World Cup: Les Bleus face Team USA in quarterfinals

2019 World Cup hosts Les Bleus face defending World Cup champions, the US Women’s National Team.

On summer weekends there are often more American tourists in Paris than there are French nationals. Not this weekend. On Friday in the French capital, hosts Les Bleues will take on defending World Cup champions, the US Women’s National Team.

The French qualified for the quarters after a hard-won match against Brazil — so gruelling it went into extra time. Both teams started brightly. Brazil defended better than it did in previous matches but didn’t move the ball forward with much purpose. Marta, who’s been struggling with injury, was especially quiet.

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The game was scoreless until the 51st minute when French forward Valerie Gauvin scored off a header. During the play, Gauvin collided with Brazilian keeper Barbara. After several minutes delay, the goal was overruled by overzealous VAR interference.

Brazil seemed reenergized and looked more positive after the ref disallowed the French goal. Still, the game remained scoreless at the half.

In the 52nd minute, a determined Gauvin charged the box again, scoring to put France ahead. Brazil’s Thaisa countered in the 63rd. She launched a deflection past French goalkeeper Sarah Bouhadi to tie things up. With the game level at 1-1 after regulation, the teams headed into 30 minutes of extra time.

Brazil nearly scored twice in the extra period, but France’s Bouhadi denied Christiane with a clutch kick-save and, in the 104th minute, centre back Mbock Bathy bailed out her team with a game-saving block on the line after Bouhadi missed a crack shot by Brazilian forward Debinha.

Soon after, French left-back Amel Majri crossed the ball to her captain Amandine Henry for France’s second, match-winning goal.

Today Les Bleue’s found out they will face the United States Women’s National Soccer Team after the US narrowly defeated Spain in Reims.

The match looked to be another US party after the Americans went ahead early. In the fifth minute, Spanish centre back Maria Pilar Leon committed a foul on American Tobin Heath in the box, earning the US a penalty. Megan Rapinoe smacked the penalty shot into the lower left corner of the net, putting the US up by one.

Minutes later, US Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher gifted Spanish forward Jennifer Hermosa the ball just outside the box. Jenni spoiled the party. Unmarked, she took a touch to set up the ball and shot it over Naeher’s outstretched fingertips into the top corner.

After the equalizer the US became more reactive, hoisting long balls to well-defended Rapinoe and Morgan instead of trying to build through the middle of the field. Spain exhibited toughness, composure and efficiency, but had little to show for it offensively after Jenni’s goal.

The US settled down in the second half: Naeher had a few important clearances and Julie Ertz helped shore up the defence. The US team still didn’t find the net until, in the 70th minute, Spain committed a second penalty. Rapinoe took this one too. She smashed the ball into the bottom left corner again, putting the US ahead.

I was unprepared for how unprepared the US seemed for Spain. They had a tough time dealing with Spain’s dynamic combination of technicality and physicality. The French side will give them the same and then some, only many of the French players have the more explosive pace.

A win is a win is a win. And yet, after advancing to the quarterfinals without a goal from open play, the party may be winding down for Team USA.