The France team won a stunning success for the first of Hervé Renard on the bench on Friday (5-2).
Make up for a two-goal deficit to finally win by a wide margin. Les Bleues and their new coach Hervé Renard went through all the emotions in Clermont-Ferrand, Friday April 7, during the French victory against Colombia (5-2). Led by Eugénie Le Sommer and Delphine Cascarino, the French women started the countdown in the best way three and a half months from the World Cup.
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The positive attitude of Hervé Renard on the bench
For his first on the bench as coach of the France team, Hervé Renard alternated between silent observation and loud encouragement. Very calm during the first quarter of an hour, he then raised his voice to guide his players and replace them tactically. Even when they were in trouble, he never seemed to waver in doubt or annoyance, and at the same time he remained rather restrained in his celebrations. At halftime, he was able to find the words to revive the troops, without raising his voice. “JI’ve just started, it’s quiet, I’m not going to traumatize them from the start”he joked in a press conference after the meeting.
The return of the inevitable Le Sommer
It was one of Renard’s bets before kick-off. Directly propelled to the forefront of the attack, after two years without playing in the blue jersey, Eugénie Le Sommer carried her teammates to victory. After a first period in which she gave a lot, but she missed the last gesture, she scored twice in three minutes. What bring his record of goals in selection to 88, and convince his coach of his choice, who recognized that “qWhen we have players with percussion like that, it’s a shame to do without it in the axis.”
The winning changes at the break
Three entries to dynamite the French game. Upon returning from the locker room, Hervé Renard launched on the lawn of the Gabriel-Montpied stadium Delphine Cascarino, Grace Geyoro and Clara Mateo, accustomed to the titular costume. The three players transformed the face of the match for an unquestionable balance sheet: three goals, three assists, involved in the five French achievements. “Delphine, Clara and Grace brought us a lot, to fuel the game, to bring physical impact”appreciated Hervé Renard after the match, with his congratulations.
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A defensive feverishness to erase
This is the site pointed out by the French coach when analyzing the meeting: “In defense, he need solidity, rigour, much more aggressiveness […] Onne can’t behave against the best teams in the world like we did on some stocks today.” Among this defense sometimes in pain, the hinge has particularly swayed. At fault on the action which brings the free kick of the second goal, Wendie Renard defended very high, being too often caught in the back. Concerned by the Linda Caicedo danger, Elisa De Almeida has too often picked up on her right to try to help Eve Périsset. The progress of the Blues must also go through a stabilization of this back line.
The great difficulties with a free kick
Two almost carbon copy goals conceded in 50 minutes. Friday night, the Blues experienced a real hell on Colombian set pieces. After the opening of the Cafeteras score on an indirect free kick, Catalina Usme went to lodge a magnificent direct free kick in the French net. “We had identified her as a very good shooter, but that was not enough”regretted the French coach, who undoubtedly checked the stopped phases among the axes of progress for the next match and the World Cup.