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France to Brazil: Don't tick off Thuram
Posted: Thursday July 09, 1998 11:52 PM
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Brazil will have to be careful with Thuram's left foot, which could be a key to a French victory on Sunday (AP) |
CLAIREFONTAINE, France (Reuters)
-- Brazil
should be careful not to upset Lilian Thuram in Sunday's World Cup final.
Like Croatia, they
might live to regret it. "I've known Tutu [Thuram's nickname]
for years and when he's angry, you just can't stop him," France goalkeeper
Fabien Barthez said on Thursday. "After Croatia scored, I could see that he
was very, very upset." So upset was the right back, who has so
little confidence in his shooting he never practices in training, he scored
two goals to win Wednesday's semifinal for France. Thuram, who
had never scored in 37 previous internationals, cancelled out a goal by
Davor Suker seconds after the break by ramming home a Youri Djorkaeff pass
in the 47th minute. Those who said for years he lacked
confidence in front of goal were silenced for good when he hit the winner
by curling in a beautiful left-foot shot in the 70th minute.
Thuram confirmed Barthez's analysis, saying Suker's goal had made him
hungry for revenge. "I went mad," said Thuram, the quietest man
in France's squad. "We've been dreaming of that final since we were kids
and we simply couldn't lose that match. I had to do something."
The Parma player warned French fans, however, not to expect many more goals
from him. "I'm no striker and it will probably be a long time
before I score another goal," he said. "I was amazed, especially with that
second goal, which I scored with my left foot. I never thought that would
ever happen to me." The 26-year-old from Guadeloupe, who has
been outstanding since the tournament started, said he felt Wednesday's
match had not been his best. "I'm not that satisfied with my
overall performance," he said. "Defensively, I made some mistakes." Suker's
goal came after Thuram was slow to move forward as France attempted an
offside trap. Thuram learned his trade at Monaco before moving
to Italy and
does not even practice shots at goals because he feels he is so
hopeless. "The other defenders do it in training but he never
does," Barthez said. "He thinks he can't score. When he nears the penalty
area, he just passes the ball and rushes back. Maybe he will feel a bit
more confident now." Thuram grew up watching the likes of
Michel Platini, Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana, and said he could not
believe his generation had gone one step further than players he so
admired. "I still feel that the Platini team was better than
ours," he said. "Those guys were my idols and they lost twice in the
semifinals [in 1982 and 1986]. I find it difficult to realize that we're
playing in the same competition and we've done better than them."
The host nation's adventure, Thuram added, is not over yet.
"Maybe the thousands of people who took to the Champs Elysees are satisfied
with being in the final but we're certainly not," he said. "We
know what we're here for. We want to win the World Cup."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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