France earns tie with South Korea
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-19 08:39

LEIPZIG, Germany - France finally got a goal, didn't get a win and now is in danger of another early exit from the World Cup.

Thierry Henry scored France's first World Cup goal since the 1998 final, only to see South Korea's Park Ji-sung tie it in the 81st minute in a 1-1 draw Sunday.

South Korea tops Group G with four points from two matches, with France in second place with two points. Third-place Switzerland has one point and plays Togo on Monday.

But the French might need a win against Togo in their final game of the opening round to advance. Four years ago, they went out of the World Cup in the first round without scoring.

"Everything is still possible," France coach Raymond Domenech said. "I am disappointed, though. We still have one match where we will have to win."

At least they found the net this time when Henry connected in the ninth minute for his 34th international goal. Henry put a deflected ball past Lee Woon-jae for France's first World Cup goal on foreign soil since 1986.

The Koreans, surprise semifinalists as co-hosts four years ago, never backed down. They carried the play late and Park tied it on a strange goal. He got his toe on a ball that looped over goalkeeper Fabien Barthez's reach and defender William Gallas failed to clear it on the line.

"I'm not satisfied with myself, but I'm satisfied with my team because we got a point against a very strong French team," Park said.

Thousands of red-clad South Korea fans roared and kept up the noise right until the final whistle.

"France is a very strong team, so we're very satisfied with a point," Choi Jin-cheul said.

Henry missed a chance to win it when Lee saved his shot after a setup by Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane will miss the Togo game after collecting his second yellow card of the round. Defender Eric Abidal also will be sidelined for that match.

France nearly scored another goal in the 32nd when Patrick Vieira's header appeared on TV replays to have crossed the goal line. But the Mexican referee ruled no goal.

Emmanuel Petit got France's third goal in a 3-0 World Cup final win over Brazil eight years ago. Ever since, the French were silent on offense.

Henry changed that, but they still couldn't get a win.

Defender Lilian Thuram equaled Marcel Desailly's record of 116 appearances for France.