France beat Portugal 1-0 and reach FIFA World Cup final
{{date|July 5, 2006}}

[[Image:World Cup 2006 logo.png|left|50px]]An experienced French side beat Portugal 1-0 in an unspectacular semi-final of the FIFA World Cup in Munich, Wednesday.

[[Image:Allianz Arena Pahu.jpg|right|250px|Allianz Arena]]

The team that lined up against Luis Felipe Scolari's side had an average age over 30 and after they went ahead from a 32 minute Zinedine Zidane penalty used their experience to control the game.

In the second half French tactics became increasingly defensive which saw ball possession go from a direct split at half time to 59 per cent in favour of Portugal as, at times, every French man sat back in his own half of the pitch.  

There were few good chances in a slow game and in the first half Portugal were particularly guilty of wasting possession near the French box, giving Portugal's only striker Pauleta no chance.

On 23 minutes Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo swapped sides but this did not seem to help. French defending was tight and the majority of shots at goal Portugal got were from long range.

On 38 minutes Ronaldo created the best chance; on the left touchline he got past two French players and ran almost 30 yards into the penalty area. His shot was deflected away by a diving Liliam Thuram challenge.

France were also unable to get a sight of goal, confined to three efforts in the first period, to which they were to add two more in the second. The only goal came from a penalty awarded on the half hour when Thierry Henry wrong-footed Ricardo Carvalho and the Chelsea defender impeded Henry's movement with a leg.

Ricardo had saved three penalties against England in the quarter-final shootout but Zidane's low shot to his right just evaded his finger tips. 

Portugal did not score in their quarter-final and they were not to score in the semi-final. They came closest to scoring on a Fabien Barthez error when the veteran of France's successful 1998 World Cup campaign failed to catch Ronaldo's driven free kick. He somehow managed also to throw the ball onto Figo's head but the Portugal captain did not keep it down.

Two minutes into added time Fernando Miera had a sight of goal at the edge of the French area but the central defender hit the ball high and wide.

It did not seem like a 100 per cent effort from the French team who might be glad that the game did not go to a punishing Extra Time. Italy awaits Raymond Domenech's side in the Olympiastadion, Berlin, on July 9.

[[Image:Fifa world cup org.jpg|right|50px]]

==Semi-finals==

'''Match 61'''
{{User:Flipbaywood/Football box|bg = #eeeeee |date = July 45, 2006<br />21:00 |team1 = {{User:Flipbaywood/Flagicon|country = France}} France|score = 1&ndash;0 |team2 = {{User:Flipbaywood/Flagicon|country = Portugal}} Portugal|goals1=  Zidane 32' (pen) </br>  |goals2= </br> |stadium = Allianz Arena }}

Attendance: 66'000

==Formations==
===France===
[[Image:Flag of France.svg|50px|left|top]]

{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="3" style="text-align: center;"
|- 
!Right wing
!Right
!Center
!Left 
!Left wing
|- <!--Add five to create new line  -->
|
|
|
|
|
|- <!--Goalkeeper -->
|
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Fabien Barthez (GK)
|
|
|-  <!--Defenders -->
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Willy Sagnol
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Liliam Thuram
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]William Gallas
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Eric Abidal
|- <!--Defensive midfield players -->
|
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Claude Makelele
|
|
|-  <!-- Midfield players / Wingers -->
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Florent Malouda
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Patrick Viera
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Frank Ribery
|-  <!-- Attacking midfield players / Wingers -->
|
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Zinedine Zidane (C) [[Image:Soccerball.jpg|12px]]
|
|
|-   <!-- Strikers -->
|
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of France.svg|11px|bottom]]Thierry Henry
|
|
|}

''Substitutes''
* 69' Sylvian Wiltord for Malouda
* 72' Sidney Govou for Ribery
* 85' Louis Saha 87'[[image:Yellow card.svg|10px]] for Henry

Coach: Raymond Domenech

[[Image:Soccerball.jpg|12px]] ''denotes one goal scored.''
----

===Portugal===
[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|50px|left|top]]

{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="3" style="text-align: center;"
|- 
!Right wing
!Right
!Center
!Left 
!Left wing
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|-  <!-- Goalkeeper -->
|
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Ricardo (GK)
|
|
|-   <!-- Defenders -->
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Miguel
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Fernando Meira
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Ricardo Carvalho 83'[[image:Yellow card.svg|10px]]
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Nuno Valente
|-  <!-- Defensive midfield player -->
|
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Costinha
|
|
|-   <!-- Midfield player / Wingers -->
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Maniche
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Deco
|
|-  <!-- Attacking midfield players / Wingers -->
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Luís Figo (C)
|
|
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Cristiano Ronaldo
|-  <!-- Strikers -->
|
|
|style="text-align: center;"|[[Image:Flag of Portugal.svg|11px|bottom]]Pauleta
|
|
|}

''Substitutes''
* 62' Paulo Ferreira
* 68' Simão Sabrosa
* 75' Hélder Postiga

Coach: Luis Felipe Scolari

[[Image:Soccerball.jpg|12px]] ''denotes one goal scored.''

