World Cup Finals Profile: France

Twelfth appearance. Best performance: Winner in 1998.
First-Round Results: Tied Switzerland 0-0, tied South Korea 1-1, beat Togo 2-0.
Second-Round Result: Beat Spain 3-1.
Semifinal Result: Beat Portugal 1-0.
Stars: Zinedine Zidane has been sensational in the last three games. After dominating Brazil, his penalty kick was the only goal in the semifinal. He set up Thierry Henry's goal against Brazil with a perfect free kick and looked like the Zizou of old with dazzling speed and footwork, and impeccable ball control. Patrick Vieira scored the winning goal against Spain and has sparked an offense that was dormant early on. Goalkeeper Fabien Barthez has not been beaten since the second game of the opening round.
Outlook: Some thought France peaked in the stunning upset against Brazil, and the French weren't nearly as good vs. Portugal. But this is a savvy squad with the kind of leadership to win another title.
Zidane gets everything moving forward and his skillful footwork often opens lanes for others. Henry is the most dangerous finisher, even though he's been off-target quite often. But he has three goals in the tournament.
France's defense has been almost as miserly as Italy's. It won't allow a great number of chances, either.
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