특히 게임메이커 지단(28.유벤투스)은 유연한 볼컨트롤에 이은 재기발랄한 패스로 여러차례 골 찬스를 이끌어내며 쉽게 경기를 풀어갔다.  반면 체코의 네드베드(28.라치오)는 2m2의 장신 공격수 콜레르(27.안드레 레흐트)의 머리를 지나치게 의식, 단조로운 볼 배급으로 위기에 빠진 팀을 구하는데 실패했다. 

첫 골은 체코 수비수의 어의없는 실수로 터졌다. 
 
체코의 최종수비수 가브리엘(27.AC스파르타)이 자기 미드필드진영에서 골키퍼에게 안이하게 연결한 백패스가 프랑스의 앙리(23.아스날)이 발끝에 걸린 것. 앙리는 약 20m를 단독 질주한 후 오른발로 가볍게 차넣어 첫 골을 뽑아냈다. 
 
체코의 반격도 만만찮았다.전반 35분 프랑스 아크 정면을 파고들던 네드베드가 데샹(32.첼시)의 파울로 얻어낸 페널티킥을 포브르스키(28.벤피카)가 성공시켜 1-1 동점을 만들어 낸 것. 
 
이후 일진 일퇴의 공방전을 펼치던 경기는 후반 15분 프랑스의 현란한 패스워크가 빛을 발하며 프랑스쪽으로 기울었다. 
 
하프라인에서 지단의 패스를 이어받은 조르카에프(32.카이저 슬라우탄)가 좌측 코너로 돌진하던 앙리에게 긴 스루패스를 연결했다. 왼쪽 코너를 돌파한 앙리는 지체없이 반대편으로 센터링을 날렸고 볼은 어느새 골문앞까지 쇄도한 조르카에프의 오른발에 걸렸다. 2-1. 
 
1차전에서 네덜란드에 패해 벼랑끝에 선 체코는 골키퍼를 제외한전 선수가 공격에 감담하며 추격의지를 불태웠으나 역부족이었다. 더구나 후반 26분 콜레르의 슛이 크로스바를 맞는등 지독히 골운도 따라주지 않았다. 
 
박해식/동아닷컴 기자 
 

The result gave the French maximum points from their two games, while the loss for the Czechs means that the team with the best and first ever perfect qualifying record of 10-0-0 was likely to become the first team to be eliminated. 

"The Czechs are one of the toughest sides in the tournament, they don't deserve to go out," said French forward Thierry Henry. 
 
Czechs would now have to beat Denmark by a large margin in their last group match and hope the Dutch lose both of their remaining games, the late Friday one to the Dans and their last one to France. 

"Had we converted all our scoring chances, thing would have looked differently," said Czech coach Jozef Chovanec. 

After beating Denmark 3-0 in their opening match, the French went ahead early through Thierry Henry who latched on to an embarrassingly bad back pass from Petr Gabriel after seven minutes. 

"I lost control and was lucky to score," Henry commented on his goal. "I still have to work a lot in training." 

Karel Poborsky, the standout midfield on the field, leveled from the penalty spot in the 35th after a Didier Deschamps foul on Pavel Nedved although there was doubt whethe it was inside the area. 

Substitute Youri Djorkaeff decided the match in the 60th minute, starting and finishing the move after taking an assist from Henry. 

The French, who left Djorkaeff off the starting lineup, were stunned when defender Bixente Lizarazu was injured during the pre-match warmup and had to be replaced on the starting lineup by Vincent Candela. 

The Czechs were unhappy at the goal they conceded two minutes from the end of the game against the Dutch -- a dubious penalty call -- but could have no complaints about the one they handed to the French after only seven minutes. 

Gabriel made a feeble attempt at a back pass towards his own goalkeeper from 35 meters (yards) out and succeeded in giving Henry a clear run at goal. The Arsenal striker, who had two club-mates on the French lineup -- Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira - prodded the ball past advancing goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek for his second goal of the championship. 

Henry went very close to adding to that lead minutes later when he collected a slick through ball from Zinedine Zidane, who charged through the disorganized Czech defense, but the Arsenal forward shot across the face of the goal. 

"I should have killed the match, but unfortunately I missed the chance," Henry said. 

But the Czechs almost hit back at the other end with Jiri Nemec firing too high after a great run and pull back by Poborsky. 

