Not quite there yet

By Ulysse Pasquier, writing from Montreal

It was a frustrating opening day for the Group A teams in South Africa as none were able to gather their first much needed 3 points. We witnessed two very different games on Friday; one filled with excitement and passion while the other was lacking all these things that make the World Cup such a special event for all of us.

I think we all know which is which here and France versus Uruguay was both a disappointment for French fans and World Cup lovers. The lack of commitment shown
by the French team can only imply Arsene Wenger was right to suggest the players may not have forgotten their game against Ireland in qualifications, perhaps feeling they do not deserve to be in South Africa.

Well, one thing is certain, they do not deserve to be staying at their £500-per-night-five-star hotel (don’t forget the private beach!) following yesterday’s performance. The match itself felt a lot like France’s preparation games with Les Bleus dominating the play and the number of shots without playing particularly dangerously. The one thing more annoying than the Vuvuzela was seeing the French rely on empty crosses and desperate long shots.