After a good performance against South Korea, France play Norway on Wednesday 11th June, in Nice, in a sold-out stadium.
The fervor only needs to be maintained: this Wednesday, June 12, 2019, the French women’s team can take a big step towards the Quarter finals of the World Cup 2019, or even qualify, against Norway, deprived of Golden Ball player Ada Hegerberg. The match is played at 9pm in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes).
Read also: World 2019: France crushes South Korea in opening match
As in Paris, the shock against Norway will be again “sold out”, the last 6000 tickets sold in Nice like hotcakes.
And despite programming in the middle of the week, sign that the craze around les Bleues, which attracted Friday nearly 11 million viewers, just waiting to continue. ” I think this is good! Even if some people wake up late, the idea is to wake up, “said the coach Corinne Deacon.
Les Bleues ont effectué une séance de vivacité avant d’affronter la Norvège, pour leur second match de Coupe du Monde 👊🇫🇷 #FiersdetreBleues pic.twitter.com/ZgQM5ZweCq
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) 12 June 2019
35,000 seats
The bar of 45,261 spectators, hit the Parc des Princes during the victory against South Korea (4-0) in the opening match, can not be exceeded Wednesday. The blame for a smaller capacity, around 35 000 seats, in the enclosure Nice.
Le prochain match des Bleues face à la Norvège se jouera à guichets fermés (mercredi à 21h00) ! 🙌
Après les plus de 45 000 spectateurs vendredi au Parc des Princes, les Bleues joueront devant plus de 35 000 supporters à Nice #FiersdetreBleues pic.twitter.com/JhrlRbPJsd— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) 10 June 2019
But after the demonstration of the strength of the United States, favourites of the event, with his historic record Monday against Thailand (13-0), the teammates of Amandine Henry will still be widely supported to confirm their beautiful introduction against Norway. Especially a France-USA could be in the quarterfinals.
Wendie Renard on course?
But this possible shock poster is still far away. In play on Wednesday, the first place in group A, also coveted by the Scandinavians – who started their competition with a victory against Nigeria (3-0) – and a potential qualification in the 8th finals.
A success combined with a draw in the other match of the group, Nigeria-South Korea, would already propel the French for the second round. A victory alone would approach them.
But with which starting eleven? Wendie Renard and Eugénie Le Sommer, authors of three of the four goals, have not been able to train optimally in recent days due to muscle discomfort.
ENS🇫🇷MBLE. #FiersDetreBleues #FRANOR #WR3 @equipedefrance pic.twitter.com/ndgO8cKbe4
— Wendie Renard (@WRenard) 11 June 2019
“Menaged”
“The players have been spared, simply,” assured Corinne Deacon, hinting that his two executives can play without problem.
“The starting lineup against Korea gave me satisfaction, so, logically, we should start again on the same eleven,” she even announced.
Pillar of the French defence, Renard (1.87 m) remains mostly a weapon of mass destruction on set pieces, like her impressive double header against South Korea.
⚽️ – 45’ – Le doublé pour Wendie Renard !https://t.co/KPcj6BVmkT
🇫🇷 3 – 0 🇰🇷#FRACOR #WWC19 à suivre en direct sur @tf1 et @mytf1 ► https://t.co/DSwh7GQjQj
— TF1 (@TF1) 7 June 2019
To face it, the Norwegians had to call on a member of the staff … measuring nearly two meters during the preparation of the match!
A mission doomed to fail? “We do the best we can, because it’s complicated! Beyond being great, you should also know that it has a very good timing, “said Monday his teammate Julie Debever, who often marks in the oppositions to training.
Norway without its Golden Ball
Opposite, Norway, crowned world champion in 1995, will be without star Ada Hegerberg.
The first women’s Golden Ball in history, 23-year-old Hegerberg pulled out of the national team after the Euro-2017 fiasco and elimination in the first round.
Her absence, a weight advantage for the Blue? “It’s true that she’s a very big player. I have the chance to train with her everyday. This is a plus for us, we will not complain, “said the French side Amel Majri, teammate Hegerberg in Lyon.
Serious
Even without her “scorer”, Norway, the first place of his qualifying group in front of the Netherlands, yet European champions in title, remains a team that has many assets. Like Caroline Graham Hansen, the danger N.1 to monitor the unanimous opinion of French players.
“It’s a player who goes pretty fast, (…) pretty deft in front of the goal,” warns Majri, who has already faced in the Champions League. “We must be careful not to be too obsessed with it and leave other players.”
“It’s a second pool match, where we have to show as much seriousness as we did against Korea,” added Corinne Deacon. Now, if you lead 3-0 at half-time, it will be fine with me. ” The dream scenario of French fans.