Srnicek made a good near post save from Patrick Vieira before the Czechs drew level in the 35th minute from the penalty spot. 

After Petit had sloppily lost possession in his own half, they pieced together a smart move which ended when Deschamps floored Nedved on the very edge of the penalty area. Referee Poll consulted his English colleague Philip Sharp and awarded a penalty and Poborsky drove the spot kick powerfully home. 

With both teams playing cultured soccer, there were chances at both ends. 

Petit headed a Zidane free kick across the face of the goal and then Poborsky twice fired narrowly wide of the post. Just before half time. Srnicek made another save from the fast breaking Henry. 

Djorkaeff entered the game for Petit for the second half and the Czechs sent on Milan Fukal for Gabriel, who had a poor first half and also collected a yellow card after a series of crunching tackles. 

Nedved, who shrugged off ankle, elbow and knee injuries to make the game, almost snatched the lead for the Czechs early in the second half when he was put clear by Vladimir Smicer's header from Poborsky's through ball but Barthez produced a stunning reaction block to keep out his firmly hit shot. 

It was a warning to France to move up a gear and the World Cup holder, which replaced the disappointing Nicolas Anelka with Christophe Dugarry, rgained the lead in the 60th minute. 

Djorkaeff floated the ball forward to Henry who did well to shrug off a defender on the left and pull the ball back into space just inside the area. Waiting for it was the player who passed to him in the first place and Djorkaeff fired the ball firmly between Srnicek and the post. 

The Czechs, knowing that a second loss would put them out, went close to leveling again when Nedved planted a free kick onto the head of the 2.02m (6-foot-8) Jan Koller whose looping, long range header hit the crossbar and bounced clear. 

It was Koller's second crossbar and the Czech republic's third woodwork in two games. 

"The Czech's aerial attacks were almost impossible to defend against," said France coach Roger Lemerre. "Tactically, the match was difficult to control because the ball was in the air a lot, but our defense was very correct." 

But French defender Laurent Blanc should have added a third for the world champion 11 minutes from the end when he climbed unchallenged to a right wing free kick from Djorkaeff only to direct his header wide. 

Lineups: 

France - Fabien Barthez; Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Laurent Blanc, Vincent Candela; Didier Deschamps, Emmanuel Petit (substitute Youri Djorkaeff 46th), Patrick Vieira, Zinedine Zidane; Thierry Henry (Sylvain Wiltord 90th), Nicolas Anelka (Christophe Dugarry 55th). 

Czech Republic - Pavel Srnicek; Tomas Repka, Karel Rada, Petr Gabriel (Milan Fukal 46th); Pavel Nedved, Radek Bejbl (Vratislav Lokvenc 50th), Jiri Nemec, Karel Poborsky, Tomas Rosicky (Marek Jankulovski 62nd); Jan Koller, Vladimir Smicer. 

Referee - Graham Poll, England. 
Lizarazu, Petit look to shake off injuries 
BRUGES, Belgium (AP) -- Bixente Lizarazu and Emmanuel Petit both picked up injuries in France's 2-1 win against the Czech Republic on Friday but have a chance of playing in the world champion's last group match. 

Left back Lizarazu injured his thigh in the warmup to the match and was immediately replaced in the starting lineup by Vincent Candela. Midfielder Emmanuel Petit injured his left knee and came off at half-time. 

Both players have a chance of being fit for France's final Group D match against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Wednesday. 

But with France almost certain to advance to the quarterfinals, coach Roger Lemerre may decide to rest two players who are regulars in his starting lineup. 
Foreign ministers talk soccer 
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Lofty issues of European integration gave way to soccer for a while at the Czech-French diplomatic summit in Prague. 

"We have found out in our talks that there is no way we can influence the result," said French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine after meeting with his Czech counterpart, Jan Kavan, in Prague on Friday. 

"But we will remain friends no matter who wins," he added refusing to forecast the game's outcome. 

Kavan was less diplomatic, echoing the hurt Czechs felt after a controversial last minute penalty by Italy's Pierluigi Collina gave Holland a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic on Sunday. 

"It's good to know that the match will be decided by Czech and French players and not by an Italian referee," Kavan said. 

Vedrine is in Prague for talks with East European diplomats on the issue of EU's enlargement under the forthcoming French presidency.