With the Women’s World Cup on the horizon, so much focus is on the holders, the USA, reigning European champions England and Spain, third favourites with the SBOTOP Women’s World Cup betting odds, that it is easy to put Les Bleus to one side.
Now don’t get me wrong. France are in a ‘group of death’ and three into two don’t go!
Yet could they prove us all wrong.
For a start, they have a coach of real pedigree and players more than capable of delivering Women’s World Cup highlights in the month ahead.
Former captain Amandine Henry is helping them prepare after she was called up by coach Herve Renard whose appointment, in March, after the players rebelled against predecessor Corinne Diacre, is something of a coup.
This is the coach who, until recently, was in charge of the Saudi Arabia men’s team, ending a four-year spell which was highlighted by an unforgettable victory over eventual champions Argentina in the group stage of last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
A resilient recovery against Colombia in Renard’s first game was followed by a 2-1 defeat of the Olympic champions, Canada.
Even last night they won in Ireland, spearheaded by two goals in first half stoppage time – displaying the hallmarks that the best teams find a way to win even when not at their most fluid.
There are a few absentees.
Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto are both sidelined through injury, Oriane Jean-Francois has been ruled out with adductor pain and, while goalkeeper Mylene Chavas and 39-times capped central defender Aïssatou Tounkara will stay on the reserve list until July 22, the eve of France’s opener against Jamaica in Sydney, they have missed the cut.
When the squad flies to Australia this weekend it will also do so with captain Wendie Renard in the ranks.
The 32 year-old was a key driver in Diacre’s departure after saying she would miss this summer’s World Cup “to preserve my mental health”.
The Lyon mainstay is set to be one of the big players of the tournament as she marshals the France defence.
Widely considered to be the best defender in the world, at 6’2” tall and as an imposing figure with a superb reading of the game, she is not only a defensive powerhouse but an aerial threat in attack with an impressive 34 goals for her country.
Alongside rising star Selma Bacha, Renard will surely lead the highest-quality defence in the tournament.
Les Bleus qualified for the tournament in emphatic fashion as they won all 10 of their group matches, scoring 54 goals and conceding just four times.
Grace Geyoro was involved in seven goals in eight World Cup qualifying matches and also netted in Renard’s first two matches at the helm.
Eugenie Le Sommer, who already has five World Cup goals to her name, is also entering the tournament in fine form as the French look to go all the way this summer and netted two against Ireland.
Breaking the finalists down, yes Renard and the French do not know each other too well given he was only appointed three months (and a few games) ago.
But if they can adapt to each other quickly, and with the spotlight off them to a certain degree, maybe, just maybe, France can take full advantage.
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