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Match No. 754 vs. Czech Republic Match No. 756 vs. Poland Match Results


England National Football Team Match No. 755

England 0 France 2 [0-0]

Saturday, 10 February 1999

Match Summary and Report

Match Summary and Report Team Records England Pre-Match France Pre-Match


 

Match Summary
Status: A friendly match.
Venue: Wembley Stadium, Wembley, London, capacity 79,045.
Attendance: 74,111
Goals: France - Nicolas Anelka, 69th min.
France - Nicolas Anelka, 76th min.
Cautions: None
Expulsions: None
Officials:
(yellow)		 Referee - Heinz Helmut Krug, Germany;
Assistant referees - G. Schraer & T. Bastian, Germany;
Fourth official - B. Zerr, Germany;
Conditions: Kickoff 8.00 p.m. GMT;
Miscellany: Teams presented to George Hardwick (ex-England captain); England mascot is Dominic Thorne, 11 years old, Finchley, London;
Notes: Presentation of trophy preceded this match for the England Members Club 'Player of the World Cup' to Michael Owen by Stephen Featherstone;
Statistics:

Type

England

France
Goal Attempts - -
Attempts on Target - -
Hit Bar/Post - -
Corner Kicks Won - -
Offside Calls Against - -
Fouls Conceded - -
Time of Possession - -
Statistics:

-

England Team
Ranking: 11th in FIFA ranking of 27 January 1999; 7th in Elo world ranking before this match and 10th after this match.
Colours: White shirts with navy blue collar and red/navy blue side panels, navy blue shorts with white and red trim, white socks with navy blue tops.  The 1997 "home" uniform.
Coach: Howard Wilkinson, 51, appointed caretaker manager 2 February 1999;
1st match, W 0 - D 0 - L 1 - F 0 - A 2.
Captain: Alan Shearer, 18th captaincy

England Lineup
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
1-Seaman, David A., sub off 46th min. 19-Sep-1963 35 G Arsenal FC 48 0 1988-2002
2-Dixon, Lee M. sub off 72nd min. 17-Mar-1964 34 D Arsenal FC 22 1 1990-1999
3-Le Saux, Graeme P. 17-Oct-1968 30 D Chelsea FC 33 1 1994-2000
4-Ince, Paul E.C. 21-Oct-1967 31 M Liverpool FC 45 2 1992-2000
5-Adams, Tony A. 10-Oct-1966 32 D Arsenal FC 57 4 1987-2000
6-Keown, Martin R., sub off 86th min. 24-Jul-1966 32 D Arsenal FC 20 1 1992-2002
7-Beckham, David R.J. 02-May-1975 23 M Manchester United FC 21 1 1996-active
8-Redknapp, Jamie F., sub off 86th min. 25-Jun-1973 25 M Liverpool FC 11 0 1995-1999
9-Shearer, Alan 13-Aug-1970 28 F Newcastle United FC 47 22 1992-2000
10-Owen, Michael J., sub off 64th min. 14-Dec-1979 19 F Liverpool FC 13 4 1998-active
11-Anderton, Darren A. 03-Mar-1972 26 M Tottenham Hotspur FC 27 7 1994-2001

England Substitutes
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
13-Martyn, A. Nigel, sub on 46th min. for Seaman 11-Aug-1966 32 G Leeds United AFC 9 0 1992-2002
17-Cole, Andrew A., sub on 64th min. for Owen 15-Oct-1971 27 F Manchester United FC 3 0 1995-2001
14-Ferdinand, Rio G., sub on 72nd min. for Dixon 07-Nov-1978 20 D West Ham United FC 6 0 1997-active
15-Wilcox, Jason M., sub on 86th min. for Keown 15-Jul-1971 27 M Blackburn Rovers FC 2 0 1996-2000
16-Scholes, Paul, sub on 86th min. for Redknapp 16-Nov-1974 24 M Manchester United FC 15 7 1997-2004
Formation:

