Live Commentary EURO 2008

FRANCE 0 - 0 ROMANIA

MAN OF THE MATCH: ehhhh, I'll give it to Dorin Goian

Match Highlights Here.

Bienvenue madame et messiers.....ahem, today we have FRANCE vs. ROMANIA. As the squad lists are released we have as follows
France:
Coupet, Abidal, Gallas, Makalele, Malouda, Anelka, Benzema, Thuram (C), Sagnol, Toulalan, Ribery
Romania:
Lobant, Contra, Rat, Tamas, Chivu (C), Radoi, Mutu, Cocis, Goian, Nicolita, Nuculae

Stand by for a the real kick-off of this tournament.

Here come the players onto the Zurich pitch. Les Bleus are wearing the traditional, well, Blue and Romania is wearing their traditional yellow strip. Now for the respective National Anthems. First, La Marseillaise then the Romanian one.

Unfortuately, we here at Football Roundable do not have the budget to get techie so you have to click 'refresh' every few minutes for updates.

Kick-off 12:00pm EST
1mins. And we are off.
2mins. A bit of sloppy play from France at the moment. It seems Romania are fired up for this tie.
3mins. Just as I criticize France, they pull out some pleasant one touch play to move up the pitch and Anelka gets fouled within Romanian territory. With that Sagnol gets forward with a cross into the Romanian goalkeepers hands.
7mins. France are playing some safe keep-away at the moment. Romania manage to get the ball and promptly pull an "England" and hoof it all the way forward into Coupet's hands.
9mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Anelka beats his man on the right side and tries to one time a shot into the Romanian net. He didn't really get ahold of the ball and he strikes wide.
12mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Mutu tries to get a strike but mis-fires and the ball rolls wide of the French net. It really wasn't a "Oooohhh" moment but since I c/p from the previous post. I figured I'd leave it.
14mins. Anelka is playing as a lone striker today. I don't understand that? Although, France does have a good attacking midfield. OOOOhhhhhhh, Romania play another long ball forward and it bounces right to Nicolae who one times his shot wide of the target.
17mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Malouda makes his way through the Romanian defence from a fine through ball and the goalkeeper, who made the good decision to come out, knocks the ball away with his legs while trying to make himself 'big'. Good decision and good save.
22mins. Not too much happening at the moment on either side. One thing I do notice is that Ribery is nowhere to be seen.
22mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, just as I say that, Ribery skins his defender and crosses into the Romanian box and wins a corner.
25mins. Adrian Mutu tries to make his way down the left wing, but Toulalan says "NON". Then Anelka beats his man down the left side and crosses into the center where Goian clears.
27mins. Yellow Card to Nicolae for an intentional handball.
29mins. Benzema darts through the middle and wins a free kick in the danger zone. Malouda takes it and blasts it directly into the Romanian wall. Wasted chance.
31mins. Good build up from France only for Sagnol to kick it long and to nobody. Well maybe Peter Crouch if he was trying to push off of, well, Peter Crouch?
33mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Ribery crosses from the left side to Anelka who just misses with his head. He usually doesn't miss those...I tell you what. Then again most people wouldn't miss that chance.
36mins. Ribery is 100% more effective since he's moved to the left side of the pitch. He's owning that part of the park. Making all the plays from there. OOOOhhhhhhh, Nicolas Anelka beats Rat on the right side and fires into the side netting. That would have been a hot one to handle if he made the keeper work for it. He should have crossed that ball.
40mins. Yellow Card to Contra for kicking the ball away so France couldn't take a quick throw. Sucka!
42mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, a quick one-two with Benzema flicking it into the Romanian goalkeepers hands. Good play but no finish.
43mins. Yellow Card to Goian for hip checking Franck Ribery. Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez is taking no rubbish from anybody. He's got the match under control.
45mins. There goes the half-time whistle.

It's been a good half all in all. Lot's of attacking play from France, but they are lacking numbers up top. Domenech did make a good switch when he moved Ribery to the left but I still think they need another striker for Anelka to link up with.
Romania are playing a long ball game and trying catch France upfield and out of position. If Romania nick a goal they could then sit back and make France really work for a goal. Romanian gaffer, Victor Piturca will be worried for the second half as three of his players are on yellow cards. Romania will be very lucky to finish the match with 11 men on the pitch the way they are playing.

45mins. Here we go. Second half is underway. Let's hope for some more attacking play with results.
46mins. No changes to either side during the half.
47mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Mutu puts a free kick right into the danger zone but a bit too far for his striker to make anything of it.
48mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Florent Malouda does the business himself. He takes the ball down the left side, inside and out to his marker then takes a shot just a bit high. That was a chance!
50mins. Yellow Card to Sagnol. Chivu to Mutu and Sagnol took Mutu out from behind. Free kick in a dangerous ares.
55mins. France on the back foot at the moment. Romania turned it up a notch.
57mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Karim Benzema was all alone in front of goal when he gets a rush of blood to his head and sends the ball directly at the keeper. Sheeesh! Talk about a wasted opportunity! France should be up 2-0 by now. Thierry Henry would have had that chance for breakfast!
61mins. France are on the attack but nothing coming from their crosses. Romania are gobbling them up quite easily and getting rid of the danger.
64mins. Cocis out Codrea in for Romania.
64mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Anelka heads down to Benzema who turns his marker and mis-fires yet again at point blank range.
68mins. A bit of shared play at the moment. Back and forth with nothing much coming out of any chances. Samir Nasri is warming up on the sidlines. That would be a good addition to the French midfield. They need some more creative attack to carve out some more chances.
71mins. Young St. Etienne stiker Gomis is coming on the pitch for Nicolas Anelka. He should have taken Karim Benzema out if you ask me. But you aren't so I should keep my comments to the play at hand.
75mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, left back, Eric Abidal licks his lips and goes for the glory shot only for it to slowly curl wide of the Romanian net. He got the sweet spot with that shot.
77mins. Hey look at that, what did I say, Samir Nasri has just come on for the poor Karim Benzema. Today wasn't his day. Let's see what the young Olympique Marseilles playmaker can do for les Bleus?
79mins. OOOOhhhhhhh, Romanian striker Nicolae springs the French defensive line only to be called offside. Wrong call after looking at the replay.
80mins. Rat squanders a half chance off a Romanian corner kick.
83mins. Gomis shows his age and tries to take on 3 Romanians when he had about 2 other options. Heads up boy, heads up!
85mins. Some good play from France, starting with Nasri in the center of the park only to end with a French corner. Nothing becomes of the corner.
87mins. France are poking and prodding at the Romanian defence but no clear chance to fire one home. Seems to be one of those days for France.
89mins. France have Romania stretched at the back as Nasri crosses only for Goian to clear again. Goian has had a very good match. Actually the Romanian defence has been all around very solid.
90mins. 3 Extra minutes
90mins.+ Romania with some solid play and gain ground on France. They win a free kick deep within the French half. Can they grab a late winner?
90mins.+ Nope.
90mins.+ The Spaniard blows his whistle for the end of the match. Well, both sides share the points.

France, with a very lackluster performance today. Domenech is going to have to sort his strategy out if he wants to go far in this tourney. Romania did quite well and earned their point. I don't think anybody expected them to get this result against a side like France.