17 days before entering the competition, the France team is playing its first preparation match against Ireland, in Dublin, on Thursday evening.
Symbolically, the World Cup adventure begins almost now. To launch its preparation before flying to Australia, the France team faces Ireland at the Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. The opportunity for the tricolor group, now reduced to 23, and its staff to work on the benchmarks, to refine the eleven type, and to continue the physical preparation.
Identify a typical team and allocate the last places
Three months after his arrival, Hervé Renard is still building his typical team. To do this, he will have to deal with the lessons of his first two games on the bench, the preparation, and the “slightly disparate states of form”he explained at a press conference. The return of Amandine Henry, historic holder, can for example change the situation in the midfield, depending on his state of form. The new player from Angel City, injured in the knee at the beginning of March, had a complicated end to the season, but the coach repeated several times that he was counting on her.
Hervé Renard must also reshape his attack, after the serious injury and the unavailability of Delphine Cascarino, a potential holder in recent years. He can count on the return of Kadidiatou Diani, injured in the shoulder and forfeited during the first meeting of the new coach, on Eugénie Le Sommer, Clara Matéo and Vivianne Asseyi. Youngsters Naomie Feller and Vicki Becho, who is awaiting her first selection, could also enter the rotation.
Work on the game and benchmarks
On the lawn of the Tallaght Stadium, the French players will also gauge themselves before projecting themselves towards the big tournament. “It will be an opportunity to see where we are in our preparation and to continue to work individually and collectively on the common project”admitted captain Wendie Renard to the team. For two weeks, the players notably worked on benchmarks and automatisms, in the wake of two last friendly matches, the first two of Hervé Renard on the bench, against Colombia and Canada.
“It’s important that everyone knows what their exact role is, and anyway, each of them can replace another”assured the coach for his part. “There is quality and versatility […] So we repeat so that they know that there is no limit.” For Amel Majri, the match must allow “to validate achievements that[elles ont] worked during the two weeks of preparation, but also the new things put in place”.
Continue physical preparation without glitch
It’s always one of the big points of vigilance in the final stretch before the start of a major competition. Already not spared by injuries, the France team also lost the young midfielder Oriane Jean-François, candidate to integrate the list of 23, touched in the adductors and forced to forfeit. In other selections, players have also had to give up competing in the World Cup, such as the young Swiss Iman Beney, victim of a cruciate ligament rupture in training.
A point to which the coach and his staff pay particular attention. “We are putting things in place with the staff so that we do not put certain players in the red”, unveiled Hervé Renard at a press conference. Facing Ireland’s Katie McCabe, voted best player of the season at Arsenal, the Blues will also be able to step up physically at the best time.