At the Stade de France,
A real purge.
Which reminds how much the France team remains human and above all subject to the same obligations as the others.
When the basic ingredients of football are not respected and no individuality is there to save the blue ship, no matter how much you are the world champion, you remain a nation within reach of anyone.
Even a Finland bis, victorious Wednesday night at the Stade de France (0-2) in a deadly atmosphere.
This is also the football version of "the world after": an empty stadium, players in a hurry like lemons every three days and federations little concerned with these considerations to fill a little more an already infernal calendar.
Simple observation to ponder but in no case a possible excuse for world champions - only three present at the kick-off - who have never managed to show themselves at the level of a match supposed to prepare the shock against Portugal on Saturday in League of Nations.
And a hell of a counter-publicity for selection football and the showcase that represents the France team.
Wednesday night, the Blues were below everything.
Little intensity, no aggressiveness, no genius and never an inspiration capable of extricating you from the ambient torpor or the purring of the traffic of the A1 Motorway on the edge of the stadium has never been heard so much at the Stade de France.
This is to say the copy made by the men of Didier Deschamps, admittedly deprived of Mbappé, Coman, Lloris, Hernandez, Pavard or even Griezmann from the kick-off, but unable to raise their level of play. des Bleus may not be as consistent as advertised.
And that some have lost points in the race for the Euro.
We will see it in a few months.
A Lucas Digne-Marcus Thuram duo, yet powerful and incisive
During the first act, the Blues turned off the light as soon as the Finnish score opened by Forss (0-1, 28th), after a huge loss of ball from Moussa Sissoko, never in the game Wednesday night in his role of right piston and a delay in the ignition of Clément Lenglet.
As if this goal against the course of the game had completely cut their desire to offer the game. Four minutes later, well helped by a new technical error from Wissam Ben Yedder and the culpable wait-and-see attitude of Steven N'Zonzi, Valakri doubled the setting of a magnificent strike in the top corner of a shocked Steve Mandanda (0-2, 32nd).
Even Didier Deschamps, standing and haggard along the sideline, seemed stunned by such a scenario.
"We lost the thread after these two goals," he admits at the break.
To never find him.
However, just before the Finnish double, the world champions had given the impression of dominating their subject in the horrible atmosphere of the Stade de France, in particular thanks to the duo Lucas Digne-Marcus Thuram, hard-hitting and incisive in the left lane.
On three occasions, the son of Lilian could even have marked his debut in the selection with a header on the crossbar (16th), a flat foot missed alone in front of the goal (18th) and a coiled shot poorly negotiated (23rd) .
In vain.
First defeat of the Blues since June 2019
Upon returning from the locker room, without any change made by Deschamps, the Blues unsuccessfully unveiled the idea of a reaction - let's not speak of revolt - without however moving the meeting into another dimension.
Proof of this is the first shot on target in the second period… in the 70th minute by Marcus Thuram.
Far too little for a team of the caliber of the second world nation.
Logically dissatisfied by such a tasteless copy and devoid of any seductive idea, and with the shock against Portugal next Saturday in the Nations League in mind, "DD" began his coaching in the 55th minute with the exits of Giroud, Ben Yedder and Pogba, very disappointing, replaced by Martial, Griezmann and Kanté.
For a relative effect.
Let's be polite.
If the defense of the Blues could have remained in the locker room during the second act as Finland had abandoned any idea of increasing the score, the rest of the French contingent was never able to change the situation and prevent the first defeat des Bleus since June 2019 and a setback in Turkey.
Reaction expected Saturday in Portugal
Worrisome?
Certainly when we are called France and we come to bow to the bis team of the 55th world nation.
Even more worrying for some of those present in the refrigerated Stade de France.
These matches, with questionable programming these days, can score points for a place in the France group for the Euro (June 11-July 11, 2021).
But also to lose.
The Dubois, Zouma, Lenglet, Sissoko, or N'Zonzi certainly do not come out strengthened.
Only Thuram and Digne have, in this porridge of football, managed to pull out of the game. It is far too little for this team of France.
Who owes a reaction from Saturday against Portugal.
Without any possible excuse this time.
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