World Cup - France 0 Denmark 2

Denmark dumped holders France out of the World Cup finals with a deserved win in Incheon.

France become the first title holders to miss out on the second round since Brazil in 19866 and they did not score a goal at this World Cup.

Jon Dahl Tomasson was clear to strike in a good low cross from the left by substitute Jesper Gronkjaer on 66 minutes to kill off France with a neat finish and leave France chasing 4 goals in the last twenty minutes and a totally lost cause.

France opened the second half well with a much faster tempo and in the 51st minute Marcel Desailly sent a soaring header against the angle of post and bar from a driven corner kick. It was the fourth time in three games that France had hit the frame of the goal.

Martin Laursen and Rene Henriksen then managed to catch the French strikers off side when other attacks were mounted.

The opening was scrappy and concentrated in midfield with Christian Poulsen marking Zinedine Zidane well.

David Trezeguet had the first real chance when Jon Dahl Tomasson wasted possession in midfield and Sylvain Wiltord broke through the middle to play in Trezeguet after Rene Henriksen slipped but his shot was saved easily by a low dive from Tomas Sorensen.

Zidane almost reached a perceptive ball through from Christophe Dugarry in the 21st minute but he fell forward trying to control the ball as it came down and then got up feeling his bandaged left thigh.

Seconds later France conceded the goal.

Dennis Rommedahl was well clear of Vincente Candela to side foot in an angled cross to the left hand post after France had failed to clear an earlier ball forward.

Trezeguet headed down for Sorensen to save on the half hour but Zidane produced the moment of true first half magic as he robbed Rommedahl on the edge of the penalty area and then sent in a curling shot just past the edge of the post with Sorensen misplaced.

The Danish goalkeeper saved well at Trezeguet’s feet in the 43rd minute and gathered a low drive from Sylvain Wiltord after he cut inside from the right to hit a left foot shot.

Patrick Vieira was replaced by Johan Micoud with twenty minutes to go and he was dismal with Claude Makalele failing to make an impression in midfield.

Substitute Djibril Cisse almost forced Sorensen to throw the ball into his own net with a brilliant volley on 73 minutes with Wiltord testing Sorsensen a minute later with a low drive that was caught comfortably.

Gronkjaer then hurt his right knee making a clearance with all the Danish substitutes made by coach Morten Olsen to reduce the Danes to ten men. Gronkjaer limped on as did France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez who was limping and trying to protect his left leg throughout the game.

Substitute Bogelund crashed a shot past the post when clear in the 84th minute as France’s reign as world champions died on its feet.

Sometimes a World Cup just passes you by as this one did to France.