The France team and Belgium face each other in Rotherham, Thursday July 14, in a decisive match for the head of group D of the Women’s Euro 2022. The Red Flames will have a hard time facing the tricolor favorites, particularly brilliant against Italy for their entry into the running on Sunday.
However, Belgian women’s football has progressed in recent years. If the players have never taken part in a final phase of the World Cup, this is their second consecutive Euro. In 2017, for its very first participation in a final phase of an international competition, Belgium had jostled two heavyweights, the Netherlands and Denmark, before giving in. Eliminated, they still finished in 3rd place in their pool after a 2-0 success against Norway.
The players of the Flat Country finished at the top of their elimination phase at Euro 2022 ahead of the Swiss, who had eliminated them from the race for the World Cup-2019. “Other countries measure our progress. We are taken more seriouslyconfirms the goalscorer Tine De Caignyquoted by AFP on Wednesday. Inevitably, people know us better and expectations are higher. In the FIFA rankings, our opponents are all above us and we therefore remain an outsider but we believe in it. The group has been rejuvenated. Collectively, we are stronger.”
In 2022, the majority of national team players come from the Belgian championship. Six of them come from RSC Anderlecht, nine-time Belgian champions and five-time defending champions. However, the club has only reached the knockout stages in the Champions League once (2019-2020 season).
As in 2017, the star of the “Red Flames” remains striker Tessa Wullaert, 29, who has 67 goals in 110 caps. At her side, in attack, she can count on the experienced Lyonnaise Janice Cayman, oldest of the team at 33 years old (127 caps for 47 goals). She knows the players of the France team well, and has promised to share her experience with her teammates, underlines RTBF. With an average age of 25, the team offers a good combination of youth and experience.
However, recent performances are not particularly reassuring. In June, the 19th nation in the world had a mixed month of preparation: a stinging defeat against England (0-3), an encouraging success against Northern Ireland (4-1), before a loss against Austria (0-1), and finally a big success against Luxembourg (6-1).
Notably, Belgium have conceded at least one goal in their six recent outings (eight goals conceded in all). The former “Flame” and consultant to RTBF, Cécile de Gernier, was not kind to her national team at the microphone of the Belgian media at the start of the Euro: “We have already said it, for some time even: as soon as there is an action near our large rectangle, there is danger.”
While France crushed Italy (5-1), Belgium started with a draw (1-1) against Iceland. Dominated throughout the first half, ineffective in front and feverish behind (23 shots suffered against 11), the Belgians equalized on a penalty from Justine Vanhaevermae.
The players in black and red are therefore already under pressure. In case of defeat against the Blue, they will imperatively have to win against Italy to hope to qualify. Against Iceland and Austria, but also against Northern Ireland, the Belgians’ start to the match was all sluggish. For its part, the Blue scored their five goals in the first half against the Italians. Faced with the French offensive armada, which has scored 22 goals in six games, the addition could quickly be salty for the Belgians.