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| June 14th 2005 |
Rome, Stadio Olimpico
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| NETHERLANDS - FRANCE |
7-6 a.p. (1-0,1-1,1-1)
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GOALS 37' 1-0 Frank Rijkaard
52' 1-1 Zinedine Zidane
PENALTIES 1-0 Rinus Israël
1-1 Zinedine Zidane
2-1 Johan Neeskens
2-2 Michel Platini
2-2 Faas Wilkes (missed)
2-3 Laurent Blanc
3-3 Ronald Koeman
3-4 Thierry Henry
4-4 Willy van der Kuijlen
4-4 Eric Cantona (missed)
5-4 Wim van Hanegem
5-5 Didier Deschamps
6-5 Marco van Basten
6-6 Luis Fernandez
7-6 Beb Bakhuys
7-6 Raymond Kopa (missed)
REFEREE Sergio Gonella (Italy)
ATTENDANCE 81,000
YELLOW CARDS Neeskens (NED) - Deschamps, Blanc, Bossis (FRA)
NETHERLANDS (Coach: Rinus Michels, system 4-3-3)
1 Jan van Beveren
7 Johan Neeskens
3 Frank Rijkaard
6 Rinus Israël (2nd cap)
5 Ruud Krol
21 Jan Wouters (-115)
11 Willy van der Kuijlen
10 Wim van Hanegem
20 Faas Wilkes
13 Beb Bakhuys
14 Johan Cruijff (cap) (-108)
Substitutes:
9 Marco van Basten (+108)
4 Ronald Koeman (+115)
FRANCE (Coach: Aimé Jacquet, system 4-4-2)
16 Fabien Barthez
15 Liliam Thuram (-117)
8 Marcel Desailly
5 Laurent Blanc
6 Maxime Bossis
14 Jean Tigana (-77)
10 Michel Platini
7 Didier Deschamps (cap)
20 Zinedine Zidane
18 Eric Cantona
12 Thierry Henry
Substitutes:
4 Luis Fernandez (+77)
11 Raymond Kopa (+117)
MATCHREPORT
Giant Dutch goalkeeper Jan van Beveren never made it to the World Cup when at the prime of his career he fell out of favour with Johan
Cruijff. But he made amends during this quarter final with France when he saved decisive spotkicks from Eric Cantona and Raymond Kopa to
earn his team a place in the semi final of the All Time World Cup.
This quarter final between Holland and France was certainly one of the most attractive fixtures of the competition. Both teams had played in
an extremely attacking style in earlier matches. The power of France certainly lay mostly in midfield where both Zidane and Platini had
impressed. Of course Jacquet this time built his team around these two again. In the Dutch team Cruijff had already shown some masterpieces,
Bakhuys had been the prolific striker Michels needed and Wilkes stood out for his brilliant dribbles. Van der Kuijlen had already scored 3
goals, as much as Platini. Holland-France, a match to look out for.
France was the team to open the match with a lot of ballpossession. Henry, because of the absence of Suurbier shadowed by Neeskens,
roamed across the whole pitch. He was the main threat for Holland because Rijkaard dominated Cantona throughout the match. The first
chance of the match was for Henry. After turning away from Israël and ready to shoot, Neeskens in the end blocked it for a corner. It was 1 of
8 corners France could force during that first half, telling that they were the better team. Not much danger came from those corners, though.
Holland had a true airforce with Rijkaard, Israël and Van Hanegem and what they couldn't intercept disappeared in the save hands of Van
Beveren, who again did well after his fine performance against the Soviet Union.
After the first 15 minutes Holland came better into the match. They played a more direct style of football and could do so because Wilkes and
Cruijff, who had been collecting the ball in midfield in earlier matches, now stayed more up front. Directing the play was in the hands of Van
Hanegem now. One of his passes led to the first chance for Holland. Van Hanegem sent Krol away on the left side. His pass reached Bakhuys
who was pushed in the back by Desailly, just enough so that the header went wide. Later Cruijff went past Thuram and Blanc and with the
outside of his right foot offered the chance to Van der Kuijlen. Holland's topscorer however started that much at the opportunity that Barthez,
who had come of his line quickly, could block the shot.
All in all a quite even match though France looked a bit better in ballpossession. It was less spectacular than expected because both teams
were afraid of each other. Especially in midfield the game was balanced. Zidane met Wouters and had a difficult time. Van Hanegem collected
the ball in his own defence but once he appeared in midfield Tigana awaited him to give a serious challenge. Van der Kuijlen was kept out of
the match by Deschamps and Van Hanegem marked Platini tightly. It wasn't a surprise that the first goal came from a dead ball situation. After
Barthez had saved from a Wilkes attempt, Cruijff sent the ball into the box. Barthez stumbled and missed the ball, Rijkaard was there to push it
over the line. A characteristic moment for Barthez, alternating great saves with terrible misses. Holland tried to make the most of this momentum
but France wouldn't let them. Thuram and Bossis, strong against Wilkes this time, both got a yellow card from referee Sergio Gonella. On top
of that, they tried to support the attack whenever possible. In the dying seconds of that first half it led to a shooting chance for Platini, but
Van Beveren was in the way. Thus Holland went into half time 1-0 up.
