The Official Thread: Australia vs France

[PASCAL]

Hello,
I am writing from Belgium. I need your precious collaboration for my hobby. I collect the used soccer tickets. I have now about 3000 tickets from 66 countries. I ever need new used tickets and I contact you for the next match between AUSTRALIA and FRANCE. Could you send me as many as possible used tickets from this match please? Thank you very much for your answer even if you aren't able to help me. p.ghislain@worldonline.be

[King Italy]

It's still 1-1, both teams piling on the pressure for a late winner.

[King Italy]

Final score 1-1

Aussies looked to have a penalty in the last minute.

[King Italy]

Australia has enjoyed an ideal workout for the coming World Cup qualifiers, holding World Cup holders France to a 1-1 draw in their international friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Driving rain kept the crowd to a moderate 53,228, but didn’t detract from the spectacle of a contest played at a frenzied tempo from go to whoa.

After soaking up plenty of early pressure, the Socceroos took the lead in the 44th minute through defender Craig Moore, but France struck back immediately after half-time with a lovely move finished off by David Trezeguet.

The hosts had claims for an extra-time penalty when substitute John Aloisi was brought down by Mikael Silvestre – but local referee Simon Micallef waved play on.

For the French, their round-the-world expedition was marred by a serious knee injury to striker Christophe Dugarry.

Dugarry suffered ligament damage when felled by the uncompromising Kevin Muscat.

French Coach Roger Lemerre made several selection surprises – electing to start Christian Karembeu at right-back, Claude Makalele in midfield and Dugarry to partner David Trezeguet up forward.

Fabien Barthez started in goal despite a suspect hamstring, though Juventus defender Lilian Thuram, nursing a thigh strain, was not considered.

The match got underway in wintry cold on a pitch slickened by rain that began an hour before kick-off and which tumbled throughout the contest.

The French dominated the opening minutes, setting a tremendous tempo they were able to maintain throughout the first half.

They won possession and held it fast, leaving the Australians chasing all-white shadows, and it was a good ten minutes before the Socceroos strung together an attacking sequence to useful effect.

The outstanding Zinedine Zidane was typically creative and Vieira fulfilled his ‘engine room’ brief to perfection, but for all their possession, the French found genuine early scoring chances hard to come by.

Claude Makalele wasted their best opportunity when he blasted a lay-off from Zidane over the bar from just inside the box on 33 minutes.

Having accommodated the French to that point, the Socceroos hit back minutes later when Harry Kewell picked up the ball on the half-way line, and to the roar of the crowd, surged to the edge of the area to lay the ball deftly into the path of Brett Emerton who timed his diagonal run to perfection.

Emerton turned with the ball at his feet and only Barthez to beat from ten metres, but the Feyenoord midfielder blasted over the bar.

Australia’s lament at this missed opportunity lasted only a few moments when, on the stroke of half-time, Stan Lazaridis fired in a corner from the right.

In a neat set move, Shaun Murphy at the near post flicked on for the unmarked Craig Moore to nod in from ‘can’t miss’ range.

Australia almost went two-up direct from the restart when Lazaridis floated in a lovely cross from the left only for Kewell to volley over the bar from the edge of the box.

The crowd roared, then groaned in sympathy with Kewell’s anguish.

Tempers frayed briefly when Zidane and Pires got into a shoving match with Kevin Muscat, but the prospect of further trouble was cut short by referee Micallef’s half-time whistle.

It took only three minutes of the second half for the French to hit back in a move of exquisite simplicity.

Pires was allowed to linger with the ball on the left – he advanced into the box, played a neat one-two with Dugarry, then slipped the ball across the helpless Schwarzer from the by-line for Trezeguet to slide the ball into the net from point blank.

Saved by the half-time whistle, Muscat gave in to the inevitable and was booked in the 55th minute for a vexatious challenge which put Dugarry out of the match with what appeared to be a dislocated kneecap.

The tackle, right in front of the French and Australian benches, sparked an animated all-in scuffle which was defused only when Frank Farina dragged Muscat straight off and replaced him with John Aloisi.

Lemerre brought on Wiltord for the injured Dugarry and made a further two changes, introducing Nicholas Anelka and Eric Carriere for Trezeguet and Makalele.

The French rallied briefly, and Schwarzer was called on twice to save blasts from Pires and Wiltord.

At the other end, Mark Viduka couldn’t quite manage to make the most of a couple of half-chances, but the Australians claims for a match-winning penalty were controversially waved away by the referee in the 93rd minute.

Aloisi latched on to a loose ball and was into the area with only Barthez ahead of him when Silvestre shoulder charged the striker from behind.

Aloisi went to ground and neither he nor the crowd could believe it when Micallef called ‘play-on’ only to bring the match to a close seconds later.

[FANTA]

pretty boring game. aloisi should've got a PK.

leboeuf sucks.

that's all i can think to write about this game :yawn: :yawn:

[quarrior]

Does anyone have a copy of this match, if so, could they please upload it onto something like megaupload.com or to torrent if they could it would be fantastic.