World Cup: Five Star France Thrashes Switzerland

France's history at major tournaments recently suggests no one should be calling “Les Bleus” title contenders at this year's World Cup just yet but after Friday's game against Switzerland even the team's harshest critics must be optimistic.

France crushed Switzerland 5-2 in Salvador and almost booked its spot in the second round with two wins from as many games in Group E. The last time the French went 2-0 to start a World Cup, it won the title on home soil in 1998.

Now that's a good omen.
Things could still go wrong, however. Look at the European Championships two years ago, when Laurent Blanc led a long unbeaten French side to Poland and Ukraine. Still unbeaten and already qualified for the quarterfinals with a game to spare, France came unstuck in a dead rubber against Sweden and subsequently crumbled against Spain.

The infighting, present in South Africa in 2010, resurfaced.

Current French boss Didier Deschamps — Blanc's teammate on the World Cup winning squad — is so far managing to keep the side unified and has found a way to unlock striker Karim Benzema.

Benzema netted twice against Honduras in the opening 3-0 victory and scored again against the fragile Swiss, adding two assists. France threatened to score almost every time it went forward.

Striker Olivier Giroud was hoping for a start against the Swiss and Deschamps duly inserted the Arsenal man into the lineup. He repaid his manager with a header in the 17th minute and less than a minute later, the French realistically put the Swiss away as Blaise Matuidi beat keeper Diego Benaglio with a low shot to the near post.

It would have been three had Benzema not seen his penalty saved by Benaglio.

The football was still free flowing and it came as no surprise when Giroud set up Mathieu Valbuena from close range in the 40th minute.

Benzema made it four in the 67th minute before Moussa Sissoko further humbled the Swiss six minutes later.

Two Swiss goals in the final 10 minutes made the score respectable. Blerim Dzemaili beat Hugo Lloris with a low free kick in the 81st minute and Granit Xhaka cut the deficit to three in the 87th.

CNN