Allez les bleus...(28/6)

(sources of photos: http://www.figaro.fr & http://www.lesechos.fr)
We got today the headlines...
- "...l’amour-propre et l’expérience ont offert aux Bleus une qualification précieuse. Ils affichent désormais une motivation exceptionnelle avant d’affronter, samedi, le Brésil." (Le Figaro)
- "...le glas sonne pour l'Espagne, les cloches de la victoire pour les Bleus." (le Monde)
- "La Retraite Attendra" (Metro France)
- "Muchas Gracias les Bleus!" (Metro France)
- "¡Vamos!" (Libération)
- "...en réussissant l'un de ses plus beaux matches depuis l'Euro2000, la France s'est offert mardi soir une seconde jeunesse et a ranimé des espoirs que l'on croyait enfouis sous des années de déception." (yahoo.fr)

I was in an Irish pub with my friends and the French supporters last night. The French team was looked down with their disappointing performance in previous games. The Spanish thought they could win the game. Their team is young and motivated. They got their first goal in first half. I was as worried as other French spectators. Ribery got his goal no. 1 before the break. The pub was thundered with released joy and hope. French was playing more decisive and collective in the match. Viera became a decision maker again, but to me, the goal of Zizou was significantly gorgeous. He was playing in hard time against all the pressure, problem of aging and fitness. Perhaps this could be his last goal in his soccer career, but he finished it in style. I was worried that he could end his career with a last minute substitution in the match against South Korea last week. For sure, ça fait beaucoup plus belle maintenant! Playing the game against Brazil offers him "encore" an extension of his passion to soccer.
Paris was flogged with horning cars and flying tricolores flags in the evening. The city was in joy. The sentiment was something I missed for long time in the city, frankly.