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Savidan called up to France squad

By JEROME PUGMIRE

Published November 13, 2008 at 6:37 a.m.
Updated November 13, 2008 at 11:27 a.m.

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PARIS (AP) _ France coach Raymond Domenech gave a surprise first call-up Thursday to striker Steve Savidan for next week's friendly against Uruguay, and selected Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre for the first time in 2 1/2 years.

The 30-year-old Savidan, who has scored six goals for Caen and assisted on several more, has been a constant threat for defenders this season with his searing pace.

"It's just so satisfying to be called up, but it also means you have more responsibilities and you're in the public eye," Savidan said. "You can still hope at 30. Sometimes the objectives you set seem impossible, but that's how you keep moving forward."

Four years ago, Savidan was playing in the French third division with Valenciennes before helping it gain successive promotions and keeping it in the top flight for two years.

"It's nice to be part of the squad, but the most important thing is to figure out how I'm going to make the most of it," Savidan said. "I'm happy with the progress I've made, and even more proud to have shown that anything can happen as long as you keep believing in yourself."

However, picking Savidan and recalling the 31-year-old Silvestre appears at odds with what Domenech said after France's group-stage exit from the European Championship in June.

At the time, Domenech said he was looking to rebuild for the 2010 World Cup with young players. But Savidan was selected ahead of 21-year-old Marseille forward Hatem Ben Arfa and 23-year-old Saint-Etienne striker Bafetimbi Gomis.

Ben Arfa's exclusion appears particularly puzzling on merit alone, since he has scored as many goals as Savidan and assisted on several more than the Caen striker.

But Ben Arfa fell out last month with Marseille coach Eric Gerets when he refused to come off the bench and warm up against Paris Saint-Germain. Domenech, a strict disciplinarian, is thought to disapprove of such behavior.

Silvestre, formerly with Manchester United, has made a decent start to his Arsenal career, playing in central defense alongside France teammate William Gallas. He made the last of his 40 appearances for France in a friendly against Denmark in May 2006.

France has had major problems defending, with 17 of the last 30 goals conceded coming from free kicks, corners or penalties. The team has allowed 15 goals in its last seven games.

Domenech may hope Silvestre's strong heading ability can help counter those problems.

Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, who scored twice in Saturday's 2-1 win over Man United, has also been recalled for Wednesday's match at Stade de France.

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Squad:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Yohann Pele (Le Mans).

Defenders: Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Julien Escude (Sevilla), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Rod Fanni (Rennes), William Gallas (Arsenal), Philippe Mexes (AS Roma), Bakary Sagna (Arsenal), Mikael Silvestre (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich).

Forwards: Steve Savidan (Caen), Jimmy Briand (Rennes), Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Thierry Henry (Barcelona).

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