Les Bleues play their last friendly match against Australia on Friday before the start of the group stage.
It’s a shock that could be counted among the most beautiful posters of a group stage. For its last preparation match for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, from July 20 to August 20, the France team challenges Australia in Melbourne, Friday July 14. Before jumping into the deep end of the competition, this final test already has a taste of Mondial.
Firstly because it is taking place in somewhat exceptional circumstances, for a final preparatory meeting. Six days before the opening match of the tournament, nine days before their start, Wendie Renard’s teammates face Australia, one of the two host countries, on the lawn of Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium. “It’s a superb game to get going on Australian soil […] We are going to be pushed around a bit, that’s good, it will allow us to compete.”recognized coach Hervé Renard on the eve of the meeting.
Arrived in Australia on July 9, the French women traveled early to the other side of the world, to recover as well as possible from the long trip and acclimatize on the spot. They are not the only ones, since the great majority of the teams traveled from all over the world to Oceania during the first ten days of July. A good part play their last warm-up match on Australian or New Zealand soil, against potential future opponents, such as England and Canada behind closed doors at Sunshine Coast, where the Lionesses have their base camp.
A raised and motivated opposition
This World Cup air is also due to the quality of the opponent, 10th team in the Fifa ranking, host country for part of the tournament, and big outsider, if not pretender, to a great epic until victory final. “Play against the host country, it’s not nothing. It will be up to us to focus on what we want to put in place.”explained Grace Geyoro. The Australians remain in particular on a prestigious victory against the English European champions, then undefeated for 30 games, in a friendly in April.
The appointment also matters a lot for the Matildas, their supporters and observers, who promised warmth and fervor for “Bastille Day”. “It’s not a normal game. It’s an opportunity to celebrate women’s football, football in general and all that we have already achieved.”Australian coach Tony Gustavsson said before the match.
For the federation, this match is a real “leaving party” to really launch the Mondial. The public answered the call, since 50,000 spectators will line the spans of a packed Marvel Stadium. Enough to break the attendance record for a Matildas match played on national soil (36,000, established against the United States in November 2021). “I think the atmosphere will be amazing […] I get goosebumps just talking about it”appreciated Australian defender Ellie Carpenter.
For the Blues and the staff, there is no question of letting this context go to their heads, faced with the last opportunity to gauge themselves, to settle and already to project themselves towards the future. “You have to believe in yourself, if this team believes in itself, it will make a fantastic World Cupassured Hervé Renard. We created that trust, now the key is in their hands.”