Euro 2008 Liveblog: Italy v France

Yes, it is deja vu all over again.

It's either the '00 Euro Final or the '06 World Cup Final. Take your pick.

Anyway, with only three matches in the group phase it does, as they say, get late early. And thanks in part to a plucky Romanian side (and some dodgy refereeing) France and Italy face off in a winner take all match for survival in Group C.

Unless of course those same Romanians have something to say about it. A Romanian defeat of the Dutch in the other match would all but render Italy v. France an exercise in futility. And seeing how the Dutch have nothing to play for, don't expect to see EPSN's favorite player Ruud Van Persie on the pitch. Nor is Giovanni van Sneijder, Arjen Kuyt, or any of their other stalwarts likely to see time on the field.


So, oops. Fuck. Much like 04 when Italy posted a couple of listeless draws in their first two matches then watch the Scandinavians engineer a result to send them packing, Italy has only themselves to blame for putting themselves in this position.

France, on the other hand, can place all the blame on Domenech. He's an idiot.

Anyway, seeing how Europe doesn't understand that the United States doesn't shut down for these matches, we might have some liveblogging technical difficulties (specifically, if the live bloggamy starts, beware it might cut out at any moment). Still the thread is here to follow along.

And to get your commenting inspiration jumpstarted, it's another Euro haiku:

I'd take Gigi's life
Heroic penalty save
His wife is smokin'



[Tip o' the hat to NY Kid for the line-ups]

The starting XI for Everybody Negates Raymond:

GK - Coupet
DEF - Abidal; Gallas; Clerc; Evra
MID - Makelele; Toulalan; Ribery; Govou
ST - Titi (C); Benzema

The starting XI for Roberto Donadoni (those are my two favorite Mutant Ninja Turtles btw):

GK - Buffon (C)
DEF - Zambrotta; Panucci; Chiellini; Grosso
MID - Pirlo; De Rossi; Gattuso; Perrotta
ST - Toni; Madman Cassano


This match is being played at Letzigrund, in Zurich.

Centre official: Ľuboš Michĕl (SVK)
Assistant referees: Roman Slyško (SVK); Martin Balko (SVK)
4th official: Viktor Kassai (HUN)


T-minus 10: Ugh... Foudy. I can understand an SC anchor stumbling over 'Van Nistelrooy,' but he's only played for maybe the two most famous clubs in the world.

T-minus 8: Okay, good think Henry went to Barca. He's dead to me and I don't have to worry about mixed club allegiances fucking my Nationalism.

T-minus 6: Crowd-wide "Seven Nation Army" chant. Not a White Stripes fan. If you want me to lose my shit, you're going to have give me 50,000 people singing along to "Killer Parties."

T-minus 3: And we have our first crowd shot of hot Italian poon. Followed by "Song of the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey"

T-minus 2: Rain. Repeat of what Cech pulled?

T-minus (-1): Ack... Grosso is going to have to come forward from the left back slot a lot to give some width. Look for France to try to expose that.

0:00: Kick. Italy in white moving left to right on your radio dial. France in blew.

2nd minute: First good push from France. Ribery cuts to the top of the box and fires a shot that is blocked away for a corner. Cleared by Italy.

3rd minute: Ref holds a small summit meeting. France takes a corner that lands at the top of the 18 but there is nobody there. Cleared.

4th minute: Italy looks a little tentative... Oh, on Toni's foot and he shoots it wide. Fail. He should have done much better with that. I'm agreeing with Andy Gray that he should have taken another touch on that before shooting.

6th minute: Really Italy, you're going to play Route 1 football? Counter from France. Ribery from the left side, puts it across the box, but it goes to nobody.

7th minute: Italy with nothing in the midfield. Zambrotta taken down by Ribery and it's Ribery who looks hurt. This would be bad for Ribery and France. Might be his ankle. Stretcher cart is out and he is still on the ground.

9th miunte: Still tending to Ribery. For all the ribbing. As an Italian, I want to take the French down at their best. Nasri to come on for Ribery.

10th minutes: And it's free kick for Italy on the restart as Ribery did foul Zambrotta. Corner from the free kick... Oh, and it's almost a header from Panucci. On replay that was going in but it was Makalele who put a leg to it to clear it. So close...

12th minute: France working the midfield. Two teams exchange possession on some sloppy giveaways.

13th minute: Perotta on the counter. Tries a long feed to Toni, but it's disruppted by Abidal maybe. France now working back up the pitch. A long cross clears to box and falls harmlessly to the italians.

15th minute: Now Italy counters and Grosso gets deep. But he wastes the cross. It's partially deflected and we're back up the pitch on the feet of France. Low shot from Benzema goes wide of the near side.

