<p>HANOVER, Germany - French fans had not celebrated with such abandon in a World Cup stadium since 1998. Then again, Zinedine Zidane had not played a game like this one in eight years. They're not ready to throw his retirement party just yet.(<a href="http://www.chinadaily.net/sports/sports_06fifa_page.html" target="_blank">More highlights, please click</a>) </p><p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="5" align="center" bgcolor="#000000" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="middle" align="left" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img alt="" hspace="0" src="http://www.chinadaily.net/sports/2006-06/28/xin_52060328073787028791.jpg" align="baseline" border="1"/><br/><font face="Arial" size="2">France's Zinedine Zidane (10) kicks the ball as Spain's Xavi (8) looks on in the first half of the Spain vs France, Round of 16, World Cup 2006, soccer match at World Cup stadium in Hanover, Germany, on Tuesday, June 27, 2006.[AP]</font> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The French captain set up the deciding goal on Tuesday night, then scored one of his own minutes later to lead France to a 3-1 win over hard-luck Spain. </p><p>Zidane, who is retiring after this World Cup, scored two goals in the 1998 final to beat Brazil. He will get one more shot at the tournament favorites when the two teams face off in Saturday's quarterfinal. </p><p>Instead of the washed-up team that looked ready for retirement as recently as last week, France is suddenly two matches away from a return to the World Cup final. </p><p>After the game, Zidane's smile was as genial as ever before, the twinkle in his eyes as sparkling. Only the ruddy crow's feet around his eyes showed that eight years had past since France's last title. </p><p>"The adventure continues," he said. "We didn't want it to stop." </p><p>During the match, it was hard to tell the difference between 1998 and 2006. </p><p>Zidane took the free kick in the 83rd minute that curled into the goalmouth and found an onrushing Patrick Vieira, who headed it off the body of Spain's Sergio Ramos and into the net to break a 1-1 deadlock. The French captain then finished off his brilliant night with a solo run into the penalty area, his golden shoes flashing as he cut inside one defender before wrongfooting goalie Iker Casillas for a goal of his own. </p><p>At 34, and with each World Cup match possibly his last game, that is something. </p><p>"He kept going &iexcl;&ordf; for the whole match," said France coach Raymond Domenech. </p><p>Even in the dying moments, when younger players were exhausted, Zidane was heading out crosses and rushed back with the abandon of a teenager to stop a Spanish attack. </p><p>"You know what Zizou's influence can be, said Domenech. We're happy for him that he's 34 and in the 90th minute he still had the legs to score and if I could be any happier, that makes it special for me," said Domenech. </p><p>And just as 1998, he remains the undisputed leader. </p><p>"We feel as though a common cause has been born in the team," said Zidane. "We are very happy to be through to the quarterfinal." <br/><font size="3">For Spain, the World Cup agony continues. For a nation with clubs like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, it has a streak of futility going back 76 years in soccer's premier event. </font></p><p>After an excellent first round, this was supposed to be their year. </p><p>"We were all convinced that this would be the World Cup when would make it," said veteran striker Raul Gonzalez. "But the moment of truth was today. And yet again we're disappointed." </p><p>Spain got its hopes up in the 28th minute, when Lilian Thuram stepped on the foot of Pablo Ibanez in the area, prompting referee Christiano Copelli to award a penalty kick. David Villa slotted it perfectly, low in the left corner and just out of the reach of Fabien Barthez. </p><p>The game turned when France got its equalizing goal in the 41st minute. Vieira sent a lightning-quick Frank Ribery into open space with a pass, and the Marseille winger swept the ball past goalkeeper Iker Casillas with his right foot and sent it home with his left, just ahead of two onrushing defenders. </p><p>At the end of the game, France's "old men" &iexcl;&ordf; Zidane, Vieira and Barthez &iexcl;&ordf; were all embracing and saluting the ecstatic tricolor fans among the 43,000 sellout crowd. </p><p>"We are still far from winning the cup but that's our target," said Vieira. "We know that we can achieve a lot and we'll keep working hard. Many people didn't expect us to win today but we proved them wrong." </p><p>He said the team was already looking forward to Brazil. </p><p>"We have an exceptional game ahead of us," Domenech said. "As the players were saying in the locker room, it is for games like this that we live in the soccer world, for this kind of excitement." </p><p>But French plans now go further. </p><p>"Our only aim is to be there on July 9," the day of the final, said Domenech. </p>