Uruguay v. France 0-0 11/Jun/10

First Round, Second Game, Group A, Day 1. (2 of 64)


Anelka controls.
[Photo: AP via Daily Mail]


After the previous match in Johannesburg, the French and the Uruguayan team held goaless in the following match of Group A. The match at the gloirious stadium of Cape Town was another higly rated, highly expect showdown; the problem is that neither side took the edge or seem truly propositive. It was one of those matches when a mistake or a brilliant effor tcould have done the difference, nevertheless each team reserved the goals for another day.

As the official match report showed, the stalemate was identical to the one made nearly eight years ago in that dreadful World Cup. Now the group stands with the hosts on top and Mexico following -Domenech's team got the bottom this time. It appears this group will be decided until the very last day but prior to that, the Mexican take the French at Polokwane on the 17th and the Africans host the Uruguay team the previous day at Pretoria.



Gourcuff gets nullified
[Photo: Getty Images via Daily Mail]


Ribery's runs opened the match by a half-stunned "home" team. The Bayern winger found some way to go deep into the left side and crossed to find Govou; the latter missed the target on what could have been the opener. The match continued to favour the French although the physical presence of both Pérez and Arevalo, the holding midfielders, took some of the earlier French influence away.

The work force behind France's main assault was Abou Diaby. The young Gunner took the responsability to provide Gourcuff with several opportunities. A terrific shot from Forlán was well saved by Lloris in the 16th minute. In the following, Gourcuff tried luck with a long range freekick that was denied by Muslera. Depite the chances both teams enjoyed the following minutes became much of a bore. Each team saved their strong weaponry probably due to the respect each one had.



Gallas versus Forlán.
[Photo: Getty Images via Daily Mail]


The match went on as some of us in our homes were watching another draw in the first day of the World Cup. Where in München we saw a salvaging 4-2 on behalf of Germans and Costa Ricans (again my genitives) this time we obtained two matches, the latter a tactical stalemate in which, for at least twenty minutes nothing interesting happened. The so-called interesting highlight passed when who else but Thierry Henry called a hand ball in the box. It couldn't exist a more subtle definition of the concept of irony.

As a couple of subtitutions were made, one being Lodeiro for González, by each team the game went practically in the same tone, just that the runs from the French full-backs edged past the Uruguayan defence. With ten minutes to go Lodeiro got the first red card of the tournament as he salvaged Bacary Sagna's foot. It was a nasty challenge in which the Arsenal right-back got lucky. The following minutes were another siege, as in the previous group game, of the French trying to grab a late lead.