Team Focus: France's Strength in Depth Can Lead Them to Glory by Ben McAleer at Thursday, Jul 3 2014 16:00 Share on twitter Share on aceboo! Share on di"" Share on reddit Share on stu#bleu$on 0 A little o%er 4 years a"o, &rance's (orld )u$ ho$es were let in tatters* The $layers reused totrainater +icolas Anel!a was sent ho#e ollowin"a rowwithheadcoach,ay#ond-o#ench, cul#inatin" in Les Bleus crashin" out at the "rou$ sta"es o South Arica 2010* .ntheater#athothe(orld)u$, -o#enchwassac!edand/aurent Blanca$$ointedhissuccessor or 0uro 2012, beore -idier -escha#$s too! the reins ater the 0uro$ean)ha#$ionshi$s 2 years a"o* The 1uarter2inal e3it to e%entual winners S$ain in 4!raine showed si"ns that there was a"oodtea#a%ailableto-escha#$s, he5ust neededtocoa3the$eror#ancesout o the$ersonnel a%ailable to hi#* (hile &rance scra$ed into Bra6il 2014, 1ualiyin" throu"h the#ediu# o $layos, they ha%e be"un to realise their $otential in South A#erica* 7a%in"battledtheirwaytothe1uarter2inal witha220wino%er+i"eria, inthe$rocesssettin" u$ a #eetin" with 8er#any, ans will be startin" to belie%e there is a chance they can"o all the way in Bra6il* -escha#$s' side are currently the hi"hest rated tea# 9:*1;< at the(orld )u$, an i#$ressi%e eat considerin" &rance ca#e into the co#$etition without &ranc!,ib=ry* The attac!er was the hi"hest rated $layer 9>*24< in the Bundesli"a last season, so or hi# toha%e been ruled out co#$letely would ha%e been a hu"e blow to the &rench* +e%ertheless,they ha%e soldiered on without ,ib=ry to the last2> o the (orld )u$, with the $layers at-escha#$s' dis$osal doin" e3actly what is re1uired o the#* .n their 4 (orld )u$ "a#es, &rance ha%e conceded 5ust 2 "oals, both o those co#in" late oninthe?22thu#$in"oSwit6erland*(hile7u"o/loriscould$erha$sodonebetterorBleri# -6e#aili's daisycutter o a ree2!ic!, there was little he could do or 8ranit @ha!a'sthu#$in" close2ran"e %olley* The S$urs shotsto$$er has !e$t the #ost clean sheets 93< at theco#$etition, while his sa%e success is a co##endable ::*>A* Blayin"behind,a$hCel DaraneandMa#adouSa!ho, with/aurent Eoscielnyinreser%ewhen needs #ust, &rance's solidity co#es as little sur$rise* The latter $airin" were irst2tea#re"ulars or /i%er$ool and Arsenal res$ecti%ely last season and while Darane was restricted to5ust 14 lea"ue a$$earances due to a co#bination o the or# o Ser"io ,a#os and Be$e andin5ury, the 212year2old is widely re"arded as one o the inest youn" centre2bac!s in ootball* &lan!ed by Mathieu -ebuchy and Batrice 0%ra, the&rancerear"uard has been sturdy andor"anised, whiletheconidence/lorise3udesbehindthe##eanse%enithebac!lineis$enetrated, he is there to deny the o$$osition* 7owe%er, it's &ranceFs eicient #idield whichreally has the tea# tic!in"* 7a%in" allen to a 220 irst le" deeat in their (orld )u$ $layo with 4!raine, -escha#$s#o%ed ro# a 4222321 to a 42323 and ha%in" reco%ered to $ic! u$ a 320 win, he has $ersistedwith a syste# that has brou"ht out the best in the #idield2three*The triu#%irate o BaulBo"ba, Gohan )abaye and, in $articular, Blaise Matuidi ha%e $eror#ed ad#irably in Bra6il,with the trio co#$le#entin" one another tre#endously* Bo"ba has $erha$s been a #i3ed ba" at the (orld )u$ 2 he was so#ewhat ortunate to notha%ebeensent o durin"&rance's320wino%er 7ondurasater !ic!in"out at (ilsonBalacios, thou"hha%in"beensta#$edonnu#erousti#esbytheSto!e#idielderinthe#elee su""ests that the reeree was ri"ht not to dis#iss the Ju%entus youn"ster* +e%ertheless,his (hoScored ratin" or his club 9:*64< has dro$$ed sli"htly or &rance 9:*42< and while his(orld )u$ ratin" is i#$ressi%e, thereFs certainly roo# or i#$ro%e#ent there* .nstead, Matuidi has been the one to shine or &rance in Bra6il* The BS8 ace i#$ressed orthe Barisian side in their /i"ue 1 title2deendin" season, but has really showcased his talentswith the national tea#* 7is (hoScored ratin" or &rance 9:*:1< has shot u$ ro# his ratin"or BS8 9:*0;< last season and he has ir#ly established hi#sel as one o the best $layers inhis $osition* The2:2year2oldis currentlya%era"in"the#ost dribbles $er "a#e93< o e%ery&ranceinternational, urther si"niyin" his i#$ortance to -escha#$s* .n a 42323, one o the three#idielders needs to $ro%ide the dri%e ro# dee$ to hel$ su$$ort the attac!,a $osition inwhich Bo"bawas e3$ected to e3cel at the co#$etition* (hile only Matuidi is co#$letin"#ore dribbles $er #atch thanthe 212year2old92*32(orld)u$encounter with8er#anyawaitsthe#on&ridayandshouldLesBleuso%erco#e their 0uro$ean counter$arts at the MaracanL, ans will be"in to belie%e they canbeco#e world cha#$ions or the 2nd ti#e later this #onth*