Les Bleus vs Azzuris on Sunday

FRENCH nationals gathered at Rafters Restaurant and Pub started merrily chanting “on est la finale” (we are in the final) when the referee blew the whistle to end yesterday’s World Cup semi-final match between the French and Portugese, which Les Bleus won 1-0.

The French owed their berth in this Sunday’s final against Italy to a 33rd minute penalty converted by their talisman Zinedine Zidane.

For the majority of the game, French supporters appeared very anxious. When the final whistle blew, they were relieved but ecstatic. Earlier, there was a lusty round of applause after the singing of “Marseilles” — the French national anthem — before the start of the game. But the first shot on the French goal in the ninth minute brought gasps from the fans.

However, when Thierry Henry was brought down and a penalty awarded to France, excitement pervaded the pub. Loud cheers filled the restaurant to the rafters as Zidane sent the ball into the net.

The excitement started to build, but that was changed two minutes later to anxiety again when there was a shot on the French goal. Fans breathed a sigh of relief and happily applauded when they saw their goalkeeper Fabien Bartez clutch the ball. However, four minutes later when Portugal striker Christiano Ronaldo sent a ball in the direction of the goalie, there were more gasps.

Embassy personnel Loic Huet, Fabienne Rosear and Rebecca Balin, who were among the French nationals at the pub, tried their best to mask their anxiety during half-time.

The anxiety carried over into the second half as Portugal laid seige on the French half of the field. One minute before regulation time, the fans started singing in french, “where are they? The Portugese.” That was shortlived when they saw that four more minutes of stoppage time was added. Four more minutes of anxiety. The last save by Bartez produced loud cheers that got even louder with the final whistle, followed by hugs, high fives and the singing of “On est la finale.”

When asked what is he expecting in the final game on Sunday, a French fan said, “I don’t know what is going to happen in the final...but it is going to be huge.” All the fans then flocked to the bar area to share a victory drink. French Ambassador Charley Causeret who took in the game at the Embassy office on Maraval Road could not be reached for a comment on the outcome of the game.