Definitely not vintage football from the French. The Paraguayans
defended excellently, but for the most part the home side were without ideas and couldn't
cultivate the half-ripe chances ready for picking.
Diomede, of Auxerre, was hardly a diamond and the flowering Henry, who
scored three goals in the group games, seemed to have gone to seed.
Henry woke from slumber, in the 39th minute, to run from inside the
French half and thump a shot past Chilavert; onto the upright.
Only when Robert Pires came on for the injured Henry, halfway through
the second half, did we see an attempt to use the width of the pitch.
Aime Jacquet left Diomede on the pitch for far too long; finally
replacing him with Guivarc'h in the 78th minute.
The Paraguayans then had a nervous last fifteen minutes of normal time
as the home fans tried to urge their team forward.
The first game to go into extra-time in this World Cup finals and of
the two goalkeepers, Barthez looked the most desperate. Chilavert kissed his lucky charm,
before the players had a quick massage on their tired legs.
0-0 at normal time and frustration for the French.
In the ninth minute of extra time, the free-kick by Djorkaeff was as
nerve wrenching as a penalty for the taker; over the wall and headed away for a corner.
Chilavert was easily down to a shot from Pires in the 110th minute.
In minute 113, Laurent Blanc finally broke the deadlock before
Chilavert could prove himself in the penalty shoot-out.
No African team will win the World Cup this century as poor defending
by Nigeria saw them two goals down, in eleven minutes.
Within three minutes of the start, Michael Laudrup on the right corner
of the penalty area, flicked the ball to his left for Peter Moller, of PSV Eindhoven, to
score.
Eight minutes later, Michael Laudrup to Moller again. This time he
rolled the ball back with the sole of his foot and Brian Laudrup was where it counted, to
punish Rufai for not holding Moller's shot.
Half-time: (0:2).
As valiant as Nigeria proved, the Danish were a class above them
today.
On the hour, Sand was on for Moller and headed Michael Laudrup's chip
around Taribo West, he of the frog green hair, then beat Rufai; to destroy Nigeria's
chance of a Mexican-style comeback.
Ebbe Sand pounced on another careless piece of Nigerian goalkeeping,
pulled the ball back to Jorgensen; who set up Helveg, with an open shot into the roof of
the net.
Babangida volleyed in a consolation goal, with a little over ten
minutes to go.
