The bar at the Portuguese restaurant in Kingston was the only place where the France-Mexico match could be seen. “Business has been slightly slack because we don't have giant screens,” said Mariam, a waitress from Mozambique. Her idea of good business evidently didn't add up to five tables full of diners near closing time at 10 pm on a weekday, but guess how many were following Friday's evening game at Polokwane? No one.
A L'Equipe TV poll in May showed only 27.3 per cent of the French believed the Les Bleus would go beyond the first round. Well, none of them showed any taste for the fried prawns that, according to Mariam, is the restaurant’s signature dish.
And could you blame them after another underwhelming performance from Raymond Domenech's team? The coach didn't have a convincing explanation for how a side with Franck Ribery, Flourent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka, Eric Abidal and Jeremy
Toulalan, one that didn't consider Patrick Vieira, Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema good enough, played such bland football. Or why Thierry Henry sat looking forlorn under a blanket.
“We struggled but for the moment I really don't have any explanation for it. Mexico were possibly the better team but I can't imagine what they intend to do in their match against Uruguay, it's not really my problem,” Domenech said.
That, for France and South Africa, is the nub of the problem. Both have one point from two draws and can't do a thing if Mexico and Uruguay draw in the last round. That will take both to the second round with five points and force the other Group A teams into an early holiday. Remember West Germany's 1-0 win over Austria in 1982, often referred to as the non-aggression pact of Gijon, which qualified both at Algeria's expense? In 2006, Argentina and Holland played out a goalless draw after both qualified with a game to spare.
{{/usCountry}}That, for France and South Africa, is the nub of the problem. Both have one point from two draws and can't do a thing if Mexico and Uruguay draw in the last round. That will take both to the second round with five points and force the other Group A teams into an early holiday. Remember West Germany's 1-0 win over Austria in 1982, often referred to as the non-aggression pact of Gijon, which qualified both at Algeria's expense? In 2006, Argentina and Holland played out a goalless draw after both qualified with a game to spare.
{{/usCountry}}The 2006 runners-up looked wary, Ribery subdued and Mexico unlucky at not having gone ahead at half-time. That they did through Javier Hernandez, who showed why Man U have invested in this striker. Cuauhtemoc Blanco, 37, then converted a penalty, leaving France staring at another first round elimination after Euro 2008. Their start to the last World Cup was marginally better but, at least, France controlled their fate in the must-win tie against Togo. And Vieira, who scored one and set up another in that game, wasn't seen at a stadium media centre refusing to comment on why France look like les miserables.