France looking to defend home turf in Euro 16

Les Bleus will need to overcome defensive liabilities to claim European glory.

When Euro 16 starts on June 10th the eyes of the soccer world will be on France. While the rest of the world kicks back and watches Europe’s best fight it out over a month, the pressure will be on the home side to bring home its first major trophy since 2000.

The pressure is always greater on the host nation at tournaments like these. Coming out on top is difficult enough, but dealing with the extra media scrutiny adds more weight to the shoulders of the men who are expected to make the host nation a champion.

This year the added pressure falls to France, a team that has suffered through finding its identity since Zidane walked off the pitch in the 2006 World Cup. There was the disastrous 2010 World Cup that saw the team put up a fight with everyone except the teams they played. The 2012 Euro competition and the 2014 World Cup saw improved performances, but they still fell short of the finishes their talent should be achieving.

Didier Deschamps is the man responsible for leading the charges during this tournament. His run as the national team captain saw France hoist the Jules Rimet trophy on home soil in 1998. He has been a successful coach in his previous club stints and guided the team in 2014 where they lost 1-0 to eventual champion Germany.

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There is plenty to like about this French team. They are skilled in the attack with Antoine Griezmann, Anthony Martial and Dimitri Payet joining Olivier Giroud on the forward line. France should be able to generate some goals in a variety of ways. Whether that is thru Griezmann’s speed, using Giroud as a target man, or Payet’s free kicks, France should be able to score.

In the midfield, Les Bleus boast the ultra talented Paul Pogba. Pogba is one of the world’s best at holding the ball and creating opportunities for his team. With Blaise Matuidi. Lassana Diarra and others joining the Juventus star, the middle of the pitch is in great shape for the French.

Hugo Lloris is a steadying influence between the posts. The experienced Tottenham keeper has been a mainstay as France’s number one for several years. Understudy Steve Mandanda of Marseille has plenty of experience and is a solid second option. Where France may get derailed is their defense.

Typically a French strong suit, the warmup games for Euro have seen several missed assignments and a lack of cohesion by the back four. Uncharacteristically for France, this has turned into a problem over an extended run of games.

Adding to their woes is the recent injuries to Raphael Varane and Jeremy Mathieu eliminating them from the Euro competition per Sky Sports. Deschamps will have to figure out if Adil Rami of Sevilla or Manchester City’s Eliaquim Mangala will partner Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny in the middle of defense. How quickly they can form a solid partnership may determine France’s fate.

France’s group schedule can be a blessing as far as defense goes, and a bit of a curse. With Romania, Switzerland and Albania the hosts should have no difficulty exiting the group stage. This may give them time to get their defense on the same page as far as communication and understanding.

In the same regard, with little to test them early, will they be able to step up to the challenges that would await them in the following stages? Their answer on the pitch will determine if they can lift the trophy in front of their home fans.

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France is plenty capable and should be considered one of the favorites in the tournament. Winning at home will go a long way in removing some of the painful memories of the past. A successful tournament will also set them up as a team to beat heading into the 2018 World Cup where some of their young core will be hitting their prime.