France 1, Portugal 0

By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
July 5, 2006

Leave it to the French to give this World Cup a sense of deja vu.

Zinedine Zidane had been there before, standing behind the penalty spot, with a chance to gain glory for himself and France.

With sweat dripping off his bald pate, he faced Ricardo Pereira, 12 yards from the goal. And with the composure gained from so many tough games over the years, he kicked the ball just inside the post.

The shot was perfect. Though the goalkeeper correctly chose a dive to his right, the ball barely eluded his fingertips.

In a match that turned on one penalty kick awarded and another denied, Zidane's goal in the 33rd minute gave France a 1-0 victory over Portugal on Wednesday night and a berth against Italy in an all-blue World Cup final, Les Bleus vs. the Azzurri.

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