16th minute: Ref is getting a little whistle happy. Think he wants a restart on the restart by Italy. Which we get and it's quickly turned over.

18th minute: Both teams are looking to attack but neither team is stringing together any long possessions. Cassano taken down by Evra, hey my least favorite player on the pitch. Pirlo to take the kick.

19th minute: Nice job by Coupet. But he almost left it too late on the save and came close to giving Toni a chance on a header. Govou wastes a counter. He takes a shot instead of feeding either Benzema or Henry both of whom were breaking into an open space. Stupid.

20th minute: Exchange of long kicks results in a throw in for Italy. It's up and down without much actually happening. Both teams are getting near chances but not forcing the keepers to work for the most part.

22nd minute: Great ball from Pirlo but Perrotta can't get a touch to control it. Bummer that would have been the best chance of the match.

23rd minute: Pirlo was fouled but with no whistle. Benzema works to the right edge of the box then has the ball knocked out off his feet. Play results in a GK for Italy. I'm too tense to make jokes (I"m wigwam, I'm a teepee... I'm two tents).

24th mintue: And it's a straight red for Abidal! Great touch on the long ball to Toni, he drags it down and Abidal as the last man takes him down. It's a PK for Italy. Pirlo to take it.

PIRLO 1-0 Italy. He pokes it to the top left corner and Italy lead with the PK and are a man up.

26th minute: I'll defer to Andy Gray who says the penalty and the card were deserved. I can see France saying it was harsh, but Abidal was the last man and he took a decent whack at the back of Toni's legs. Actually think it was the second contact that got him the card. Ouch.

27th minute: Was typing and did sese the change... Oooh, De Rossi with a blast just high.

28th minute: More pressure from Italy. Looking to put this away quickly. Cassano has it stripped from him. Then another cross into the box and Toni tries to get cheeky with a nice little backheel flick.

29th minute: Backing up, it was Nasri that came off for likely another defender. Didn't catch the change. And another great ball to Toni. This one from Pirlo. Instead of brining it down, Toni tries to one-time it and it pushes it wide. It would have been difficult to say the least.

31st minute: Toni is suddenly a menace in the box. But he can't put away 2 or 3 chances. Again, none were easy, but he could have pretty much ended this for Italy.

Thanks to Cedric for the change it was Boumsong on for Nasri.

33rd minute: So France needs two goals and they are a man down and under siege. Insert French surrender joke here. Grosso skies one. And De Rossi collects a whistle. And Henry pushes one just wide. A great through ball from almost midfield, it was right on Henry's foot but he pushed it wide of the far post.

35th minute: Italy have let France up off the mat. They are creating some chances and getting pressure. Italy looking to counter. They turn it over and France works it up the midfield patiently.

36th minute: France's work is paying off in that they are getting to the box with possession but Italy gets a foot to the ball before it gets dangerous. Pirlo gives it away, then robs it right back. Nice tackle, but the possession is wastd and back from France.

7th minute: Gattusso gets a touch on Henry as he fires and it's a free kick to Frnace from outside the top of the circle. Benzema takes it and fires it right into the wall. Sorry blogger just got a little bitchy. Free kick into the wall, and Italy counters.

40th minute: Again, screw blogger. About three errors. Fortunately the two teams obliged by kicking it back and forth for a couplathree minutes.

42nd minute: Benzema sends one to the back post but there is nobody there. Henry checked his run. GK for Italy.

43rd minute: Still pletny of life in the match as Italy know they can't sleep on a 1-goal lead. Free kick for Italy at the top right of the box. Grosso to take it. OH... and it's a beautiful strike low and angled that hits square on the post. That was inches from putting this one in the books. Perrotta is down, or he was. Now he's up. Magic water... is there anything you can't do?

45th minute: Pirlo called for a foul. Dubious. Coupet did get a touch on that ball and saved France. Really, that was going in.

+1 minute: The kick hangs and gives Buffon just enough time to come catch it.

+2 minute: More pressure from France. But another harmless cross cleared back to midfield.

+3 minute: Ref stops play. Evra faking. Really, get up you pansy. Italy robbed of a counter.

+4 minute: Card for Chiellini. Yellow. Free kick for France. Italy trying to give chances back. The ball bounced in the box. Benzema was there, but can't get a touch on it. Italy are able to clear. Nervous moments in the last few seconds but nothing coronary inducing.

Half. Italy 1 - France 0

Apparently I missed a yellow by Pirlo. Really? French players were hitting the pitch more easily than, well, an Italian.

Okay, good readers, I have a prior obligation meaning this now becomes an open thread. If another UF'er can jump on and finish the liveblog, please do.