France bow out of World Cup

France 0 Denmark 2

France bowed out of the World Cup after battling performance by Denmark ended the champions’ reign.

Dennis Rommedahl gave Denmark a 1-0 lead at half-time and Jon Dahl Tomasson made it two with a controversial second.

Zinedine Zidane was back for France, and how Les Bleus needed his presence, requiring as they did a victory by two clear goals to stop the Danes going through to the next round in their place.

France were without Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Petit, who were suspended, and also missing the injured Frank Leboeuf.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen fielded a defensive line-up with Jon Dahl Tomasson the only striker, and a five-man midfield.

With the Danes playing deep, space looked tight for France in attack and when Patrick Vieira strode forward and unleashed a shot from 20 yards Denmark had bodies in the way to make the block.

Tomasson and Dennis Rommedahl nearly surprised the French defenders when what was nothing more than a hopeful ball into their box got them in a muddle, but Claude Makelele was on hand to pick up the pieces.

Denmark continued their tactics of the world champions whenever they were in possession, concentrating on Zidane in particular.

And when Christophe Dugarry did find enough space to send David Trezeguet racing after a through-ball, Thomas Sorensen was quickly off his line to snuff out the danger.

Sylvain Wiltord and Trezeguet lit up what had been a tentative opening period with a classy attacking move.

The Arsenal player sent Trezeguet through down the right and should have received a return pass but his team-mate tried to score from a difficult angle and Sorensen saved low to his right.

Vieira played Zidane in over the top of defence and though he got a toe to the ball he just failed to bring it under control, collapsing in a heap instead. To the relief of France, he got up apparently unharmed.

After 22 minutes, and completely against the run of play, France’s hopes of staying in the tournament suffered the blow they had been dreading.

France failed to clear the lines and the ball fell to Stig Tofting on the right who spotted Rommedahl unmarked at the far post.

The cross was perfect and so was Rommedahl’s finish, the Dane firing unerringly past Fabien Barthez.

Dugarry managed to find Trezeguet with a lovely lob over Martin Laursen, but the Juventus striker’s downward header lacked the power to beat Sorensen.

The moment France had been waiting for nearly arrived after 37 minutes, when Zidane looked up from 25 yards out and curled a peach of a chip over Sorensen but just missing the corner of the goal by a whisker.

Vincent Candela was the next Frenchman guilty of ignoring a simple pass, Wiltord begging to be played into the Danish area. Wiltord then did get an opportunity, but Sorensen was equal to his low drive.

Chelsea’s Danish winger Jesper Gronkjaer, who had been an injury doubt before the game, came on at half-time for Martin Jorgensen, but French coach Roger Lemerre made no changes at the break.

Five minutes into the second half, Zidane took a corner and Marcel Desailly made a marvellous leap to connect with a towering header but the ball crashed back off the crossbar.

It looked like it was not going to be France’s day, or tournament even, when Bixente Lizarazu swung over a dangerous dipping cross and Laursen just managed to make enough contact to steer it away from Dugarry.

That was Dugarry’s last taste of action, as Lemerre sent on the pacy Djibril Cisse as an extra attacking force.

Vieira, Lizarazu and Trezeguet combined expertly to set Zidane up for a shooting chance on the edge of the area but this time it was Christian Poulsen who made the vital block.

Denmark were loath to venture forward in numbers, though Tomasson ended a run by sweeping the ball over Barthez’s crossbar.

Wiltord, who had been one of France’s liveliest players, tried to run through the Danish defence but was tackled in mid-flight.

France suffered a second shattering blow in the 67th minute when Tomasson put Denmark 2-0 up.

There was more than a little controversy over the goal - or there would have been had France any spirit left in them. As Gronkjaer crossed Tomasson appeared to pull back Desailly and then was free to steer the ball past Barthez.

France’s luck was summed up by three events in quick succession. First Sorensen spilled Cisse’s effort from a tight angle but the ball bounced past the post into touch. Then Wiltord spun and shot, but straight at the Danish keeper.

Finally, Wiltord’s cross from the left was met first time by Zidane, but the ball struck the underside of the bar and bounced into Sorensen’s arms.

Zidane whizzed a free-kick past the post, Cisse had Sorensen scampering across goal for a shot which went wide, but it was all to no avail.