FRANKFURT, Germany -- Barely a month ago, France was booed by its own fans,
Zinedine Zidane looked like he could hardly walk, let alone run, and Les Bleus
seemed headed for another early World Cup exit.
On Wednesday, Zidane will captain a resurgent squad looking for a place in
the final when it meets Portugal in Munich.
"We have an idea, an objective," France coach Raymond Domenech said. "The
final on July 9."
The speedy turnaround, highlighted by a 1-0 quarterfinal win Saturday over
pretournament favorite Brazil, is astonishing.
France had struggled to score in World Cup qualifying, showing little
attacking invention in a series of drab draws against Ireland, Switzerland and
Israel. Not until the 10th and final round of matches did it secure a spot in
soccer's showcase tournament.
Zidane wasn't much better.
He marked his 100th cap May 27 with one of his worst games in a blue shirt,
giving the ball away, falling over and looking generally listless. Although they
spared the captain, fans booed and whistled other players.
"A lot of people criticized us," defender William Gallas said. "We answered
in the best way ... on the pitch."
Reserve goalkeeper Mickael Landreau believes bashing of the players helped in
the long run. Cloistered in their castle residence, teammates have turned to
each other for support.
It is the opposite of 2002, when internal bickering disrupted a squad which
spent much of its World Cup at the local hotel casino, in full view of the
prying public. Tournament favorites, Les Bleus went home after the first round
without scoring a goal.
"A team spirit has been created and we are using that now," Landreau said.
"The group has protected itself and stayed solid at all times."
France has gone from a team which could not beat Switzerland or South Korea,
to one which dominated defending champion Brazil.
In that game, Zidane gave a lesson in midfield play -- his all-around
performance was arguably better than in the 1998 final -- and Thierry Henry's
game-winning goal finally showed he can deliver on the big stage. Gallas'
understanding with Lilian Thuram in central defense keeps improving, so much so
that Ronaldo did not shoot on target until the last minute.
"When you are solid at the back, you only need one chance to win the match,"
Gallas said.
That chance came on Zidane's curling free-kick, which Henry volleyed past
helpless Brazil goalkeeper Dida.
Domenech interpreted Zidane's performance as inspired by a fierce
determination to push back his retirement date -- Zizou quits altogether after
the World Cup.
"It's precisely because he knows he will soon stop," Domenech said, "that he
wants to go right to the end."
