Goals: O’Sullivan (66th), Russell (76th), and Patten (90th) for the Girls in Green // Becho (79th) for the Blues
Playing away in a Gaelic sports stadium in Cork, Ireland, on Tuesday, the French substitutes managed to captivate the audience at Páirc Uí Chaoimh with their performance. Despite ending their Euro 2025 qualification campaign with a disappointing 3-1 loss to the Irish team, who were at the bottom of their group with no points so far, France still maintains the top spot in their pool and secures their position as a top seed, thanks to the 0-0 draw between England and Sweden. However, this result falls short of being a reassuring dress rehearsal before the start of the Olympic Games on July 25th against Colombia.
Setting aside the somber context, let’s address the excuses: at the start of the match, Hervé Renard france-2/ » title= »Euro 2024 : évaluation de l'équipe espagnole face à la France »>made wholesale changes to his starting XI compared to the team that defeated Sweden 2-1 on Friday. Even worse, within the XI, five players will not be participating in the Olympics (either as reserves or excluded). This was evident from the start as the experimental defense struggled early on, with Constance Picaud making a last-ditch save in front of Julie-Ann Russell (3rd). Russell continued to test the shaky Lakrar-Samoura partnership moments later (14th and 15th), before finally finding Picaud, who made a crucial block (18th).
Punished Despite Changes
On the attacking front, things were not much better, as Julie Dufour, making her 6th appearance, struggled to make an impact with her runs (9th, 23rd). The midfield trio of Selma Bacha, Léa Le Garrec, and Amandine Henry, with only five starts for the national team, failed to provide much assurance. The only bright spots were Le Garrec’s attempts, paying tribute to Nolann (26th, 30th), and Bacha’s individual efforts (32nd, 35th). The French team could have been punished further if VAR had spotted Maëlle Lakrar’s handball to deny Louise Quinn’s header (33rd), or if Leanne Kiernan had been more clinical after beating Estelle Cascarino (45th).
In the second half, Delphine Cascarino came on and immediately created the first real chance for France within 30 seconds (46th). However, it was Picaud who was kept busy, making crucial saves against Jess Ziu (51st) and Russell (52nd), before dealing with a cross from local star Katie McCabe (53rd). The Irish team finally broke the deadlock when Denise O’Sullivan, set up by Russell, slotted a low shot past Picaud (1-0, 66th). Russell then doubled the lead with a stunning strike after dribbling past Elisa De Almeida (2-0, 76th).
A Historic Heavy Defeat Before the Olympics
The second goal sent the 18,399 spectators at Páirc Uí Chaoimh into a frenzy, celebrating the Irish team’s victory. Vicki Becho pulled one back for France late in the game with a goal from Delphine Cascarino’s cross (2-1, 79th), but it did little to dampen the spirits of the home team. Anna Patten, wearing the number 12 jersey for Ireland, sealed the victory with a header from a corner, beating the newly introduced Grace Geyoro (3-1, 90th). It was a day of celebration for the Irish team, who received a standing ovation despite being eliminated from the Euro 2025 qualification race. In contrast, the French team suffered a dramatic defeat, conceding three goals in a qualification match for the first time in 20 years and losing Lakrar and Baltimore to injuries.
