After the draw of the Blues against the Icelanders at the Euro (1-1), find out what caught the attention of the editorial staff.
TOPS
Melvine Malard takes a date
45 seconds to reassure, and ensure. Melvine Malard will not have dragged this Monday to shake the Icelandic nets, and demonstrate that Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s replacement costume, forfeited for the rest of the competition, did not scare her. At 22 years and 20 days, the Lyonnaise has quite simply become the youngest scorer in the history of Les Bleues in a Euro and a World Cup. An achievement that had the merit of putting her in confidence. Perhaps a little too much on an action where she favored the strike rather than the shift on Kadidiatou Diani on the right. But at least she had the merit of daring, and not hiding. Admittedly, she does not have the same qualities as the Parisian in back-to-goal and deflection play. But she showed enough quality in this match to extinguish some concerns before the quarter-final against the Netherlands on July 23.
Clara Matéo, the right (and decisive) pass
At 24, the Paris FC player is undoubtedly the revelation of this start to the Euro for the France team. If some were surprised to find her in Corinne Deacon’s list of 23, Clara Matéo silenced the skeptics. Very versatile, since the coach uses him more in midfield, attacking him at his club. A choice that paid off as the accuracy of his passes worked wonders. Thus, it is she who gives the ball in the right tempo to Melvine Malard on the opener, her second assist of the Euro. And there could have been a third without Var’s intervention in the 88th minute, when she served Grace Geyoro. In view of the quarter-final, it now seems difficult to do without the Parisian.
FLOPS
Difficult second periods offensively
The matches follow one another and look alike for the French women, backfiring from the start of the match before slowly but surely giving way. With always a lack of efficiency in front of the opposing goal in the second half, during which they have not scored for three matches in this Euro. Symbol of this insufficiency this Monday evening, the performance of Sandy Baltimore. Extremely active, the Paris SG player has shown great promise. But also shortcomings to better conclude its many initiatives. And even bad luck got involved when it hit the crossbar (55th). As did Grace Geyoro who found an amount on the road to her strike (67th). So that for the moment, the goal difference of Les Bleues in the second half at the Euro is… -2.
The Var, very unfavorable to France
If the first goal denied to Melvine Malard is not open to discussion as the offside of the Lyonnaise was indisputable, including even at real speed (68th), on the other hand, that denied to Grace Geyoro in the 88th minute raises questions. Well served by Clara Matéo, the French touched the ball with her hand, but involuntarily and being squeezed, not to say restrained, by an opposing defender. It’s hard to say how she could have done otherwise, or even what advantage she was able to derive from it. Even in slow motion, refusing the goal of the Parisian did not seem obvious. And then finally came the penalty awarded at the last second to the Icelanders, on a fault by Ouleymata Sarr also hardly flagrant. What to be frustrated for the Blue …