Croatians prove to be quite a draw

SOCCER Euro 2004 Group B France 2 Croatia 2: Their defensive record in the months leading up to the start of this tournament suggested the French would be as solid under attack as the walls of the 14th century castello that towers over Leiria's Dr Pessoa stadium. Two clumsily conceded second-half goals against Croatia last night, however, will have alerted their main rivals for the European title that the team's ageing defence may crumble when it really matters over the next couple of weeks.

Briefly the French trailed in this, a game they should have come though without serious difficulty. Thanks to another nightmarish back pass - Igor Tudor was the culprit this time - David Trezeguet grabbed an equaliser that ensured they will need only a point from their meeting with the Swiss to be sure of their place in the tournament's latter stages.

The equaliser, though, may have had an even greater bearing on England's fortunes in the competition for it deprived the Croats of a victory that would have left them needing only a draw to send Sven-Goran Eriksson's men home next Monday.

History, the formbook and the array of talent available to the respective managers all pointed towards a French win in this game. The three previous encounters between these two countries had all gone the way of the French and this one could have been declared over as a contest well before half-time if Jacques Santini's men had taken the chances they managed to generate through the first period against an uncertain-looking Croatian defence.

With Tudor back from suspension Otto Baric's back four should have been strengthened but the Juventus centre-half had an uncomfortable evening as he sought to oversee the containment of the lively French forwards. His troubles could well have been multiplied had Trezeguet not turned in another subdued performance - goal aside.

There were still danger signs from very early on with only a couple of fairly desperate looking interceptions preventing first Henry and then Trezeguet from being sent clear on Tomislav Butina in the Croatian goal.

In the end, though, it was, once again, from a free-kick that the defending champions established a lead with Zidane's low-angled strike from 30 yards eluding everyone but Tudor who, believing Mikael Silvestre was going to make contact, instead sent the ball cannoning into the net off his leg.

It may not have been quite the calibre of finish we have come to expect from les bleus, but then they did try to provide us with something a little more special two minutes before the interval. This time Henry took over the dead-ball duties, sending a low, short corner to Zidane whose flick with the heel of his boot was exquisite. Sadly for the French, Gallas' inability to head the ball into an empty net from five yards cost them what would have been a memorable goal.

The miss looked a good deal more costly within seven minutes of the second half getting under way. The first blow came courtesy of a ferocious penalty by Milan Rapaic, awarded after Silvestre had tripped Giovanni Rosso inside the box and the 31-year-old midfielder had enthusiastically seized the opportunity to go to ground. Once again Fabien Barthez guessed which way the shot would go but this time there was simply no stopping a low, driven strike by the Ancona player well to the right of the goalkeeper.

The equaliser suddenly energised a Croatian attack that had previously looked to be slightly in awe of their French opponents. Barely once in the first half had either Dado Prso or Tomo Sokota even threatened to trouble Desailly or Thuram, with both strikers preferring to settle for harmless long-range shots or aimless passes when nearing their opponents' area.

Now, though, the pair, supported from midfield for the first time with real conviction, tore into both the French box and those who occupied it. Their reward wasn't long in coming with Prso sending the ball crashing past Barthez into the roof of the net after first Silvestre and then Desailly had blundered.

For a few minutes more it raged and the Croatian storm subsided. Now, however, the French were facing the prospect of a first defeat in 20 games and a less straightforward progression to the last eight of this tournament than Santini might have been expected amid all the pre-match talk of his opponents saving themselves for the English.

With Zidane again pulling the strings from midfield, Sylvain Wiltord and then Robert Pires causing problems for the Croats down the wings, the French bounced back and, thanks to Trezeguet's goal, levelled things up again. With the contest now transformed into a fast and occasionally furiously open contest, however, both sides looked as though they felt they could go on to win. The French went close on a succession of occasions with Butina making a couple of particularly good stops late on from Robert Pires and Henry. It was, however, at the other end that their stoppage-time escape came in this game. Ivica Olic left Willy Sagnol for dead and fed Ivica Mornar who spun Desailly like a top only to fire over from a few yards out.

Again the French celebrated the final whistle but not with the gusto as on Sunday or quite the same conviction, perhaps, that great things lie in store for this team again come the start of next month.