Check out Deng Zhuoxiang’s wickedly swerving free kick in the 67th minute.
It starts off to Hugo Lloris’s left, the French goalkeeper position himself, everything is going swimmingly for a routine pick up when the ball catches a thermal and swerves to the right. Lloris already committed is left prostrate on the ground with his body one way and the arms the other in a futile attempt to keep the ball away from goal. Jabulani magic.
France looked a whole like Arsenal and given the club’s weight on the national squad with present players and alumni, it well could have been Wenger on the sideline suffering deja vu. Lots of nice possession and plenty of it but the final product? Sorely lacking. Plus, the Chinese goalkeeper was very, very good. It took China just one chance but it was enough.