In Llanelli, land of rugby in the United Kingdom, the French women’s football team took a giant step towards Oceania and the 2023 World Cup, dominating 2-1 on Friday 8 April, their biggest rival in qualifying, Wales. With 21 points already accumulated, the maximum possible in 7 matches, the French team will almost certainly retain the first qualifying place in Group I after the play-offs in early September.
She will even be able to transform the test against her new number two, Slovenia (beaten 3-2 in the first leg), from Tuesday at Le Mans, where even a draw would officially qualify her for the next World Cup in July and August 2023 in Australia and New Zealand.
“It was a complicated game, in difficult conditions we didn’t see the best face of the French team”but “We have taken a big step towards qualifying and that is the most important”enjoyed the coach, Corinne Deacon.
Wendie Renard defender, captain and series scorer
In the warm and windy Parc y Scarlets, the red and white temple of the British oval, Les Bleues extended their winning streak to eleven games, while boosting their confidence three months before the European Championship.
Shaken in the first leg, despite a flattering score (2-0), the Blues trembled again against Jess Fishlock’s team on Friday. The release came from the captain, Wendie Renard, and the chief pyrotechnician, Marie-Antoinette Katoto.
Renard offered himself a 33 . atand goal on the night of his 130and squad, fourth in four games, proving once again that she, the big defender, was a deadly weapon on set pieces (31and, 1-0). Oddly marked in the area, the Lyonnaise benefited from a bespoke service from Sandie Toletti on a corner.
A tricky end to the game
Katoto, an unstoppable goalscorer, added a pawn to her collection through a clearance from goalkeeper Laura O’Sullivan (57and2-0) on a choking squeeze that improved his overall performance.
Long-awaited after her flamethrower outing against Paris-SG, who she said she was competing with “total disagreement” as for its future, “MAK” has long been transparent or clunky, before putting its own undercover. At Llanelli, the 23-year-old striker scored a 14and goal in ten selections this season.
Effective offensively, on the other hand, the Blues exhibited a sometimes worrisome defensive fever. They could have been penalized with a penalty (58and) on a foul by Eve Périsset, who saw the referee outside the penalty area, which was not easy, and they escaped the equalizing goal by a flagged offside (73and†
Because in the meantime the captain from Wales, Sophie Ingle (71and, 2-1) had given the more than 4,500 local supporters hope by using a too light mark on a corner. Les Bleues then suffered much, but without hesitation, to open their horizons further east.