-

  
Substitutes
Not Used:		 12-Nigel Winterburn, 18-Robbie Fowler

France Team
Ranking: 2nd in FIFA ranking of 27 January 1999; 1st in Elo world ranking before this match and 1st after this match.
Colours: Blue shirts, white shorts, red socks; made by Adidas.
Coach: Roger Lemerre, 57, appointed 27 July 1998,
6th match, W 4 - D 2 - L 0 - F 11 - A 5.
Captain: Didier Deschamps

France Lineup
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
16-Barthez, Fabian 28-Jun-1971 27 G AS Monaco 23 0 1994-active
15-Thuram, Lillian 01-Jan-1972 27 D AC Parma, Italy 44 2 1994-active
3-Lizarazu, Bixente 09-Dec-1969 29 D FC Bayern München AG, Germany 44 2 1992-2004
17-Petit, Emmanuel 22-Sep-1970 28 M Arsenal FC, England 29 2 1990-2003
5-Blanc, Laurent, sub off 46th min. 19-Nov-1965 33 D Olympique de Marseille 78 13 1989-2000
6-Djorkaeff, Youri, sub off 83rd min. for Wiltord 09-Mar-1968 30 M Internazionale Milano FC, Italy 51 19 1993-2002
7-Deschamps, Didier, sub off 90th min +3 15-Oct-1968 30 M Juventus FC, Italy 82 4 1989-2000
8-Desailly, Marcel 07-Sep-1968 30 D Chelsea FC, England 52 2 1993-2004
12- Anelka, Nicolas, sub off 84th min. 14-Mar-1979 19 F Arsenal FC, England 5 3 1998-active
10-Zidane, Zinédine 23-Jun-1972 26 M Juventus FC, Italy 45 11 1994-active
11-Pires, Robert, sub off 46th min. 29-Jan-1973 26 F Olympique de Marseille 23 3 1996-2004

France Substitutes
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
18-Leboeuf, Frank, sub on 46th min. for Blanc 22-Nov-1968 30 D Chelsea FC, England 21 2 1995-2002
21-Dugarry, Christophe, sub on 46th min. for Pires 24-Mar-1972 26 F Olympique de Marseille 31 4 1994-2002
13-Wiltord, Sylvain, sub on 83rd min. fort Djorkaeff 10-May-1974 24 F FC Girondins de Bordeaux 1 0 1999-active
4-Vieira, Patrick, sub on 84th min. for Anelka 23-Jun-1976 22 M Arsenal FC, England 11 0 1997-active
2-Candela, Vincent, sub on 90th min, +3 for Deschamps 24-Oct-1973 25 D AS Roma, Italy 15 1 1996-2002
Formation:

-

  
Substitutes
Not Used:		 12-Stephane Porato, 14-Alain Boghossian

Match Report

 

By the time the world champions came to Wembley, Hoddle was no longer in charge of the home team. Howard Wilkinson, The F.A.'s Technical Director, stepped into the breach.  The French conjured up some breathtaking football, particularly in the second period, which must have left England feeling outclassed.  It was Arsenal's Nicolas Anelka who won the game with some smart finishing.

England had played with control and confidence in the early minutes.  France's World Cup goalkeeper, Barthez, made a classy save from a close-range Michael Owen effort after a typical Shearer knockdown and then made a successful grab for Beckham's curling free-kick.  From England's best chance Keown volleyed badly wide from ten yards.  Then France began to assert themselves, parading their impressive range of passing.  And it was European and World Player of the Year, Zinedine Zidane, who was pulling the strings.

Just after the hour the midfield maestro put a perfect pass into Anelka's stride and the Gunners star crashed a shot against the underside of the bar and out.  Replays later showed that a goal should have been given.  But the youngster, still only 19, was in irresistible form and would not be denied.  On 68 minutes he ran onto another Zidane peach to rifle the ball past Martyn, England's substitute 'keeeper, and eight minutes later he turned in Dugarry's left-wing cross for 2-0.

England, apparently, had no heart for a fight.  France exploited some lapses in concentration on the part of their opponents to run the show.  The home team found it hard to get the ball and to make matters worse, there were knocks for Keown (hamstring) and Dixon (Concussion).  England needed a pick-me-up - and soon.  - The Official F.A. and England Yearbook 1999-2000.

 

Source Notes


World Soccer News.com
Official Programme
Getty Images

CG
additional information - Steve Rooke