With a new tactical scheme in 3-4-3 and despite the withdrawals of many managers (Katoto, Karchaoui, Bacha, Mbock, De Almeida), Laurent Bonadei put the Azzurri back on the right path, leaving through the back door of the competition that they dreamed of winning at home: the Games.
Disappointing in matches this summer, they showed more on Friday evening at the Auguste-Bonal stadium in Montbéliard in front of 11,200 spectators, confiscating the ball from the Jamaicans. The offensive animation, workhorse of the coach who had until then been faithful assistant to Hervé Renard, was captivating thanks to the pistons Sandy Baltimore and Delphine Cascarino and the midfielder Kenza Dali, sharp and mobile.
Not called up by Hervé Renard since last December and for the Games, Paris FC striker Clara Mateo was deployed on the right wing.
And truly a symbol, it is she who scores the first goal under the Bonadei era, taking advantage of a defender’s error to open the scoring (1-0, 22nd). Very available and restless, she tried throughout the first period without being precise enough to score her sixth goal with the Blues (13th, 26th, 33rd, 37th), before being more discreet in the second half.
Sommer gets injured
Sandy Baltimore, as often happens against teams of this level, shone on the left side scoring in a fantastic sequence, with a controlled volley (3-0, 48th). Apart from a Jamaican counterattack (9th), the Blues, now down to 10th place in FIFA, outclassed their opponents (42nd in FIFA) and never put themselves in danger. Three new players were even able to enjoy their first minutes in the tricolor shirt (Le Mouël, Gago, Caputo).
They also maintained their good habits and scored from set pieces. Captain Wendie Renard made Kenza Dali’s corner kick special by judiciously crossing her head (2-0, 39th). For her first goal as the new No.1 and with a new defensive line in front of her (Renard, Cascarino, Samoura), Constance Picaud did not need to work, before facing Switzerland (25th) on Tuesday evening in Geneva.
The only bad news is Eugénie Le Sommer’s exit due to injury right at the end of the match. Returning on the hour mark, he again appeared to be suffering from post-match discomfort, despite having been suffering from a series of physical problems for several months.
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