France vs Mexico

is this the 1130 match?

TEAM NEWS

France coach Raymond Domenech is expected to abandon the 4-3-3 formation that proved ineffective against Uruguay and revert to his preferred 4-2-3-1 system against Mexico, with Jeremy Toulalan and Abou Diaby in front of the defence. Domenech may also be tempted to reinstate forward Thierry Henry to the starting line-up, possibly in place of Nicolas Anelka.
Meanwhile, Fifa has rejected a request from France to call up a new goalkeeper after Cedric Carrasso suffered a thigh muscle injury in training on Monday.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre could opt for Guillermo Ochoa in goal after Oscar Perez's shaky showing against South Africa. Barcelona's Rafael Marquez hurt his right calf muscle in the second half against South Africa but says he is now "100%".
One booking from suspension: Juarez, Torrado (Mexico); Evra, Ribery, Toulalan (France)

MATCH PREVIEW

On 13 July, 1930, the first-ever World Cup match was staged at the Pocitos stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay*. The teams were Mexico and France, the latter arriving on the SS Conte Verde, having set sail from Barcelona on 22 June. French striker Lucient Laurent wrote his name in the record books with the tournament's opening goal, on 19 minutes, as Les Bleus cruised to a 4-1 victory.
The class of 2010 meet in Polokwane on Thursday in a game that neither can afford to lose. Having gate-crashed South Africa's party in the opening match of the tournament, Aguirre's Mexico will relish the opportunity to tackle a French side that appears to be in disarray. Rumours of factions in the dressing room and tensions between players and coach Domenech refuse to go away, and former stars have been queuing up to criticise the team's lacklustre performance against Uruguay.
Even the weather seems to have turned against the French. Downpours in the Western Cape where the team are based have turned their training pitch into a sodden mess. Fellow finalists Denmark refused Domenech permission to use their facilities, leaving France to carry on in less than perfect conditions as they prepare for a game that could define their World Cup.
It all makes for happy reading for Mexico and Aguirre, who is expected to stick with the same team that earned a 1-1 draw with the hosts. That means 22-year-old striker Javier Hernandez will again have to settle for a place on the bench. The Manchester United-bound youngster will be hoping to emulate his grandfather, Tomas Balcazar, who was also 22 when he scored in Mexico's 3-2 defeat to the French in the 1954 finals. Hernandez's father, also called Javier, was a non-playing member of Mexico's 1986 World Cup squad that also featured El Tri boss Aguirre.
*USA v Belgium kicked off at the same time at Parque Central.

MATCH STATS

Head-to-head
- The first game in World Cup history was a 4-1 win for France over Mexico (13 July, 1930).
- Mexico have never beaten France in six previous encounters. Les Bleus have won five and drawn one, scoring 15 goals in the process.
- Their most recent meeting was a 1-0 friendly win for France in May 2006.
France
- Les Bleus have won only one of their last six matches.
- France are unbeaten against CONCACAF teams at the World Cup. In four previous matches they have won three (against Mexico twice and Canada) and drawn one (also against Mexico).
- Les Bleus are playing in their 13th World Cup and have reached two of the last three finals.
Mexico
- Coach Aguirre played five times for his country at the 1986 World Cup, remaining unbeaten against European opposition. Mexico beat Belgium 2-1 in the first round, Bulgaria 2-0 in the second round and they drew 0-0 with Germany in the quarter-finals before being eliminated on penalties (a game in which Aguirre was sent off).
- Aguirre led Mexico at the 2002 World Cup where his record against European opposition was also strong - a 1-0 win over Croatia and a 1-1 draw with Italy.
- Mexico have reached the last 16-stage at the past four World Cup finals.

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)
Assistants Hassan Kamranifar (Iran) and Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)
Fourth official Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_20/default.stm

I am backing Mexico. Hand of Frog be damned.

The Mexico Uruguay game should be a good one!

They just need a draw. Could be awful.

The Mexico Uruguay game should be a good one!