I’m sitting in the last row of press seating at the France vs. Romania match at the Stade de France, home of the 1998 World Cup … and just north of Paris.

They’re about to play the national anthems. I don’t remember Romania’s, though I must have heard it at various Olympics. The female gymnasts, and all.

Then the French national anthem, one of my top five. Maybe my top one.

Interesting thing about this crowd:

French players and coaches have been surprised by jeering from French fans, of late, and expressed how it has hurt their feelings, etc.

There is none of that, right now. The fans are waving flags like it’s the Fourth of July. Or Bastille Day, anyway.

I’ll bet money the crowd is going to do one giant sing-along when the anthem is played here in a minute.

And Romania’s anthem … I’m sitting by the Romanian journalists, who are unabashedly rooting for their team … and I am reminded that Romanian may be a Latin-based language, but it sure as heck sounds Slavic. All those years with Slavs on their borders, I guess.

Anyway, this is my first World Cup qualifier that doesn’t involve the U.S.  Lots of energy in the stadium.

Oh! The fans are singing Le Marseillaise!

More on this here and on my World Cup blog. Kickoff in about five minutes.

France is starting Thierry Henry, but not Franck Ribery. Hmm.

I may not have mentioned the French really need to win this match if they want to win Group 7, which Serbia currently leads with 18 points. France has 13 points, but could be in first with a victory tonight and one at Belgrade on Wednesday.

Romania is pretty much out of it, with seven points.

Here we go.