Correcting past mistakes does not guarantee a happy outcome. Rather than suffer the penalty shootout leaving fate the possibility of rolling him over Les Bleues, as was the case with the French men’s team in the World Cup final, Hervé Renard had prepared his shot . The exit of Pauline Peyraud-Magnin for Solène Durand at the end of extra time against Australia testifies to this. The masterstroke borrowed from Louis Van Gaal will not have been enough to send France to the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup.
However, elements relating to the divine made believe in the lucky tricolor star at the end of the session. First, the first Australian match point sent on the post by the goalkeeper, Mackenzie Arnold, proof that you can’t improvise Ricardo by snapping your fingers. Then, the stop denied to the same Arnold for an advanced position on the first failed attempt of Kenza Dali. Then the stoppage, Durand’s opposite hand on another Australian match point. “She is incredible, applauded the coach at a press conference. She stopped two penalties, even three. If we win tonight, we are the kings of the world. »
“Easier to be without your sofa with a beer”
But opportunities only live for those who seize them. Dali – who was unwilling to shoot given his shared history with the opposing West Ham keeper – hit and missed twice from the same side. “My penalty is very badly taken, she will say after the defeat. […] I thought to myself, “She’s gonna think that I’m gonna change [de côté].” So I didn’t change, I should have. It is poorly executed. It’s like that. I am the first disappointed. I take responsibility. “She could leave it to Vicki Becho, also at fault. But from the height of her 19 years, it is difficult to overwhelm the Lyonnaise. Wendie Renard, as captain, wanted to protect her from criticism.
“I told Vicki: I missed penalties, she will miss more. The most important thing is to take responsibility. It’s easier to be on your sofa, with a beer and popcorn or even in the stands saying ‘you should have done’. This is what allows you to grow. »
Grace Geyoro, in tears after the meeting, doesn’t blame anyone despite his successful shot on goal. “Going to shoot in front of 50,000 people, you had to go there, whether it was the youngest or the most experienced. »
Alone against a nation… and home arbitration
The idea of eleven warriors left to their own devices in the face of an entire hostile people is particularly present in the post-defeat speech of Hervé Renard and his players. Not to complain about it but to take pride in a major performance, that of a game that is tactically and technically mastered, except possibly during extra time. “The girls were exceptional, we had an anything but easy quarter-final against an entire nation. They had a magical match,” boasts Hervé Renard, whose subtle tackle in the “house” arbitration of María Belen Carvajal Peña is not forgotten. “The parameter is just that there is a hand in the area not whistled, we are not going to cry but we have to say it anyway. “He could also have mentioned the fall of Selma Bacha in the Australian area or the very limited jersey draw on Diani at the very start of the match by an opponent placed as the last defender. It becomes almost legitimate to demand the same favoritism for Les Bleues in a year at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
After the hour of tears, what will remain of this Southern World Cup? A competition in which the French emerge undefeated in regulation time cannot be so bad. The express Deacon-Renard transition seems in any case to have been successful. For the rest, everything is a question of point of view, empty glass, full glass. The new coach apologizes for not having done better than his predecessor in 2019 (“the responsibility is mine”), but shows his fangs to anyone who dares to attack players whose efforts he will praise until the end . “It would be bad faith to say that the France team was not up to it, I do not allow you to say that. The girls were exceptional. I congratulate them, it’s not to do well but I congratulate them for all the work they have done. We spent 53 days together, everyone did their job in a fantastic way. »
Eugénie Le Sommer, back from the devil Vauvert, has as much trouble hiding her instant disgust as her optimism looking towards future horizons, the 2024 Olympics in mind. “It’s always difficult after a defeat to immediately switch to the positive but despite everything you have to remember what you have built,” said the striker. You have to remember what the staff has built, what we, the players, have done because there is a real group. We all had a great adventure together. And I hope it’s a good foundation that has been built for the future. The rest of the work should not take too long, the Paris 2024 deadline is coming up quickly. But if Hervé Renard has brought a guarantee, it is that of being able to work in a hurry for an honest rendering.