Eugenie le Sommer wants France to embrace ‘positive pressure’ of facing co-hosts Australia in quarter-finals
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Eugenie Le Sommer (right) celebrating with Vicki Becho after scoring France's fourth goal and her second in their 4-0 Women's World Cup last-16 win over Morocco at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, on Tuesday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ADELAIDE – France coach Herve Renard said his side were “capable of” seeing off the Women’s World Cup co-hosts Australia in front of a partisan crowd in the quarter-finals on Saturday after Les Bleues swept past debutantes Morocco 4-0 in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Kadidiatou Diani opened the scoring on the quarter-hour mark and it was 3-0 just after the midway point in the first half as Kenza Dali and Eugenie le Sommer added further goals at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide.
Veteran striker le Sommer, who is her country’s all-time top scorer, netted again 20 minutes from time before a crowd of 13,557 as France advanced to the last eight with a minimum of fuss.
“We fulfilled our objective. You always want a little bit more, but it’s fine,” Renard told broadcaster M6.
France were knocked out in the quarter-finals as hosts in 2019, losing to eventual winners the United States. A win against Australia will see them equal their best-ever performance at the World Cup, when they got to the last four in 2011, also losing to the Americans.
“We have matched our performance of four years ago, but our objective was to do better than we did in 2011, so we know what we have left to do.”
Asked if his side could beat the Matildas in front of a hostile crowd, he said: “We are capable of doing it, but it won’t be easy, albeit not easy for either team.”
Le Sommer, 34, who has three goals at the tournament and 92 for France overall, called on her side to embrace the “positive pressure”.
She said: “Yes, it is a certain pressure (to play the hosts), but it must also be taken as a positive pressure. It’s always better to have the audience with you than against you.
“For them, it’s a pressure, but at the same time, a whole country (is) behind them. It will be a challenge for us.”
Morocco coach Reynald Pedros, meanwhile, said his team reaching the last 16 was as impressive as the country’s men getting to the semi-finals of the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
“Being in a World Cup last 16 for Morocco is exceptional. It has been a remarkable adventure,” said the former French international midfielder.
“We have been together as a team since the 12th of June, working for and preparing for this World Cup,” added Pedros, who became coach in 2020 and took the team to the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.
“I don’t think we could have imagined going into our last group game with a chance of getting to the last 16.
“I sincerely believe that getting to the last 16 with this team, for the first time, is the equivalent of the guys getting to the semi-finals.
“It is beyond fantastic. We only started building this team three years ago. There are so many things that make us proud even though we have been knocked out.” REUTERS, AFP
