“In early June, I had an appointment at the French Football Federation (FFF) headquarters, a modern building with lots of glass and light in Paris’ 15th arrondisement. The place hummed with activity and there was a contagious undercurrent of optimism and eager anticipation. My visit occurred just after the last of Les Bleus’ three pre-World Cup tune-up matches (a win vs Norway, 4-0; a draw vs. Paraguay, 1-1; a win vs Jamaica, 8-0), so perhaps those successes fed into the confidence emanating from 87, boulevard de Grenelle. Yet, the atmosphere differed from September, when the air was more heavily perfumed with the “we’ve got hard work to do” odor of determination. This time around, even the French media, often highly critical of Les Bleus, reflected an upbeat sentiment.” New Republic