Foes face a balancing act

Preview One word perfectly describes the respective dilemmas faced by both teams' camps as they ready for a World Cup showdown: balance.

Oscar Tabarez, Uruguay's coach, shouts instructions to his players during training in Cape Town yesterday.

JOHANNESBURG // As Group A rivals France and Uruguay prepare to lock horns in Cape Town tonight, one word perfectly describes the respective dilemmas faced by both teams' camps as they ready for a World Cup showdown: balance. Or rather, the pursuit of it. For France, reported clashes between young, emerging players and veterans have disrupted manager Raymond Domenech's preparations.

With France only getting to the finals courtesy of Thierry Henry's infamous handball in the second leg of European qualifiers against Ireland, public optimism in Les Bleus' South African fortunes took another knock last week. The team, at full strength, suffered an embarrassing 1-0 friendly defeat to Asian minnows China. In what will be his final international duty, Domenech, who will surrender the coaching role to Laurent Blanc, the World Cup-winning captain of 1998, following the end of the tournament, will want to go out on a high. To do so, he must find the right blend of energy and experience.

The difficulty in that job, according to Arsene Wenger, the French manager of English Premier League side Arsenal, is discovering the recipe in a punishing tournament format where France's opponents will look to frustrate the group favourites. "The whole country has a feeling that we shouldn't be here and, as well as that, [the team] have not been convincing," Wenger said. "France have good players, but they have not been convincing against poor teams - and by that I mean teams who defend very deep. When teams play deep and tight, we are not efficient enough.

"France have great players like [Nicolas] Anelka, [Franck] Ribery, [Florent] Malouda and [Yoann] Gourcuff, so I cannot see why we shouldn't be dangerous against any team." A player not mentioned by Wenger was Thierry Henry. One of the squad's most seasoned professionals, France's all-time leading scorer has reportedly agreed to be deployed as what L'Equipe newspaper dubbed a "joker de luxe," or "super sub."

For Uruguay, the issue is not in-camp hostility, but deciphering the best formation to ensure a supply of ammunition for the potentially lethal strike-force of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez. To attack effectively, Uruguay must consider their notoriously porous defence. The World Cup squad won only once in eight matches - conceding 12 goals in the process - against the four other South American sides that have qualified for South Africa - Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Argentina.

Mindful of exerting undue pressure on his troops, Oscar Tabarez, the Uruguay coach, openly confessed his side's limitations. "Why would we be the favourites after being inconsistent in qualifying?" Tabarez said. "We want to be seen as favourites, but we need to show why on the field." With Domenech keeping his team's final complexion close to his chest, Tabarez surprisingly announced his starting line-up late on Wednesday evening. The former AC Milan coach named Mauricio Victorino, a third central defender, and midfield man Egidio Arevalo in his starting XI - the only two changes to the team that thumped Israel 4-1 last month.

Tabarez's 3-5-2 line-up should allow Uruguay to shift between three and five players in defence, depending on the flow of the match. Arevalo joins Uruguay's captain Diego Lugano and Diego Godin at the back, where wing backs Maxi and Alvaro Pereira can provide further support if France take control. "You have to keep in mind the strength of the rival, which is the starting point for all one can do defensively," Tabarez added. "We also have to put them under pressure when we have the ball. They won't dictate how we play our football, they will have a lot of respect for our team." @Email:[e-mail] FRANCE URUGUAY
Group A analysis

? Luis Suarez v William Gallas It cannot get any simpler: unstoppable striker versus immovable defender. Gallas will need to be at his commanding best to snuff out the threat of Suarez (below), but if the Uruguayan manages to transfer his superlative club form with Ajax to the international stage, Gallas could well end the World Cup's opening day on the losing side. ? Martin Cacares v Franck Ribery France's Ribery, the Bayern Munich midfielder, will likely be handed a free role but the classy forward is guaranteed to pop up down his preferred left flank. Concentration will be key for Uruguay right-back Cacares; he most not get blindsided by the intelligent movement of France's chief attacking threat. Tactical analysis Expect early proceedings to be cagey. Uruguay will aim not to concede and, having struggled to gel during pre-tournament qualifiers, France will be wary of allowing nerves to restrict their possession-orientated play. Player to watch Luis Suarez: He was prolific for Ajax last season and with Diego Forlan a fitness doubt, the stage is set for him to shine. Last meeting The teams have played out two 0-0 draws in recent years. One was a friendly, in 2008. The other, more significantly, at the 2002 World Cup saw Thierry Henry sent off and France crash out at the group stages. Did you know? France were involved in the first ever World Cup match, a 4-1 win over Mexico in Uruguay in 1930. The hosts won the tournament, their first of two triumphs.