First tense, then liberated, France won 3-0 against the United States on Wednesday in Marseille for its entry into the Paris-2024 men’s football tournament.
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However, it took Thierry Henry’s players an hour to unlock a game that they had been going through like shadows until then.
An hour before the “General” emerged: while France was skidding, Alexandre Lacazette, the team captain, advanced to the edge of the American area and then fired a precise shot into the small opposite net (1-0, 61st).
The goal sent the almost sold-out Stade de Marseille into a frenzy for the Blues’ first match.
It also freed the French who until then seemed to be playing with a leaden blanket, paralyzed by the stakes of a competition in which they were aiming for first place.
Lacazette, 33, the oldest member of the selection made up of players under 23, justified the choice of Thierry Henry, his coach, who insisted that he join the Olympic selection, he who had not worn the jersey of a French team since November 2017.
In the 69th minute, as the United States finally pushed to equalize, the Lyonnais served Michael Olise, another offensive nugget of the team, who doubled the score with a curling shot from the left, still in the small opposite net of Patrick Schulte, the American goalkeeper (2-0, 69th).
Defender Loïc Badé put the nail in the coffin with a powerful header from Joris Chotard’s corner on the left (85th, 3-0).
Yet nothing foreshadowed such an apotheosis finale.
Stay strong at the post
Tense during a dull first half, Thierry Henry’s players had possession of the ball, but never managed to create an imbalance in the perfectly in place American defense.
And it was finally the American left winger, Paxten Aaronson, who almost took advantage of one of his team’s rare bursts of acceleration in the 39th minute, getting the better of Kiliann Sildillia, but ultimately coming up against Guillaume Restes.
Guillaume Restes, who has been promoted to number 1 goalkeeper since the defection of Lucas Chevalier, retained by his club Lille, showed in the second half that he was far from being a backup by pushing away another header from Paxton (63rd).
It was after this reflex stop that France finally set the Vélodrome alight.
With this big victory, the Blues have got their tournament off to an ideal start.
They will play their second group match on Saturday in Nice against Guinea, then the last against New Zealand, in Marseille, on Tuesday July 30, two opponents weaker than the United States a priori.
For Henry’s Blues, the only hitch came from Argentina’s incredible 2-1 defeat against Morocco earlier in the day.
In the quarter-finals, if they finish first in their group, they will face the second in group B in Bordeaux on August 2, which could therefore be the Albiceleste.
These are still only projections. And for the moment, the Blues can savor a successful start.