Croatia - France 2:2

Croatia's Dado Prso, 2nd right, is mobbed by his teammates after scoring his sides second goal during the Euro
2004 Group B soccer match between France and Croatia at the Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa Stadium in Leiria,
Portugal, Thursday June 17, 2004. The other teams in Group B are Switzerland and England. (AP
Photo/Michael Sohn)

France's goalkeeper Fabien Barthez (C) fails to stop a penalty kick from Croatia's Milan Rapaic (C Rear) in
their Euro 2004 Group B soccer match at the Magalhaes Pessoa stadium in Leiria, June 17, 2004.
REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

Croatia's Dado Prso, right, cheers after scoring with teammate Dovani Rosso during the Euro 2004 Group B
soccer match between France and Croatia at the Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa Stadium in Leiria, Portugal, Thursday
June 17, 2004. The other teams in Group B are Switzerland and England. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Euro-Croatia hold champions France to 2-2 draw
Thu 17 June, 2004 21:36

LEIRIA, Portugal, June 17 (Reuters) - Champions France showed defensive frailty again before fighting back to
earn a 2-2 draw with Croatia at Euro 2004 on Thursday.

Croatia scored twice in four minutes early in the second half through a Milan Rapaic penalty and a lashed shot
from Dado Prso to take a 2-1 advantage.

France had taken a first half lead in the 22nd minute when a curling Zinedine Zidane free kick took a slight
deflection off Croatian defender Igor Tudor, who was credited with an own goal. France, who won their first
match 2-1 against England with two stoppage time goals after going a goal down and then conceding a penalty,
saved by Fabien Barthez, equalised in the 64th after David Trezeguet took advantage of a poor back pass.

France top Group B on four points and need just a draw from their final match with Switzerland to reach the
quarter-finals. Croatia, who have two points, must beat England in their last game.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=5451193&section=news


CROATIA v FRANCE MIN-BY-MIN
Full-time: Croatia 2 France 2

90 min: Olic shows tremendous pace to brush past Sagnol and reach the bye-line but Mornar pounces on the
cut-back and blasts over the bar from just five yards.

90 min: Pires tries to carve his way through the defence but goes down trying to squeeze through a minute gap
and gets no penalty.

90 min: There will be three extra minutes.

90 min: Butina makes two superb saves firstly from Pires' angled drive and then from Henry's follow-up.

89 min: Pires is bundled over by Niko Kovac as he tries to start a quick counter.

88 min: Pires is body-checked by Simunic and his own free kick is belted clear by Mornar.

87 min: Croatia bring on Ivica Mornar for Rapaic.

86 min: Henry tries to turn and feed Pires but the rugged Croatia back-line block the move.

85 min: Sagnol makes a first foray forward but his ball aimed at Pires is cut out by Simunic.

84 min: Prso almost escapes again as France reorganise at the back but Thuram uses his pace to recover and
snuff out the danger.

83 min: France make their last change with Willy Sagnol on for Gallas.

82 min: Simunic uses the long ball in search of Prso but the flag is up for offside.

81 min: Barthez drops the ball after colliding with a back-pedalling Thuram but Prso cannot profit from the loose
ball.

80 min: Dacourt makes way for Benoit Pedretti.

79 min: Leko is yellow-carded for a body-check as Henry tries to burst clear.

78 min: Prso shakes off Gallas and surges into the area but his shot is blocked and Olic screws the rebound
wide.

77 min: Zidane almost slaloms his way through the Croatian defence but slips over as he reaches the penalty area
and loses possession.

76 min: Clever work by Gallas tricks Olic near the corner flag but Tudor beats Trezeguet to his cross.

75 min: A huge punt forward by Desailly almost bounces over Butina's head in goal but he recovers his ground to
avoid the embarrassment.

74 min: Zidane sends Pires scampering down the right but his cross is too close to the keeper.

73 min: Croatia replace Sokota with Ivica Olic who started the first match against Switzerland.

72 min: Henry nods down Zidane's chip and Trezeguet blasts the bouncing ball high and wide.

