By winning in Amsterdam against a weakened Netherlands team (2-1), the France team validated its qualification for Euro 2024.
Make no mistake, the Deschamps era will indeed remain that of major competitions. In the Blues coach’s software, the in-between has never reached peaks of emotion, but since we have to go through that, we will notice that the grass is not always greener elsewhere.
HAS eight months of the Euro, some big names from the continent are stammering about their football and biting their nails, you only need to look at our Italian, German and even Spanish neighbors to attest to this. With its virtues and its current project, the French team has always been on the rails which will lead it towards its next conquest. And she also owes it to herself. Faithful to tradition in odd years, it did not always flare up – that is an understatement to say – but its campaign was a long, quiet river. No thrill and no hitch.
If the Netherlands emerged as the toughest opponent, history will remember that they never benefited from all their strength to face the Blues. Last spring, neo-captain Kylian Mbappé and his gang scored a truly exciting success against the Oranje decimated by a virus after food poisoning (4-0). The reasons for absence were much more classic this Friday evening, but the Batavian ranks were hardly better filled: from Frenkie de Jong to Memphis Depay, including De Ligt, Botman, Timber, Gakpo, Lang, Koopmeiners and others Berghuis, everyone was missing. Spicy in the week, Ronald Koeman hoped to see his team look the Blues in the eye. She didn’t have the ability.
The Blues hit hard from the start
First notable point: Deschamps had opted for a particularly offensive eleven, without asymmetry, with the presence of Clauss and Théo Hernandez on the sides. Affected by a family bereavement this week, captain Mbappé was present at kick-off to lead an offensive line built to counterattack with Kolo Muani and Coman at his side. The Blues also found their strong environment, that of the World Cup in Qatar, with the Tchouaméni-Rabiot-Griezmann trio, well-oiled and complementary.
Pro-active in nature, the Netherlands had relied on the technical skills of the young and astonishing Xavi Simons to turn on the light, but they were not able to hold the ball as they wanted. And their three-way defense, heavy and experimental, exposed them to the explosiveness of the French arrows at loss. In this context, the Blues struck from the start to make the evening easier. At the end of a well-constructed full-axis action, Jonathan Clauss, shifted to the right, distilled a curled cross taken in extension like a fox by Kylian Mbappé (0-1, 7th).
After this opening score, the world vice-champions could have relaxed, especially since the Oranje had a slate to wipe after the slap they received at the Stade de France. But the carrot of qualification was too good for the Deschamps gang. Between sufficiency and inadequacies in Germany, the Blues showed a better version, that of a united team, whose game becomes a little clearer when the stakes hang in the air.
Aren’t you happy? Double !
This did not prevent them from going through some turbulence. Stung, the Oranje had some interesting situations, like this shot that was too quick from Veerman when he had the frame open in front of the goal (27th). The second act increased in intensity. Consistent and diligent for a long time, Didier Deschamps’ players managed their advantage rather well to avoid heat strokes, until a more chaotic last quarter of an hour. Aurélien Tchouaméni was active. Jonathan Clauss took his chance to send a signal to Deschamps in this 4-man system. Antoine Griezmann, quite low, was just right to air the game and Randal Kolo Muani was as lively as he was imprecise in his transmissions.
In fact, the evening could have taken a different turn if Kylian Mbappé had not activated World mode. Mute for 4 matches, the Bondy prodigy still had an answer to give, according to a classic pattern already experienced in his down periods. Without necessarily burning the retina to use his words, the captain of the Blues produced a copy which will count in his career, with uneven content but this side “ clutch » which makes it so special.
In addition to his first goal – the 41st, at 24, to equal Michel Platini’s total -, the Parisian quickly sheltered the Blues with a marvelous shot curled and released into the top corner, after a one-two express with Rabiot (0-2, 53rd). More generally, Mbappé found technical and athletic sensations which suited his register more. He had to. Because the residents of the Johan Cruyff Arena spiced up the last minutes thanks to the young Hartman (1-2, 83rd), in a ping-pong end of the match where Mbappé, in the strike workshop in Amsterdam, found the bar on a new missile (86th). Final brilliance of a pleasant match where the Blues will have fulfilled their contract by qualifying for the Euro. Like a train that arrives on time.
