FOOTBALL IS COMING HOME » Raymond Domenech http://www.footballiscominghome.info Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:59:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 No Hope for Lithuania? http://www.footballiscominghome.info/qualification/no-hope-for-lithuania/ http://www.footballiscominghome.info/qualification/no-hope-for-lithuania/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:19:11 +0000 David Patrick Lane http://www.footballiscominghome.net/?p=1036 raymond-domenech1


Lithuania began well beating Romania 3-0 and Austria 2-0. The dream of qualification seemed possible until they were swept away by Serbia’s nouvelle vague. Three straight 1-0 defeats home and away to France and at home to Romania have probably ended Lithuania’s South African aspirations.


But as long as Raymond Domenech is the coach of France, Lithuania (like Austria and Romania) must continue to hope. If the stars are not aligned to Raymond’s liking and France fail to get points from their September fixtures against Romania and Serbia, Lithuania could find themselves will it all to play for in October. Serbia may provide an accommodating final fixture opponent.



Jose Coucerio, Lithuania’s journeyman Portuguese coach, will be sure to take his upcoming trip to Toftir seriously.  He will need all of his violins.

Share/Save]]> http://www.footballiscominghome.info/qualification/no-hope-for-lithuania/feed/ 0 Loose Cocks on the Veld – France 2010 http://www.footballiscominghome.info/qualification/loose-cocks-on-the-veld-france-2010/ http://www.footballiscominghome.info/qualification/loose-cocks-on-the-veld-france-2010/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:53:49 +0000 David Patrick Lane http://www.footballiscominghome.net/?p=984 france-team-photo

Somehow or other France managed to lose their opening qualifier 3-1 in Vienna. (This to the very same Austria who then went to Lithuania and the Faroe Islands on tour with Megadeath. The Austrians came home with only one point, but they make great party and met lots of pretty blond girls.) France has since only dropped two points, the result of a hard fought draw in Romania. Some would say a point gained. A 2-1 home win over Serbia was followed by two dour 1-0 home and away wins against Lithuania. Last week, France won 1-0 in Tórshavn in a game that could have been mistaken for a new age spiritualist retreat. Readers may begin to see a pattern developing here. Extracting thirteen qualifiers from this UEFA lot is not pretty. Even the French have become ugly.

FIFA’s website tends to accentuate the positive with respect to the current French outfit, noting their “potential” while reminding readers that “France has always enjoyed a more cyclical relationship with success”. We too could wax lyrical on the great goalscoring record of Just Fontaine, the “magic diamond” of Tigana, Fernandez, Giresse and Platini, as well as the champion achievements of Blanc, Desailly, Deschamps, Djorkaeff, Thuram, Zidane and Co. Thankfully, there is a more compelling story than the failure of a flaky French coach to harness France’s nouvelle vague. It is the story of the players themselves.


If France can advance to and from the 2nd place playoff, then at the least the World Cup may have interesting French players, if not interesting French football. It is unfortunate the French nouvelle vague has to contend with an oil slick of management and sulky debris.

South Africa will be richer if the migrant stories of Benzema, Ben Afra, and Nasir are woven into the tournament. We hope to to be able to share those stories here, though our “Players Who Won’t Be Missed” series may soon have a sulky French flavour.

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