Before the match starts, a few things to know about the game and the actors would be nice, isn’t it?

The match
Germany-Portugal, 21:00, Stuttgart
“We want to put on a good team performance and end our World Cup with a win,” said Jurgen Klinsmann, after reiterating that he was satisfied with his players’ efforts despite the […]

France goes on and has a chance at their second World Cup. But the game had both heroes and villans.

Yet just as there are always winners and losers in a semi-final tie, so there are those who experience contrasting fortunes. In Munich, it was the captains who were the central protagonists. Zinedine Zidane enjoyed […]

Well, Scolari didn’t repeat the last World Cup run with Brazil, when he won the World Cup, but he was close, while Raymond Domenech was never expected to get that far: a final against Italy.

Luiz Felipe SCOLARI (POR)
I’ve nothing to say about the referee; he makes whatever decisions he has to. I don’t think France […]

Here is a short analysis of the second semifinal from an expert: Rodrigo KENTON (CRC).

I thought the match was very even in the beginning. Little by little, however, France started to take control of the match because their outstanding players such as Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira began to get more and more […]

In a match in which defences meant that much, it was almost for sure that a defender would win the title of Man of the Match: Lilian Thuram.

France’s Lilian Thuram was flawless at the back for Les Bleus as he combined with fellow centre-back William Gallas to frustrate Portugal’s attackers during France’s 1-0 semi-final win […]

French players are back in the final, while Portugal’s players feel they have missed a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Lilian THURAM (FRA), Budweiser Man of the Match
We didn’t play a great match because we kept losing too many balls, but every one of us fought hard for the team. Once again, we showed the immense […]

Two important figures in football in the past decade, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane will be okaying their last games in a World Cup in their respective last games: the final or the game for places 3-4.

As far as international football history is concerned, Wednesday’s semi-final between Portugal and France is far more than just […]

Zidane from the spot, Ricardo the goalkeeper!!!!! (best goalkeeper)
1-0 France. Perfect penalty!

There are some (a lot of, actually) players in both France and Portugal teams that might not play the final if they get another yellow card (and their team qualifies, of course).

For the French, six players go into Wednesday’s semi-final with the sword of Damocles hanging over them: Lilian Thuram, Willy Sagnol, Patrick Vieira, […]

Portugal is starting to dream: they really want to go home being the World Cup winners. And their coach, Brazil’s Scolari, wants to repeat his previous attempt with Brazil, 4 years ago.

“It’s true to say that historically we’re at a disadvantage against France, but nothing is definite. This team (Portugal) have stood out because […]