France vs. England: Keys for Les Bleus to Defeat 3 Lions

France faces a tough test when they go up against England in their first match of the Euro 2012 Tournament, and Les Bleus will need to be on point in order to avoid getting swept away by the strong Three Lions.

This first match is especially important to France—both the team and the nation—because of the unfortunate, disgraceful way the 2010 World Cup team behaved in South Africa. A win against England would go a long way towards helping everyone forget about the shame they caused two years ago.

Patrice Evra, Franck Ribéry and Hugo Lloris are all still with the team, but thankfully, many of the players on that 2010 team have since been replaced. 

If France hopes to win this opening game against England and wipe away the black mark on their résumé, they must do three things.

Franck Ribéry Must Dominate 

French legend Zinedine Zidane once said of Ribéry, "He is the jewel in French football," according to ESPN.com. 

Ribéry must be live up to this distinction in this upcoming game against England. He's the catalyst for France's offense, and his ability to both score and set others up to score has made him into one of the best players in the world.

If France hopes to win against the high-powered England team, Ribéry must bring his "A" game and dominate the field.

Bottle Up Ashley Young

This task is easier said than done. Young is in because Wayne Rooney is out for the first two games due to a suspension for kicking Montenegro's Miodrag Dzudovic last October. And while England certainly would love to have their superstar back in action, Young isn't exactly second rate.

Young scored the lone goal in England's match against Wales in the 2011 Euro Championships, and he did the same thing at the end of May when the team faced Norway. He may not be as polished as Rooney, but Young has the skill to be the difference in the game for England.

It will be up to Alou Diarra and the rest of the defenders to keep Young in check. If he gets loose for a score or two, the game will be out of reach.

Stay Classy

In the team's embarrassing loss to South Africa in 2010, French midfielder Yoann Gourcuff was ejected for elbowing a South African defender in the throat just before the half hour, according to the Daily Mail.

Yes, you read that correctly. In...The...Throat.

Then, to cap off the show of anti-class, ex-manager Raymond Domenech refused to shake hands with South Africa's manager—Alberto Parreira. 

If France is going to have a chance to compete on England's level, the players and coaches need to stay classy, stay composed and play a clean game. Any sign of dirty play is only going to inflame an already volatile fanbase, and the last thing this team needs is to see their own fans turn on them, once again.

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