With 9 goals scored since the start of the competition – and this despite the injury of Marie-Antoinette Katoto (27 goals in 34 selections, it should be remembered) from the second match against Belgium – the French team did not is far from coughing in attack.
With wingers – Kadidiatou Diani and Delphine Cascarino – whom the whole of Europe envies us, the Blue even show a particularly attractive face in the construction of their offensives, very often only sinning for lack of realism.
Except that of these 9 achievements, 8 were scored in the first period, and the 9th during the… first period of extra time during the victorious quarter-final against the Netherlands (1-0).
Or put another way, France failed in four games to shake the opposing nets in a second act.
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A statistic that is not unaware, of course, of Corinne Deacon, who also wanted to be offensive on the subject before challenging the Dutch.
“
Physically, we have no problem.
I know your question (about this lack of performance in the second half).
For me, it doesn't have to be.
The match scenarios have simply meant that at some point it is normal, especially against Italy, to focus a little on the future and avoid injuries.
It's human.
In any case, the team is doing well.
Even very very well.
“And the coach to put on a layer after qualifying for the last four, the first for a French team in a Euro.
“
I knew you were worried about the athletic aspect, I think
“, dropped the former international.
A sharp way to cut short any question concerning the physical form of a French team which is also the second in the competition in the number of kilometers covered collectively (462.7 behind the 468.1 of an eliminated Spain) .
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In Clairefontaine, before flying to England, the physical trainer of Les Bleues Anthony Grech-Angelini had also detailed the plan: "
When we discussed it with the coach, the objective that we set ourselves was very clear and focused on two principles: be 100% on July 10 and be ready to last six times 90 minutes.
“But he could not then predict that the quarter would last 120 minutes, and that France would have two days of recovery less than its opponent in half this Wednesday (9:00 p.m.), Germany.
What to worry about again for French production during the second period?
"
We know that in a competition there will always be a disadvantaged team, today it's us.
Well, we're not going to take that as an excuse.
We will go there and give everything
, ”evacuated Diani in the mixed zone on Saturday evening.
But since the start of the competition, Deacon has perfectly managed playing time, substitutions and the Wendie Renard-Grace Geyoro-Sakina Karchaoui trio, disturbed in preparation by various physical glitches, could serve as a locomotive for all the others arriving maybe fresher on this semi-final.
It's true that we give a lot in the first half, with very high pressure from the start, and in the second half it's harder to impose the same pressure.
Ouleymata Sarr
So if the problem does not hurt physically, does the problem come from the tactics put in place by the French?
After the victory against Belgium (2-1), Sakina Karchaoui admitted: “
It's true that in the second half, we get into the middle block and we tend to wait longer for the opponent.
An opinion shared by Ouleymata Sarr: “
It's true that we give a lot in the first period, with very high pressure from the start, and in the second period it's harder to impose the same pressure.
We lower our feet a bit.
But we will work on that and correct it, no worries about that.
“Except that since then, two other matches have confirmed the trend, Iceland allowing themselves to win the second act.
And to return to this statistic of +7 in terms of goal difference during the first 45 minutes, and -2 in the last 45.
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Suddenly, if France comes back very strongly in these matches, which is symbolized by 4 goals scored in the first quarter of an hour - the best total of the competition all teams combined -, it exposes itself on the other hand thereafter to a backhand if she fails to score quickly.
The quarter-final demonstrated this with the first quarter of an hour after half-time when the Dutch were threatening, before disappearing again.
And to rely on their goalkeeper to achieve an almost miraculous extension.
Because beyond the physical and tactical aspect, it is difficult to prove Corinne Deacon wrong when she also mentions the turn of the meetings, perhaps less favorable to performance after the break.
And against the reigning European champions Dutch,
the quality of play of the Bleues has not diminished during the last half hour, unlike the three group matches.
Only offensive realism fled them.
Let's hope that against the Germans, they find him again to finally no longer be the scorers of a single period.