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Stade de France opens with France-Spain World Cup preparation game
PARIS (AP) -- French World Cup preparations move into high gear Wednesday, on and off the pitch.President Jacques Chirac will inaugurate the futuristic 80,000-seat Stade de France and coach Aime Jacquet hopes the France versus Spain preparation game will produce the missing link in his team -- a top class striker.
For the past year, the French team has struggled to find the confidence and poise up front to make it a realistic challenger for the World Cup. Now Jacquet hopes the champagne will flow for more than just the opening of France's biggest stadium.
Spain poses one of the sternest tests for France since last June's 1-1 draw against world champion Brazil.
Even though Spain fell eight places to No. 11 in the FIFA rankings last month, it is a team that only lost once in its last 31 games and it looks towards the World Cup with real hope.
The big problem for France, ranked sixth in the world, has been to add a lethal finisher to cap all the creative work.
On Wednesday, the coach is expected to spearhead the French attack with 20-year-old rookie David Trezeguet of Monaco or Auxerre's Stephane Guivarc'h, both hoping to score France's first goal in its new sports temple.
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GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan