World Cup soccer qualifying Group Four, Israel 1 France 1: Much as Brian Kerr had suggested, even before last Saturday's game in Tel Aviv, the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifying group is proving anything but predictable.
Not for the first time in this campaign France, the former World and European champions, stumbled, this time away to Israel, drawing 1-1 after going a man down when David Trezeguet was sent off in the 54th minute for head-butting Tal Ben Haim, after the defender had crudely taken him down with a scything tackle. Ben Haim for his trouble was given a yellow card.
From an Irish point of view the sending off of France's top striker will be music to Kerr's ears as he is now likely to miss the vital tie against the Republic on September 7th.
There is no doubt that Trezeguet's moment of madness cost France the game and a valuable three points which would have put them clear favourites to win the group.
Switzerland, meanwhile, took 88 minutes before finally finding a way past Cyprus in Zurich, Alexander Frei getting their winner, after which Cypriot goalkeeper Nicos Panagiotou was sent off.
Last night's results saw Ireland drop from first to fourth in the group, with France top on goal difference from Israel, both on 10 points and both having played six games. Ireland and Switzerland, who have both played five, are on nine points, Switzerland two goals the better.
Ten minutes after scoring his 31st international goal, one that saw him overtake Just Fontaine in France's leading scorer list, Trezeguet was sent off for head-butting Ben Haim in retaliation for a crude tackle from behind by the Bolton defender, for which he was booked.
Having controlled the bulk of the game until then, without ever finding much fluency, France were suddenly on the back foot, with the home team sensing their second notable late comeback in five days.
Before their equaliser they had twice been denied by Fabien Barthez, who saved smartly from an Avi Nimni shot before acrobatically keeping out a Walid Badir seconds later.
But Barthez, like his colleague Trezeguet, was to prove the villain with only seven minutes to go. The French goalkeeper has shown in the past, most notably for Manchester United, that he can make the odd costly error and fortunately for the hosts he did so again.
Badir capitalised on Barthez's poor goalkeeping soon following his near miss in the 83rd minute, heading home an Adoram Keisi cross from the left which the Marseille goalkeeper failed to punch clear. He pushed the ball onto the in-rushing Israeli who seemed to know very little about the goal until he saw it nestling in the back of the French net.
It was the first goal conceded by the French in this qualifying campaign, their defending almost as poor as that produced by the Israelis when Trezeguet broke the deadlock in the 49th minute.
Despite being surrounded by three Israeli defenders, when Sylvain Wiltord's cross came in from the right, the Juventus forward was still granted a free header to force the ball home.
The home goalkeeper, Aouate, was as guilty as his static defenders, coming out for the cross when it would have been more advisable to stay on his goal-line.
French coach Raymond Domenech had resisted recalling Thierry Henry to his starting line-up for the game, despite admitting that the Arsenal striker had been fit to play against Switzerland on Saturday.
Instead Henry, who had been suffering from a calf injury, was left on the bench, but Domenech did make two changes to the team, bringing in Lens' Alou Diarra and Lyon's Florent Malouda for Ludovic Giuly (Barcelona) and Vikash Dhorasoo (AC Milan).
Israel coach Avraham Grant, meanwhile, made three changes to the team that drew with Ireland, two of them enforced, Avi Nimni and Pini Balili, substitutes on Saturday, coming in for the suspended duo of Arik Benado and Omer Golan, and Klemi Saban replacing Omri Afek.
Malouda almost doubled France's lead five minutes after the goal, his mis-hit cross hitting the cross-bar, but Trezeguet's indiscretion robbed his team of its grip of the game, heralding an Israeli revival that, almost inevitably, yielded an equaliser.
The group, then, remains wide open, although France, with away games to come against Ireland and Switzerland, could well be left wondering if Trezeguet's failure to retain his cool in Tel Aviv last night will prove oh so costly.
ISRAEL: Aouate, Saban, Ben Haim, Gershon, Keisi, Tal (Afek 66 mins), Badir, Benayoun, Katan, Nimni, Balili. Subs not used: Cohen, Harazi, Revivo, Shivhon, Zandberg, Strul. Booked: Badir, Ben Haim, Gershon. Goal: Badir 83.
FRANCE: Barthez, Sagnol, Boumsong, Givet, Gallas, Vieira, Pedretti, Diarra, Malouda, Wiltord (Dhorasoo 90 mins), Trezeguet. Subs not used: Coupet, Zebina, Giuly, Henry, Abidal, Marlet. Sent Off: Trezeguet (55 mins). Booked: Sagnol. Goal: Trezeguet 50.
Referee: Markus Merk (Germany).
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