Les Bleus stay focused to edge past Costa Rica

France's football team enjoyed a morale-boosting win in their last friendly on home soil before the World Cup, by beating Costa Rica 2-1 in Lens on Wednesday night. The visitors took a shock early lead through Carlos Hernandez, but goals in each half from Franck Ribery and debutant Mathieu Valbuena gave France victory at the Stade Félix-Bollaert.

Franck Ribéry during the match.

With just over two weeks to go until Les Bleus open their World Cup campaign against Uruguay in Cape Town on 11 June, the match represented a good chance for Raymond Domenech's side to put a difficult few months behind them.

They qualified for next month’s competition in South Africa in controversial circumstances when Thierry Henry handled the ball while creating the winning goal in their play-off against Ireland in November.

And in their only friendly match prior to Wednesday night's game, they were taken apart by European Champions Spain at the Stade de France in March.

But their plans have been hit by events off the pitch as much as on it. A sex scandal involving three players created plenty of headlines and last week midfielder Lassana Diarra had to withdraw from the World Cup squad after it emerged he had a rare genetic disorder.

Despite being in charge for three successful qualifying campaigns in a row and leading his team to the final of the last World Cup, Domenech is a hugely unpopular figure in France.

Just like at the Stade de France in Paris, his name was roundly booed on Wednesday by a boisterous crowd that was in otherwise good spirits.

In contrast, Ribery - one of the players implicated in the Zahia Dehar affair - was given a warm reception and the crowd were chanting his name within two minutes after a marauding run down the left.

The Bayern Munich midfielder thrived in the more offensive 4-3-3 system that France have employed in the wake of Diarra’s withdrawal.

Nicolas Anelka started in the middle of a front three with Ribery and Sidney Govou either side, while Florent Malouda and Yoann Gourcuff played in front of Jeremy Toulalan in an attacking midfield line-up.

Arsenal defender William Gallas, whose participation in the World Cup had been in doubt because of a calf injury, returned in central defence. Manchester United's Patrice Evra captained the side in the absence of Henry, who started on the bench.

The opening exchanges were dominated by the home side and Govou had two early chances to put France ahead. The crowd were stunned into silence, however, when Carlos Hernandez gave the visitors a shock lead. There seemed little danger when he picked the ball up 25 yards out, but he was given time to arrow a right-footed shot into the corner.

Gourcuff had a goal disallowed for offside but France restored parity after 22 minutes when Ribery’s attempted cross across the six-yard box was deflected into the net.

Costa Rica hadn't travelled all the way to the north of France just to make up the numbers though, and following a mazy run across the penalty area on 24 minutes their captain Bryan Ruiz drew a fine one-handed save from French goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

Just a few minutes later, Ruiz went even closer to scoring when he thumped a header off the bar from a corner.

Having missed the Champions League final through suspension, Ribery was full of energy and he ensured France finished the half strongly by testing Costa Rican netminder Keylor Navas again before the break.

In the second half France continued where they left off, with Gourcuff twice having Navas at full stretch.

Henry was introduced for Anelka at half-time and on 58 minutes he was narrowly off target from close range after being brilliantly picked out by Ribery.

France's pressure was beginning to tell and they finally took the lead with seven minutes left through Valbuena, who was somewhat of a surprise call-up to the World Cup squad.

Not long after coming on as a substitute, the Marseille midfielder coolly fired a long-range shot into the bottom right-hand corner to give the French a deserved win.

Following the game France flew to Tunisia, where they will play another friendly before finishing their preparations with a game against China in La Réunion on 4 June.