RIO DE JANEIRO – When Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer embarked on a series of hair-raising dashes out of his area in the second-round win over Algeria, it would have struck a chord with French football fans of a certain vintage.
Thoughts no doubt returned to one of the most shocking incidents in World Cup history, which occurred in the 1982 semifinal between West Germany and France and involved another goalkeeper’s excursion off his line.
Harald Schumacher’s airborne challenge on Patrick Battiston, which knocked the France defender unconscious but went unpunished, still raises anger and emotion in France, predictably making it a talking point ahead of Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal match.
France coach Didier Deschamps says “tomorrow we will write a new page of history — we’ll try to make it as pleasant as possible.”
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