Nantes (AFP) – The French women’s team, which never showed a good face during the Olympic tournament, was sadly eliminated on Saturday in Nantes (1-0) in the quarter-finals by Brazil, although it was largely within its reach.
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At the end of a tense and tough match, marked by tough duels and a multitude of stoppages (more than 20 minutes of added time), the Blues once again disappointed and were stopped in the quarter-finals, at the same stage as last year in Australia in the World Cup.
Far from the objectives of the Federation and the coach Hervé Renard, who therefore ends his mandate without having succeeded in his two missions: winning a first Olympic medal during these JO 2024 and qualify for the semi-finals of a World Cup.
His time at the head of the selection was therefore a failure, even if he managed to unite a group that he had found divided.
Read alsoThe results of the 2024 Olympic Games
At the Stade la Beaujoire, a sold-out crowd and in a warm atmosphere, rare for women’s football in France, Wendie Renard’s teammates held out for more than half-time, then collapsed. The Brazilians, without their star Marta suspended because of a red card, had almost no chances.
But they only needed one: caught in depth, Wendie Renard and Griedge Mbock, who also had a bad understanding with Elisa De Almeida, let Gabi Portilho slip away, who went on to beat Constance Picaud (1-0, 82nd).
The goalkeeper, preferred to Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, was saved in the process by her post (90th).
Opposite, the Blues accumulated opportunities, but were too ineffective. A penalty missed by Sakina Karchaoui (16th), well deflected by Lorena, a crossbar found by Griedge Mbock (41st), a header just above Katoto (59th)… Clumsy, they had too few shots on target.
And this time, the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, did not save hers.
First defeat against Brazil
At the very end of the match, they thought they had got away with it (90+11) during a mix-up in the area, but the Brazilian defense got away with it.
This is the first time that Les Bleues have lost to Brazil (7 wins, 5 draws): at the worst possible time. Unlike last year, during the group stage of the last World Cup in Australia against the Brazilians (2-1), Les Bleues did not show enough character.
They will therefore not have produced a single reference match and achieved success during this tournament.
Because since the start of the Olympics, they have had a series of messy matches, with two narrow victories. against Colombia (3-2) and New Zealand (2-1) and a defeat against Canada (2-1).
Facing the Brazilians, whose aggression and grinta they know by heart, the Blues did not raise their level, despite the presence of Wendie Renard, the captain, who made several saving runs (21st, 34th, 44th).
The French women have not managed to ward off the fate of the quarter-finals: out of the last eleven, the French team has only qualified for the last four three times, the last time during Euro-2022 in England.
Read alsoFollow the 2024 Olympic Games on RFI