Preview
Spain v FranceSpain wants to shed a tag as an underachiever. France wants to prove it's not too old to win. Youth and ambition will face experience and desire in the second round of the World Cup.
"Spain are younger than us, but we have more experience," France defender Eric Abidal said. "They have vivacity, speed, but we're more technical and we have strikers that can make more of a difference."
PHOTO: AP
Spain goes into today's matchup after securing the Group H victory with three straight wins. France had to settle for second place in Group G with two draws before a 2-0 win against Togo.
"They ended up in second place for a reason. I don't think that it was by accident," Spain striker Fernando Torres said. "We know that it is a great team, and we have respect for them as [former] world champions, but we don't have any fear."
Between racial insults, missed penalties and individual rivalries, there are plenty of scores to settle as the two European soccer powers clash for a spot in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Spain has never won a competitive match against France, a fact that irks the Iberians as much as their failure to win a World Cup title.
Spain have not advanced past the World Cup quarter-finals since placing fourth in 1950. France won the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship two years later.
Many of the world champions are still on the team, including Lilian Thuram, Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane, who is retiring after the World Cup.
"It's a fast team, with Henry up top," Spain defender Pablo Ibanez said. "They know how to control the ball, but they also have weak spots, which we will try to exploit."
The match in Hanover will provide some less-than cheerful reunions.
Spain coach Luis Aragones and Henry are not the best of friends after Aragones' used a racist remark in referring to the France striker while trying to motivate Jose Antonio Reyes, an Arsenal teammate of Henry.
Henry said he had put the 2004 incident behind him.
"The whole affair has been closed for me for a long time now," he said.
For Henry, today's game in Hanover will also offer a rematch against Spain's defensive commander, Carles Puyol of Barcelona. The two last met in May when Arsenal lost the European Champions League final to Barcelona.
"He [Henry] might be a bit hurt about the Champions League final that Barcelona won, and in that sense he may be seeking a revenge against Puyol," said defender Juanito Gutierrez, who headed in Spain's goal in Friday's 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
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