After its victory in a friendly match against Colombia (5-2) last Friday, the French women’s team, enthusiastic about the arrival of Hervé Renard, rubs shoulders with the Canadian Olympic champions, Tuesday at 9:10 p.m. in Le Mans. A first test for the new coach and his method on the road to the Women’s World Cup. The Blue will therefore have to raise the cursor of adversity against Canadians who are among the favorites for the world title in Australia and New Zealand, from July 20 to August 20 next.
“We feel a focused group, listening, who wants to do things together,” said captain Wendie Renard, leader of the sling which led to the departure of former coach Corinne Deacon, in early March. Morale is in good shape. The images of the celebrations at the Gabriel-Montpied stadium revealed a communicative enthusiasm around the selection, with fairly rare scenes among the Bleues in recent years. “It was obviously a change to be made”, enthused Thierry Bretagne in Europe 1 Sports (every evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.). But it is “not on this match that we expect it. It will be at the World Cup”, reminded the sports consultant.
Maintain the “flame”
Seeing Hervé Renard kissing the skull of the revenant Eugénie Le Sommer after her goal or victoriously shaking Grace Geyoro by holding her by the shoulders, smiling on her lips, are unmistakable signs about the “Renard method”, made up of listening and Proximity. “They had to want to smile again. We had to find the flame,” noted his deputy Eric Blahic in an interview with AFP on Monday. “Listening is an essential quality. You have to get to know the woman before knowing the player”.
Monday, Le Sommer confirmed this trend at a press conference: “We already feel very well that there is a new dynamic, a difference in cohesion, in staff-player relations”, affirmed the top scorer of the history of the Blue (88 goals), author of a double Friday for his return after two years of absence. For Jacques Vendroux, present in Europe 1 Sport, Hervé Renard “is conquering public opinion”.
To maintain this flame, a prestigious victory against Canada of legend Christine Sinclair (39), holder of the world record for goals in selection (190) and engaged like her teammates in a showdown with her federation for equality. financial between the male and female selections, would be the best fuel.