Women's Nations League: outclassed by Spain in the final, the Blues will still wait for their first trophy

The step was too high. Five months before the Games, Hervé Renard's Bleues hoped to strike a big, huge blow. Winners of Germany (2-1) on Friday in the semi-finals of the League of Nations, they faced Spain, the reigning world champion, on Wednesday in Seville, for what would have been the first title in the history of the French women's team.

It is especially the second for Spain, simply too strong (2-0) for the overwhelmed French. “Spain dominates world football and it was the best team that won,” Hervé Renard (very) briefly summarized, directly, at the microphone of W9. Goals from Ballon d'Or Aitana Bonmati in the first half and Mariona Caldentey in the second. Note that the Spanish eliminated the Netherlands (3-0) on Friday in the semi-finals.

The Blues had nothing to reproach themselves for in terms of intensity at the start of the game, but the first opportunity was Spanish, with this cross from Caldentey for Paralluelo, whose shot was blocked (8th). A first opportunity, not the last for the Spanish, with for example Paredes who touched wood (26th). France had the greatest difficulty getting out of its own half and even more difficult getting close to the opposing goal in this first half hour. And what had to happen happened, with this Carbona center taken over by Bonmati (1-0, 32nd). Aleixandri was not far from making the break (45 1) but it remained there at half-time (1-0 MT), in front of just over 32,000 spectators in Andalusia. Only 37% possession for the Blues and no shots on target in this first 100% Spanish act.

From the restart, Katoto caused a first big thrill in the Spanish ranks (47th), but Athenea's back cross for Caldentey allowed Spain to drive the point home (2-0, 53rd). The Blues have their backs to the wall. Coach Renard was tapping on his bench to try to overturn the table. Their players sorely lacked the precision to destabilize the Spanish block. The French finally pushed at the end, while Spain managed. Great opportunity for De Almeida (78th), who didn't fit. A few situations, no real opportunity. Powerless. And again, goalkeeper Peyraud-Magnin did the job to intervene twice in front of Paralluelo (54th, 84th)... The "campeones" fell from the stands in the last minutes, the Spanish players were already dancing on the bench until at the delivery (2-0 final score). Attractive and solid at the same time, Spain pockets a second trophy in six months, after the World Cup.

Les Bleues hoped to make an impression by winning a first title. Failed again. However, they did not start with the favor of the forecasts against the world champions, especially in Spain, but they once again measured what separates them from the top world nations.

“We will have to raise the team's cursor,” said Eugénie Le Sommer on Friday, after the half against Germany. The French captain gave this analysis after the match: “They had a good match, they were better than us this evening. You have to admit it. Afterwards, in the first period, we must do better, we must let them play less, be closer to each other and use more intensity. And when we got the ball back, we weren't technically clean enough to get up the block and create chances... It was better in the second half, we pushed a little more, a little more pressed... But it wasn't not enough. It’s hard… but that’s how it is.”

There are inevitably positives to be drawn from this campaign, five months before the Games, but the Lyonnaise was not in the mood to see the glass half full. “It’s hard to see anything positive tonight. We came to win, it was a final. We wanted to win. It’s hard… We’re disappointed,” she whispered. It remains to be seen whether the French team, deprived of Wendie Renard in Seville, will be able to close the enormous gap which seems to separate it from Spain at the Olympics. Tick-tock…