Les Bleues were not very reassured against New Zealand. Three days after their cruel defeat against Canada, the French team nevertheless ensured the essential by dominating New Zealand (2-1), validating their ticket for the quarter-finals of the competition.
Well helped by the six penalty points inflicted on Canada for the espionage affair that shook the Olympic tournament before the competition kicked off, Hervé Renard’s girls even finished top of their group and will face Brazil in the quarter-finals. The Seleçao may have qualified by the skin of their teeth, being picked up among the best third-placed teams, but the task looks set to be difficult for Les Bleues.
Wendie Renard will be there
Some good news nevertheless came to conclude the Tricolore evening at Geoffroy-Guichard: the French team will be able to count on its captain, Wendie Renard, against Brazil. Injured in the thigh during the defeat against Canada, the French defender had to withdraw from the match against New Zealand but will be fit for the clash against the Seleçao. This was the announcement made by Hervé Renard after the success against the New Zealanders.
“It’s going to be okay, it’s getting better and better. There was a lot of fear, but as she’s a great professional, she spends many hours in care every day. She goes to the pool, does exercises. She’ll be there, I’m sure of it,” he thus launched, already turned towards the quarter-final meeting: “Let’s move on to Brazil, who have a great team that we met at the World Cup last year, it was a tough match (2-1 in the group stage). It’s up to us to do the same to achieve our goal, we hope the crowd will be there, I have no doubt because Nantes is a football city. France-Argentina for the men, France-Brazil for us, these are two great games for French football. It would be great to have both teams in the last four.”
