LENS: Mathieu Valbuena scored on his international debut as France beat Costa Rica 2-1 in a World Cup warm-up on Wednesday, with Raymond Domenech’s team showing encouraging signs in a new attacking formation.

The Marseille winger hit a low shot past goalkeeper Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas in the 83rd minute after coming off the bench in the second half.
Carlos Hernandez gave Costa Rica the lead in the 12th minute with a low shot which bounced under the body of France goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.
France equalised when Ribery’s cross from the left deflected in off defender Douglas Sequeira.  Domenech switched to a 4-3-3 formation, dropping his usual two holding midfielders and picking Nicolas Anelka in attack.
Domenech has long favoured a cautious 4-2-3-1 line-up with Jeremy Toulalan and Lassana Diarra shielding the defence, but Domenech had a rethink after Diarra went home last week because of a genetic red-blood cell disorder.
In the 10th minute, Florent Malouda’s pass cut through the Costa Rica defence and Sidney Govou forced a good save from Navas.
Ribery made it 1-1 in the 22nd when Toulalan won the ball, advanced to edge of the area and slipped the ball to Ribery moving down the left, and Ribery’s attempted pass deflected off Sequeira and rolled past Navas.
Mandanda redeemed himself somewhat midway through the first half with a fine tip-over save from Bryan Ruiz’s curling shot, but France again showed a glaring weakness on set-pieces when Ruiz’s header hit the crossbar in the 34th minute.
Bordeaux’s Yoann Gourcuff and Chelsea’s Florent Malouda were either side of Toulalan in a new midfield.
Thierry Henry replaced Anelka at half time in a straight swap, with Domenech keeping the same formation. Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna missed a good headed chance early in the second half, Henry almost scored in the 58th when he ran onto Ribery’s pass and clipped a shot wide of the post, and Gourcuff hit one powerful shot wide.
Valbuena came on with 25 minutes to go, and soon shot wide after cutting in from the right. Having adjusted his sights, he gathered a pass from Ribery and neatly slotted the ball into the left corner in the 83rd.