Gregory Coupet

Anthony Reveillere  (Lamine Diatta 46)
Claudio Roberto Cacapa (c)
Cristiano Cris
Jeremy Berthod (Sylvain Monsoreau 52) 

Michael Essien (Jeremy Clement 74)
Mahamadou Diarra (Hatem Ben Arfa 59)
Florent Malouda
Benoit Pedretti

Sylvain Wiltord (Pierre-Alain Frau 59)
Sydney Govou

Unused subs: 
Joan Hartock
Remy Vercoutre
Francois Clerc
Honorato Nilmar
Karim Benzema
John Carew

Cerny

Kelly
King
Gardner 
Edman (Bunjevcevic 37)

Routledge
Tainio (Mendes 46 [Marney 89])
Carrick
Reid

Mido (Kanoute 68)
Keane (Defoe 66)

Unused subs: 
Fulop
Burch
Yeates
Davenport
Huddlestone
Lennon
El-Hamdaoui

Ben Arfa (p) 75

Tottenham Hotspur

Berthod own goal  7
Keane  9
Keane  45

   
Cris (knee in Mido's head) 36
Essien (foul) 66    

       
Mido (retaliation) 36

It’s a long way to Korea and the TV is a wonderful invention, so the game’s appearance on British Eurosport was a real boon.  Seeing the washed out pictures from Asia and the new kit set against the red (evil) of Lyon, made it an occasion, with the stadium half-full of locals with faux Spurs shirts on and travelling Spurs fans sweating in the humidity.

The game started slowly, unsurprisingly, with Lyon knocking the ball about and trying to find ex-Gooner Wiltord up front, but Ledders showed he had class to spare as he brought the ball out up the right wing with great confidence.  Spurs were looking for an outlet ball and Wayne Routledge was the main target, with a good bit of control and a shot drilled across the face of goal.  Keano was a livewire and was clipped as he went into the area, but he chose to stay on his feet and the moment was gone with no whistle from the ref.

Six and a half minutes gone and Spurs went ahead.  Routledge played Stephen Kelly in outside him on the right wing and the defender’s early cross was headed at the near post by Berthod, beating his own goalkeeper at the near post as he went for the cross.  It had been a good piece of build-up as Spurs had moved the ball seamlessly from left to right wing and the cross brought the goal.

A neat bit of interplay between Mido and Reid saw the Irishman play a ball down the left wing and Mido played a first time ball into the box to find Robbie Keane running in

between two red-shirted defenders to nod past Coupet in the Lyon goal for 2-0 with nine minutes gone.  It was a classic breakaway goal and I must admit I thought it more likely that would come from the other side, where Wayne would use his pace, but Mido intelligently ran into an area where Reid played the ball and put in an inviting cross.  The camera focussed on Lyon manager Gerard Houllier looking glum.  You know that expression … the one he always wore on the Liverpool bench !!

Lyon realised they had to do something and Wiltord hit a head high shot straight at Cerny, while Spurs nearly made it three with a repeat of goal number two, but Coupet caught the cross just before Keane could get his head to it. 

The much vaunted appearance of Michael Essien caused a ripple of excitement at the beginning of the match, but he looked out of shape, having missed the previous couple of games after being sent off.  So much for the Peace Cup !!  He raged around the pitch and was embarrassed by Routledge’s tricks later in the match, so his HUGE price tag is a real piece of brinkmanship by the Lyon chairman, as he didn’t look worth £27 million, let alone the £32 plus Tiago they were asking.

Lyon did hit the post, but an offside flag was raised and the Essien did get involved by winning a ball and putting a low pass in to Wiltord, but Cerny made a good low save to continue his impressive performances in this tournament.  He was also out quick to smother Malouda’s attempt to latch onto a long through pass.  Andy Reid responded by hitting a fierce rising drive after cutting inside from the left wing, producing a tip over from the goalie.

Lyon were still keeping the ball by passing among their defenders and when they did look to play a forward pass, it was invariably off target and Spurs picked up possession again.

Their slow pace helped Spurs take a breather as the heat and humidity soaked their shirts, but it didn’t stop Reid nut-megging his defender in the box and knocking a dinked cross to Mido at the far post and his knock-down was ideal for Keane until a defender knocked it onto Robbie’s hand and the whistle went.  Malouda went down under Wayne’s challenge, but it was a Spurs shirt being pulled and then the same player shot at Cerny.  Temperature rose in the rising temperatures, with Mido getting a booking for getting kneed in the head, along with the guilty party.

Bunjy came on for a seemingly untroubled Edman and had time to perform a couple of drag-backs !!  Cerny once more denied Wiltord as he got on the end of a Pedretti pass, but into injury time, a Mido nutmeg found Reid and he returned the ball, for the Egyptian to play a low ball to the far pat and Robbie Keane ran on to it ten yards out to shot home the third.  Cue goggle eyes and outstretched arms from Houllier !!

Half time should have seen Lyon spark a revival, but their play still seemed one paced.  Spurs coped with the ball thrown forward and the French shooting was well off target, so little direct threat arose until the hour, when King blocked a shot from Govou, another player who failed to live up to his reputation.  I am glad we didn’t go for him on this showing.

Before that Reid curled another 25-yarder just over and after a period of ragged play ensued and included Essien’s third booking of the tournament.  Then in the 73rd minute an innocuous cross from Malouda hit Ledley and the ref pointed to the spot.  Peace was disturbed and a posse of Spurs players surrounded the official with Gardner getting a yellow card for dissent.  Converted by one time Spurs transfer target, the teenager Ben Arfa, the game looked like being subject to a fighting finish.

No such luck, as only a Govou 30 yard shot forced Cerny to be called into action tipping it over the top. 

Substitute Dean Marney came on to replace Pedro Mendes who had only come on at half-time and was obviously upset by the change, as he went straight down the tunnel.  He had just taken a knock, so perhaps Jol didn’t want to take any chances with him aggravating an injury, but obviously Mendes did not agree.  Marney tested Coupet with a driven free kick on the edge of the box that the keeper had to dive upwards to turn around the post.

The final whistle brought celebrations on the touchline with Martin Jol hugging everyone he could find.  The players also got together and looked as pleased as punch to be holding up a trophy.

I guess this means it is all back to Korea next year in defence of the Peace Cup.  I just wonder who will be in the team in a year’s time ??