France ready to take on ‘entire nation’ in World Cup quarter-final against Australia

BRISBANE – France coach Herve Renard is confident that playing against “an entire nation” will bring out the best in his team when they face Australia in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup in Brisbane on Saturday.

Les Bleues

eased into the last eight with a 4-0 win over Morocco

but must now overcome a hostile 50,000 crowd when they take on the co-hosts with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.

“We love that. This is why we do this job. It is the beauty of football,” Renard said on Friday.

“The Australian people deserve to be congratulated for making this such a success. It has been a fantastic tournament. We are playing in beautiful stadiums that are always full.

“We know we are not just playing against one team but against an entire nation. But it just gives us extra motivation. We prefer this to playing a friendly in front of 100 people.”

France lost 1-0 to the Matildas in a friendly in Melbourne a week before the World Cup began, in front of a crowd of just over 50,000.

Days later, Australia lost skipper Sam Kerr to a calf injury that led to her missing the entire group stage.

The Chelsea forward made her comeback off the bench late on in the 2-0 win over Denmark in the last 16 and could now play a greater role against France.

“I know all the Australian players. Knowing if she is going to play or not is not my worry,” Renard added, playing down the significance of Kerr’s return.

“Their attacking players already work well together. Even if she is on the field it will not change the way Australia play.”

Australia coach Tony Gustavsson did not give too much away, but said Kerr will play if fully fit.

While Australia are bidding to get to the last four for the first time, a win for France will see them match their best performance at a Women’s World Cup, which remains their run to the semi-finals in Germany in 2011.

They also lost in the semi-finals at the 2022 Euros won by England.

In the other quarter-final on Saturday, Colombia coach Nelson Abadia said his side will use their status as the last nation of the Americas as motivation to beat England in Sydney.

All other teams from Latin America, as well as the United States and Canada, were eliminated by the round of 16, leaving 25th-ranked Colombia an unlikely survivor among the European and Asian powers in the last eight.

“To be representing the whole of the Americas at the moment is important,” he said.

“To have all this positive energy not only from Colombia but from the whole continent, it is beneficial.” REUTERS, AFP