A few months before the Olympics, France’s attack is raising questions about its ineffectiveness. Against Ireland, ranked 25th by FIFA and beaten 3-0 in July, Hervé Renard’s men were neither effective nor sharp on Friday, with just one goal on 21 shots. Above all, it was again from the set piece when they opened the scoring with the combination of Kenza Dali, Maëlle Lakrar and Marie-Antoinette Katoto (6th).
Of the Blues’ last ten goals, seven were from set pieces (corner, free kick or penalty), thanks mainly to Selma Bacha-Wendie Renard, who did not start on Friday. “Tonight is a victory, set pieces are part of modern football,” said Hervé Renard at the post-match press conference. I don’t think we backed down, we persisted. We have to be more efficient, but if we end up winning from set pieces, I’ll sign it. »
Facing a very inferior team, the coach could have hoped for better and more realism. This goal was valuable fairly early in the match as the French, in the face of a low Irish block, accumulated runs into the opposition camp without being directly in front of goal. In addition to Sandia Toletti’s powerful shot (34th) and Eugénia Le Sommer’s cross header that hit the post (65th).
“We have to finish 3-0”
“I think we have to finish the game 3-0 because of the opportunities. There was a good defence, very tight and it was not easy to get around,” said Lyonnaise Delphine Cascarino, as did Sandie Toletti and Maëlle Lakrar, who also lamented the “lack of effectiveness”. Like Cascarino, who was making his first start since his return from a long injury, the forwards struggled to find each other, lacked automaticity between them and the connection, despite the speed on the sides, of the plan of attack. bypass the block.
This was already the case against Spain in the recent Nations League final (2:0 loss), where the much-anticipated Eugénie Le Sommer-Marie Antoinette Katoto double did not work. Against Ireland, Hervé Renard chose not to field two strikers together, starting only “MAK” and reverting to a 4-3-3 system.
The Sommer more leggy
A sign that Les Bleues’ star duo are in doubt? Simply “manage playing time,” Hervé Renard replied on Friday night. More visible than against Spain, Katoto weighed a bit more with a couple of clearances and his goal, but still too little. “I had a big setback that I expected a bit, it was a difficult period to accept, but I knew it would come,” admitted last week the Parisian, who was replaced by Le Sommer in the hour, more leggy and performed again. that she was the best Blue of the year.
Lined up in a more attacking position, midfielder and evening captain Grace Geyoro had too little influence on the animation, much less than Kenza Dali, despite being placed further back on the pitch. With the ultimate goal in mind (Olympic gold this summer), the tough Euro 2025 qualifiers that follow against Sweden on Tuesday night and then England will be serious tests for the French attack.