France fire blanks as match with Spain looms

PARIS (AFP) - If France are to take anything from next week's pivotal World Cup qualifier against Spain, Didier Deschamps may have to reconfigure an attack that has scored only four times in four matches.

France were dominant in Friday's friendly with Japan but their inability to convert that territorial control into goals cost them when Shinji Kagawa netted in the 88th minute to give the visitors a smash-and-grab 1-0 win.

As Deschamps confessed afterwards, the home side only had themselves to blame.

The corner count read 10-0 to France before the hour mark had even arrived, but although they recorded seven attempts on target, not once was visiting goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima really exposed.