France Magnifique
Seventy years after Frenchman Jules Rimet gave the world the World Cup, his countrymen finally reclaimed the trophy Sunday night.
On a evening of rare drama, France stunned defending champion Brazil, 3-0, in front of 80,000 at the Stade de France to win the elusive soccer championship for the first time.
In doing so, it became the first new champion in 20 years and only the seventh country to win the World Cup.
The Brazilians, weakened and demoralized by a mysterious injury to striker Ronaldo, surrendered meekly. In fact, their 66-year-old coach, Mario Zagallo, showed more fire afterward than any of his players had during the 90 minutes. Zinedine Zidane, the balding inspirational midfield genius of the French team, delivered the telling blows with two headed goals in the first half, each from corner kicks.
Emmanuel Petit’s goal in the game’s fading minutes was merely the coup de grace.
The victory--unexpected but deliriously received--sent hundreds of thousands of Parisians into the streets well into the early morning hours in a flag-waving, horn-honking, whistle-blowing frenzy of celebration.
Not since the twin triumphs of 1984, when France won both the European Championship at home and the Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles, has soccer sparked such scenes in the nation’s capital.
The scenes at the stadium were equally memorable. A quick set of postcards from the final World Cup game of the century would have to include these images:
* Zidane leaping to reach Petit’s right-wing corner kick in the 27th minute, shrugging off the defensive efforts of Leonardo and powering a downward header into the lower right corner of the net.
* Zidane repeating the feat during injury time at the end of the half, this time running to meet a corner kick by Youri Djorkaeff from the left wing and again sending a header crashing into the Brazilian net.
* Ronaldo, the two-time world player of the year, limping about totally ineffectively for the entire match. Zagallo said afterward that Ronaldo was unfit to play, but gave no explanation why the forward had been in the lineup. Or why he was not substituted.
In an astonishing written release to the media minutes before the start, Brazil said Ronaldo had spent the afternoon at a hospital.
“Ronaldo went to the hospital for a test on his left ankle before coming to the stadium,” the release stated. “He had not trained fully for two days. The Brazilian team doctors gave Ronaldo clearance to play 45 minutes before kickoff, when he arrived at the stadium after the rest of the Brazilian team.”
More, much more, will be heard about this fiasco.
* Marcel Desailly, the rock upon which the French defense is built, getting his second yellow card in the 68th minute for a hard tackle on Cafu and therefore being sent off, leaving France to play the final 22 minute short-handed.
* Petit, sprinting to reach a ball from teammate Bixente Lizarazu ahead of defender Cafu in injury time at the end of the game and sliding a shot inside the right post to make it 3-0, tying the largest margin of victory in a World Cup final.
* Didier Deschamps, the French captain in the absence of suspended Laurent Blanc, lifting the World Cup into the night sky in a moment France has waited 70 years to see.
* Dunga, the Brazilian captain and the man who held the World Cup aloft at the Rose Bowl four years ago, trudging disconsolately off the field after the final whistle of his final game.
* Michel Platini, perhaps the greatest French player of all time and the co-chairman of this World Cup, beaming from the stands, delighted that France had finally achieved what he had so narrowly failed to accomplish while reaching the semifinals in 1982 and 1986.
* France’s Christian Karembeu and Brazil’s Roberto Carlos, teammates at Real Madrid in Spain, exchanging jerseys and hugs in a moment of sportsmanship.
* France’s coach, Aime Jacquet, criticized unmercifully by press and public for four years, carried off the field shoulder high, all his beliefs vindicated in the best possible way.
* Zidane, running into the locker room with the gold World Cup trophy clutched to his chest.
* The green and yellow checkered banner unfurled by dejected Brazilian fans after the game that read simply: “Merci Beaucoup, France.”
* Zagallo, his face red with anger, finger pointing and furious, engaging in a shouting match with a Brazilian journalist in the postgame interview room.
Earlier, Zagallo had been a lot calmer.
“France played a brilliant game,” he said. “The whole country was behind the team. For us, it will have to be another time, unfortunately. I would have liked to have given Brazil a fifth World Cup. We did everything we could, but it wasn’t our night.”
But whether Ronaldo was injured or ill or just was plain nervous is immaterial. This game and this night belonged to Zidane.
During the partying--which threatens to last through Bastille Day on Tuesday--a large “Merci Zizou” message was flashed in lights across the Arc de Triomphe.
“The Cup is ours,” Zidane said. “Nobody will take it away from us.”
Added Jacquet: “It’s a fabulous dream. When I think about all we’ve gone through, all the work done by this team. A whole group of players has decided to make France happy.
“I was so convinced of the path I was following, so convinced of my convictions. I said what I was going to do and I did it.”
The French victory was thoroughly deserved. France had the best defense in the tournament and, ultimately, the most heart.
“We knew that if we managed to score one goal they would not come back,” Lizarazu said.
Said Petit: “The win hasn’t sunk in, but with time when I think back it will remain as the most beautiful moment of my life.”
Not so for the Brazilians.
“It’s magic for them and they deserved it,” said Leonardo. “It’s not easy for us because we always have to win and we are not used to losing. Now we must learn from this defeat.”
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FRANCE 98 BY THE NUMBERS
2: Goals allowed by France in World Cup
7-0: France’s record in World Cup
2.67: Average goals per World Cup game.
6: Number of World Cup titles the host nation has won.
8: World Cups won by both European and South American countries.