71 min: Croatia are defending deeper and deeper but Leko makes a rare foray forward but Desailly holds him
off to win the ball.

70 min: France bring on Robert Pires for Wiltord.

69 min: France attack again with Gallas down the right but Simunic blocks his run at the expense of a throw.

68 min: Henry's corner is headed out to Dacourt whose volley smacks into a crowd of Craotain bodies in the
area.

67 min: Bjelica is replaced by Jerko Leko.

66 min: Gallas falls over when racing into the area and Croatia break quickly but Prso wastes the chance by
trying to chip Barthez from 50 yards and the keeper gathers easily.

64 min: GOAL TREZEGUET. France are level in controversial fashion as Tudor's poor back-pass is too short
for keeper Butina whose clearance hits Trezeguet on the arm and falls for the Juventus striker to tap into an
empty net.

64 min: Gallas threads a ball into Trezeguet and his sharp lay-off to Henry ends with a snap-shot that Butina
holds well.

63 min: Vieira and Henry work a one-two but the long leg of Robert Kovac foils them on the edge of the area.

62 min: Zidane's flag kick flies to the far post and straight to Wiltord and is miscontrolled when in a good
shooting position.

61 min: Zidane's dead ball hits the wall but goes for a corner.

60 min: Vieira is tripped 30 yards from goal and Zidane stands over the ball.

59 min: Poor clearance from Simunic falls to Dacourt but he loses possession and is then booked for dragging
back Niko Kovac.

58 min: Croatia break quickly and it's two against two but Gallas does well to block Sokota's shot.

57 min: France pour forward in search of the equaliser but Rosso blocks another cross from Silvestre.

56 min: Henry steps inside Tudor and drills a low shot that Butina scrambles across goal to save.

55 min: Zidane's flick falls to Henry but he is robbed by a robust tackle from Robert Kovac.

54 min: Vieira fires a ball into the area for Henry but it is too hot to control.

53 min: Wiltord cuts into the Croatia area and drills a low shot that Butina does well to parry away from Henry.

52 min: GOAL PRSO. Desailly fails to clear a simple bouncing ball and Prso rockets a left-foot shot into the roof
of the net.

51 min: Rosso attacks down the right, feeds Prso and his lay-back goes to Nenad Bjelica who fires wide.

50 min: Vieria looks for Henry but Robert Kovac cuts out the through ball.

49 min: Suddenly France need to raise their game to assert their superiority.

48 min: GOAL RAPAIC. Silvestre trips Rosso from behind and the Croatian makes a meal of it but the referee
gives a penalty. Rapaic steps up and drills the penalty into the bottom corner giving Barthez no chance. 47 min:
Wiltord's low cross only just eludes an unmarked Henry in the middle.

46 min: The second half gets under way with no changes to either side.

Half-time: Croatia 0 France 1

45 min: There will be one extra minute.

44 min:Niko Kovac at last forces Barthez into a decent save down to his left with a 30-yard shot.

43 min: Henry takes a short corner to Zidane standing just inside the area and his extravagant overhead
back-heel finds Gallas arriving at the far post but the Chelsea defender heads wide from five yards.

42 min: Croatia are offering little threat now and France are dominating possession with Henry winning a corner
after a searing run.

41 min: Zidane looks long for the lurking Henry but Robert Kovac is across to snuff out the danger.

40 min Tudor is booked for a late tackle on Vieira.

39 min: Simic's far-post cross is easy pickings again for Barthez.

38 min: Zidane and Wiltord combine well to set Trezeguet free but his tame shot gets a lucky deflection to win a
corner.

37 min: Zidane tricks Niko Kovac with a cute back-heel but when he feeds it to Silvestre, the cross is headed
away by the obdurate Robert Kovac.

36 min: Eventually they come back and take the free kick but waste possession easily.

35 min: Dacourt is now penalised for a foul on Nico Kovac even though Croatia carry on playing regardless.

34 min: Prso's persistence forces Silvestre into a hurried clearance but Zidane's silky touch rescues possession.

33 min: Vieira is booked for a late tackle on Rapaic.

