Still in the run-in, the French women's team launched its World Cup year with a difficult victory against Denmark (1-0), Wednesday in Laval at the opening of the Tournoi de France, marked by the return of Kheira Hamraoui.
Five months before the World Cup in Australia (July 20 - August 20), the Blues still seem to be looking for benchmarks, automation and a tactical system. On the banks of the Mayenne, victory only took shape on a personal feat by Charlotte Bilbault, scorer with a long shot (31st), her second achievement in selection…
The French women temporarily take the lead in the Tournoi de France, a friendly event which is celebrating its third edition, tied with Norway, victorious over Uruguay at the start of the evening by the same score.
Wendie Renard's partners have an appointment on Saturday with the South Americans and on Tuesday with the Norwegians to try to lift this honorary trophy and reassure themselves a little in view of the World Cup. Their evening performance against the 18th nation in the world, without its star Pernille Harder, was not enough, in any case, to sweep away the doubts that have crossed this French team since Euro 2022, finished in the semi-final against France. Germany (2-1).
The success nevertheless allows the Blues to tip the scales on the right side, after having suffered three defeats in their last six games.
Customary of confusing team compositions, the coach, Corinne Deacon, had surprised again by aligning entry Kheira Hamraoui, preferred to the framework Grace Geyoro despite her very low playing time at Paris SG, where her relations remain icy with certain partners fifteen months after the assault of which she was the victim.
For her 40th selection, a year after the 39th, the 33-year-old midfielder remained quite timid in the construction of the game, which mainly went through the wings or through long balls towards the attackers.
Another opposite of Deacon in the starting "eleven", the choice to align a system with five defenders including three centrals. Only two of the eight midfielders called up in the list of 26 players could therefore be established.
Already tested in November against Norway (2-1) in a friendly, the tactical scheme showed its weaknesses: capricious ball exits, permanent use of long balls and markers still to be perfected... even though Renard and Kadidiatou Diani had pointed out in recent days the need to recreate "a game identity" (Diani) and to "tweak the automatisms" (Renard).
The French still logically dominated the debates, in the wake of an interesting Estelle Cascarino for her troubleshooting as a left side, replacing Selma Bacha and Sakina Karchaoui, injured like Griedge Mbock and Marie-Antoinette Katoto.
It was after one of Cascarino's breakthroughs that Bilbault found the fault, after a "gift" relaunch of the Danish defense. The same Estelle Cascarino even found the post in the second half, on a cross from her sister Delphine (53rd), the hottest occasion of the meeting.
The Laval evening, in a good-natured atmosphere and in front of 7,400 spectators, also allowed Deacon to see Sandy Baltimore again, restless on his left flank after missing the last two rallies.
The coach also offered her first selection to Bordelaise Julie Thibaud in an experimental central defense with Renard and Hawa Cissoko (8 selections). A sector still under construction, just five months from the World Cup, the ultimate goal of a selection still without an international trophy...
