With a history and tradition of national team success, one that comes with European championships, World Cup titles, and an undeniable resume, French players and coaches are undoubtedly feeling a weight on their shoulders as they vie for one of the four remaining European spots in the World Cup.
France is ranked 9th in the fifa world rankings but will have a significant test in the 34th ranked Republic of Ireland squad. Having reached the 2006 World Cup finals, expectations remain high for the French side, even without their captain and backbone Zinadine Zidane retired.
Ireland, who will open up the to two game aggregate series in Dublin on November 14th, has not lost a game in qualifying and is one of the teams that France had hoped to avoid. Though some controversy has surrounded the roster snub of Blackburn's oft injured Andy Reid, manager Giovanni Trapatonni is confident in his choices. "The team is now balanced. I cannot change now. We have a mentality to beat France. We performed strongly throughout the group stages. We were undefeated in ten games and this is a reflection of how we have played and also the mental strength of this team," he said.
It is this mental strength, and an ability to take advantage of playing at home that scares the French side. They will continue to rely on Thierry Henry, their leading scorer in qualifying. Henry is unquestionably aging, as he seems a step slower on the pitch, but he remains the go to guy and one of the best creators and finishers on the planet.
Another concern for France will be the the loss of Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery with a knee injury. His creativity on the field has been a catalyst for the French since the previous World Cup.
Ireland will be leaning on Robbie Keane, who leads the team with five goals in qualifying. He leads a team that possesses the necessary physical and mental toughness to knock off the 9th best team in the world, and end their run at a 4th consecutive World Cup appearance.
South Africa awaits one of these nations. On November 18th, the eyes of a continent will be on Saint Denis, France as Ireland tries to shock the soccer world.
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