==Officials==

[[Image:Flag of Uruguay.svg|25px]] Referee: Jorge Larrionda [[image:Yellow card.svg|10px]][[image:Red card.svg|10px]]

[[Image:Flag of Uruguay.svg|20px]] Assistant referee: Walter Rial

[[Image:Flag of Uruguay.svg|20px]] Assistant referee: Pablo Fandino

[[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|15px]] Fourth referee: Mark Shield

[[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|15px]] Fifth referee: Nathan Gibson

==Related news==
[[Italy score two late in Extra Time, hosts Germany, to play third place match]]

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4991632.stm
|title= France 1-0 Portugal
|author= 
|pub=BBC Online
|date=July 5, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/match/62/mr.html
|title= Fifa match report 
|author= 
|pub= Fifa
|date=July 5, 2006}}

{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}
{{WorldCup2006}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:France Beat Portugal 1-0 And Reach Fifa World Cup Final}}
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Portugal]]
[[Category:Football (soccer)]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup 2006]]
[[Category:Cristiano Ronaldo]]
[[Category:Zinedine Zidane]]

[[fr:L'équipe de France de football à nouveau première mondiale]]
50pxAn experienced French side beat Portugal 1-0 in an unspectacular semi-final of the FIFA World Cup in Munich, Wednesday.

Allianz Arena

The team that lined up against Luis Felipe Scolari's side had an average age over 30 and after they went ahead from a 32 minute Zinedine Zidane penalty used their experience to control the game.

In the second half French tactics became increasingly defensive which saw ball possession go from a direct split at half time to 59 per cent in favour of Portugal as, at times, every French man sat back in his own half of the pitch.  

There were few good chances in a slow game and in the first half Portugal were particularly guilty of wasting possession near the French box, giving Portugal's only striker Pauleta no chance.

On 23 minutes Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo swapped sides but this did not seem to help. French defending was tight and the majority of shots at goal Portugal got were from long range.

On 38 minutes Ronaldo created the best chance; on the left touchline he got past two French players and ran almost 30 yards into the penalty area. His shot was deflected away by a diving Liliam Thuram challenge.

France were also unable to get a sight of goal, confined to three efforts in the first period, to which they were to add two more in the second. The only goal came from a penalty awarded on the half hour when Thierry Henry wrong-footed Ricardo Carvalho and the Chelsea defender impeded Henry's movement with a leg.

Ricardo had saved three penalties against England in the quarter-final shootout but Zidane's low shot to his right just evaded his finger tips. 

Portugal did not score in their quarter-final and they were not to score in the semi-final. They came closest to scoring on a Fabien Barthez error when the veteran of France's successful 1998 World Cup campaign failed to catch Ronaldo's driven free kick. He somehow managed also to throw the ball onto Figo's head but the Portugal captain did not keep it down.

Two minutes into added time Fernando Miera had a sight of goal at the edge of the French area but the central defender hit the ball high and wide.

It did not seem like a 100 per cent effort from the French team who might be glad that the game did not go to a punishing Extra Time. Italy awaits Raymond Domenech's side in the Olympiastadion, Berlin, on July 9.

50px

Attendance: 66'000


Right wing

Right

Center

Left 

Left wing

bottomFabien Barthez (GK)

bottomWilly Sagnol

bottomLiliam Thuram

bottomWilliam Gallas

bottomEric Abidal

bottomClaude Makelele

bottomFlorent Malouda

bottomPatrick Viera

bottomFrank Ribery

bottomZinedine Zidane (C) 12px

bottomThierry Henry

Substitutes
* 69' Sylvian Wiltord for Malouda
* 72' Sidney Govou for Ribery
* 85' Louis Saha 87'10px for Henry

Coach: Raymond Domenech

12px denotes one goal scored.
----


Right wing

Right

Center

Left 

Left wing

bottomRicardo (GK)

bottomMiguel

bottomFernando Meira

bottomRicardo Carvalho 83'10px

bottomNuno Valente

bottomCostinha

bottomManiche

bottomDeco

bottomLuís Figo (C)

bottomCristiano Ronaldo

bottomPauleta

Substitutes
* 62' Paulo Ferreira
* 68' Simão Sabrosa
* 75' Hélder Postiga

Coach: Luis Felipe Scolari

12px denotes one goal scored.

20px Assistant referee: Walter Rial

20px Assistant referee: Pablo Fandino

15px Fourth referee: Mark Shield

15px Fifth referee: Nathan Gibson

*
France Portugal Football (soccer) FIFA World Cup 2006 Cristiano Ronaldo Zinedine Zidane