With France now needing a miracle against South Africa, their captain admitted they took a big punch from Mexico and never saw it coming Thierry Henry walked out of the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane without saying a word to anyone after watching the 2-0 defeat to Mexico as a non-playing substitute. Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, as France captain, did have something to say, but he gave the distinct impression a whole lot more would be said when this sorry World Cup campaign is finally over. Barring a miracle, and Evra specifically said he is not expecting one, that will be in only four days’ time. “I’m still in shock after such a loss, we have behaved like a small football nation,” Evra said. “We have received a big punch and I couldn’t see it coming. The first goal was very painful but I thought we would be able to react, but we were not able to. We will talk about it during the following days. There is a lot to say but I’m not going to say it in public yet. I am disgusted. We have to beat South Africa now, but as for the qualification, I don’t believe in miracles. We are not a great team.” France always seem to be at one end or the other of the World Cup spectrum, with little in between. After winning the event in their own country in 1998 they were a major disappointment in South Korea-Japan 2002, leaving the tournament early, then somewhat against expectation they reached the final in Germany four years ago, where they could conceivably have beaten Italy but for Zinedine Zidane’s aberration against Marco Materazzi. Reaching the final in 2006 silenced some of Raymond Domenech’s many doubters, effectively giving the France coach a stay of execution until the next tournament, though after the manner in which Les Bleus surrendered against Mexico and the likelihood of another early departure, it appears he has little room left for argument. After leaving Henry on the bench for the whole 90 minutes, witnessing another supine display from Nicolas Anelka and wholly ineffective ones from Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda, Domenech has some questions to answer. So, for that matter, has Evra, whose part in the decisive penalty that clinched Mexico’s win was not the one of a captain willing to fight for every inch. Evra more or less waved Pablo Barrera past on his way to the penalty area, where he was clumsily fouled by Eric Abidal, the whole episode suggesting a tired and demotivated team. For that, Domenech will ultimately have to answer. “For the moment I’m searching for words,” the coach said, wearing his habitual puzzled expression. That makes a change from searching the stars – he freely admits astrology has informed some of his decisions in the past – and a disappointed nation will be hoping the dictionary might contain more sense. “We still have a match to play and there is an infinitesimally small chance we can go through. I do reproach myself, yes. But that’s my own business. Perhaps we didn’t have quite the punch we needed but there was definitely a team playing, not just a collection of individuals. Initially we were fairly calm.” France World Cup 2010 Group A Mexico Thierry Henry Paul Wilson guardian.co.uk
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World Cup 2010: I am disgusted, says France’s captain Patrice Evra | Paul Wilson
