Benzema's Two Goals Leads France Over Honduras

Everyone keeps asking what kind of team is France going to field at this year's world cup. We can't seem to forget all the incidents that have brought shame to the team and country. From being eliminated by Senegal in 2002, to Zidane's headbutt in the 2006 final, and the fiasco in the French camp that led to their exit in the group stage. This tournament was all about redemption for a team that lost one of it's key players due to injury. For Honduras, it was all about being able to get on the scoreboard as they failed to do in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. France definitely showed the world what kind of team they were right in the first half as Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann, and Blaise Matuidi all missed opportunities early that either hit the crossbar or it went over the net. It would take long before France was able to strike first blood as Wilson Palacios takes down Paul Pogba in the box causing himself to receive a second yellow which equals an automatic red card. Benzema steps up to the penalty spot and the striker doesn't miss as he puts France up 1 to 0.

In the second half, Benzema would strike again, but he wouldn't receive the credit for the goal. Benzema would get a cross that he nails, but the ball hits the post. As the ball is travelling across the goal, Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares tried to make the save, but it would cross the line for what FIFA labeled an own goal. Later in the second half, France would be awarded a free kick right near the goal kick line after Mathieu Valbuena was taken down. After the free kick was taken, it would ricochet off of Patrice Evra and it would find the foot of Benzema who blasts it right past Valladares for the third and final goal of the game. We can argue that Benzema should have been awarded the second goal to give him the hat trick on the day, but I was very impressed with the way France played the game. Their passes were almost flawless and they attacked the net when the chances were there. Honduras needs to go back to the drawing board if they want to succeed and they'll have to do it without Palacios. I just wanted to add one more thing and this is a message to FIFA. That second goal should be evidence enough that goal line technology needs to stay in the game of futbol. We saw that it worked in the Australia game and it worked in this game.