However after the break the equalizer came quickly. Henry went past Neeskens and crossed. Israël and Rijkaard together intercepted but
Zidane picked up and scored irreproachable. The match could start all over again but both teams were careful. Michels and Jacquet trusted
their starting line up's. Van Basten at first had to stay on the bench and in the French frontline there was still no place for Fontaine. Both
could have made a difference. Very little chances were seen though Barthez had to come way of his line twice to prevent a Dutch
breakthrough. Bakhuys missed the goal only just and on the other end Van Beveren kept out a free kick from Zidane in style. The ball would
have gone into the upper corner.
Fernandez was brought into the French team in place of Tigana, tired of battling Van Hanegem and tired because of the long competition.
Platini tried to increase the pace but Krol and Van Hanegem had spun a web in which Platini got stuck. The midfield general could hardly do
anything of significance. Zidane, the other "grand vedette" got a knock on his ankle from Wouters after 60 minutes and couldn't play up to
his full capacity. Neeskens dominated Henry more and more. The only time he couldn't hold him he fouled the quick striker. It cost Neeskens a
yellow card, his second of the tournament and he would be out of a semi final when Holland would reach it. Deschamps underwent the same
fate earlier in the match. But that was all worth mentioning. Both teams now had troubles with their physical condition after playing 5 matches
at full speed. So it went straight to extra time. When time advanced neither France nor Holland would risk a kind of sudden death.
During extra time the best chances were for Holland. Wilkes, with Bossis for once lost, tried from a distance but Barthez was in time. For the
rest .... nothing. Cantona and Henry saw little of the ball. Cruijff tried what he could but found a hard opponent in Thuram. Bakhuys was
shadowed by Desailly. Then, a little more than 10 minutes from the end, Michels took a very controversial decision and took Johan Cruijff off.
Marco van Basten came in his place. Cruijff certainly had played quite well but couldn't force decisive openings. He had difficulties limiting
Thuram's offensive efforts and most of all he was an uncertain factor when it came down to taking a penalty. And penalty kicks were close.
Koeman replaced Wouters, Kopa came in place of Thuram. Both coaches wanted to have their specialists on the pitch. That's how it ended:
no further goals and a decision from the spot. Holland had not been very lucky with it in the past, France had lost a semi final through
penalties in 1982 but for the rest had been on the good side mostly.
Rinus Israël, who had taken the captain's armband from Cruijff, lead the way for Holland and made no mistake. Zidane scored, Neeskens and
Platini too: 2-2. Then Faas Wilkes and he saw his shot saved by Barthez. Michels and all his fellow countrymen saw the evil coming again.
Again Holland seemed to go down when it mattered most. Blanc did everything well, Van Beveren had not been able to even touch any of the
3 penalties taken at him. Ronald Koeman levelled before Henry and Van der Kuylen made it 4-4. Now everything came down to Eric Cantona,
who had the opportunity to shoot his team into the semi's. He shot it hard, but Van Beveren had chosen the right corner and tipped it out.
Everything even again!
Then Wim van Hanegem came and scored. Didier Deschamps coolly equalized again. Van Basten did what he had to do though Barthez came
close, Luis Fernandez made it 6-6 from the inside of the post. Beb Bakhuys made no mistake. Then came Raymond Kopa, also brought into the
team to score from the spot. His weak effort found Van Beveren. Holland had beaten the French on penalty kicks, Van Beveren had made
saves at the right moment and Holland were among the world's All Time best 4. Surprisingly looking at their World Cup history, maybe not
looking at the quality of the team. It had not been the match everyone had hoped for. The class had been there but the courage to risk
something had been missing. France crashed out, they wished they had tried just that little bit more in the first half when they were the better
team. Holland now travelled to Rio de Janeiro for a semi final with either Hungary or Argentina. They would need to raise their game to stand
a chance.
Next Friday it is Hungary versus Argentina in the Stade de France in Saint Denis. Those who love great strikers against relatively average
defending should follow this game closely, it seems. Both teams rely a lot on offensive strength and share 25 goals scored already. Hungary
miss Sandor Biro because of suspension. Lantos is likely to replace him. Argentina are without Luis Monti, for the same reason. Rattin is to
come in his place. Will any of the 2 coaches change their team's attitude? It is unlikely. Both have impressed very much and Hungary even
showed a tight defence when it mattered against Yugoslavia. Argentina had no troubles at all throwing Sweden out which proved their
enormous strength. George Reader will be the referee. The winner will play Holland in the semi final.
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