32 min: Sokota gets on the end of Nico Kovac's long ball but he brings it down only for Thuram to nip and rob
him.

31 min: Henry's corner causes panic in the box as Desailly tries to lay it back to Vieira but Sokota steps in to
clear.

30 min: A terrific one-two between Trezeguet and Wiltord ends with Robert Kovac stopping the Arsenal winger
at the expense of a corner.

29 min: Niko Kovac makes good progress down the right but his abysmal cross is straight into Barthez's hands.

28 min: Prso attacks down the right but Silvestre and Desailly combine to foil him.

27 min: Rapaic swings a better cross in to the French area but Desailly repels it with a powerful clearing header.

26 min: Dario Simic cuts out Vieira's cross as Trezeguet is waiting just behind.

25 min: Rosso tries another long-range shot and though it's better than his previous effort, it still flies over the bar.

24 min: Zidane tries to trick the keeper by curling it towards the near post with everyone waiting further over but
it hits the side-netting though the keeper had it covered.

23 min: Croatai concede another free kick just outside the left corner of the area when Wiltord is felled.

22 min: GOAL TUDOR OG. Zidane's free kick is bent viciously into the area and goes off the back of Tudor's
leg and nestles in the corner with keeper Tomislav Butina a spectator.

22 min: Zidane teases the right flank again and is stopped illegally five yards from the area. 21 min: Prso finds
space in the box and works a crossing position but Thuram is able to chest a poor centre down and clear.

20 min: A spell of French keep-ball ends with Henry beaten to the ball by Tudor.

19 min: Rapaic slips a good inside pass to Niko Kovac but his threaded pass to Prso is well intercepted by
Desailly.

18 min: A decent attack from Croatia ends with a wasted cross from Rosso in a good position.

17 min: Wiltord's through ball sees Henry flagged offside but TV replays suggest the decision is wrong.

16 min: Desailly heads Rapaic's cross only out to Giovanni Rosso whose snap-shot scuttles along the ground to
Fabien Barthez.

15 min: Zidane is left alone and this time he hit the top of the wall and the rebound is switched across to Wiltord
who slices horribly wide from the corner of the area.

14 min: Zidane is shoved over 30 yards from goal and a host of players are queueing up to have a crack.

13 min: Trezeguet is caught marginally offside as he chases Wiltord's through ball.

12 min: Prso refrains from shooting on the edge of the area and tries to find Rapaic out wide and the chance is
lost as the centre is charged down.

11 min: Henry takes over flag kick duties but only finds a Croatian head in the area.

10 min: Henry almost gets a low cross into the path of David Trezeguet but an outstretched leg from Tudor
concedes another corner.

9 min: Croatia have plenty behind the ball as Zidane tries to send Wiltord away down the right.

8 min: Henry swivels gracefully on Dacourt's pass and whips a shot two feet wide.

7 min: France win another corner and Zidane's second flag kick is headed away by Robert Kovac yet again.

6 min: Dado Prso leads a Croatian counter but Rapaic loses possession to Desailly.

5 min: France break quickly with Thierry Henry racing past two Croatian defenders before Tudor gets a foot in
to halt his progress just outside the area.

4 min: Lilian Thuram is penalised for a foul on Tomo Sokota and Rapaic's free kick finds Sokota on the far post
but his nod-down only falls to Patrick Vieira.

3 min: Zinedine Zidane takes France's first corner but Robert Kovac heads clear.

2 min: France attack from the start with Wiltord trying to get down the right but being halted by Josip Simunic.

1 min: Referee Kim Milton Nielsen gets the match under way.

Pre-match: France make two changes from the side that beat England 2-1 in their Group B opener. Robert
Pires, Claude Makelele and Bixente Lizarazu are all rested with Sylvain Wiltord, Olivier Dacourt and Marcel
Desailly brought in. Mikael Silvestre moves to left-back while Wiltord plays wide right and Dacourt slots into the
heart of midfield. Croatia also make three changes with Igor Tudor restored after suspension while Milan Rapaic
and Dovani Rosso came in for Ivica Mornar and Ivica Olic in midfield.

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