as defender met forward and with Barrera decididng not to vault the challenge he was comprehensively taken out for a stonewall penalty. Thirty seven year old Cuauhtemoc Blanco stepped forward to take the penalty but fatigue obviously wasn't an issue as he took the longest run up in the history of football and calmly slid the ball just inside the post to seal Mexico's victory. I'm not exaggerating. If Blanco takes a spot kick in a shootout you won't realise his run up has started. You'll just think he's making his way from the centre circle a bit quicker than most people. In fact he'll have to come from the centre circle to the penalty area, put the ball on the spot, go all the way back again and start his run up. There was no point in expecting the French to retaliate now and they didn't. Ten minutes of absolutely nothing followed and Mexico were able to celebrate a fully merited victory. The French returned abjectly to their dressing room which, for their sakes, I hope hadn't been fitted with any mirrors because I don't know how any of them could handle looking at themselves in one after that performance. Full Time: France 0 Mexico 2 France Ratings: Lloris 5, Sagna 2, Abidal 0, Gallas 0, Evra 2, Toulalan 1, Malouda 2, Diaby 0, Ribery 2, Govou 0 (Valbuena 1), Anelka 0 (Gignac 1). Mexico Ratings: Perez 6, Rodriguez 6, Salcido 9, Marquez 8, Osorio 6, Moreno 6, Juarez 6 (Hernandez 7), Torrado 7, Franco 7 (Blanco 6), Vela 6 (Barrera 8), Giovani 7. Referee: Al Ghamdi Khalil (Saudi Arabia) 7 Good: Mexico's clever attacking play. Bad: France. Ugly: About two minutes from the end Mathieu Valbuena took a throw in and backheeled himself in the arse with his right foot as he did it. He only threw it about ten yards as well. I wish he'd been pulled up on it as he deserved to be made to look stupid in front of the entire world.
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