The French Tournament canceled, theFrench women’s team of football launches its year 2021 on Saturday (9:10 p.m.) in Metz against Switzerland, rival of lower rank but sufficiently ” strong “ to offer the resistance expected at the end of a training course with new contours. Follow France – Switzerland live.
The defection of Norway and Iceland caused a last-minute change of program for the French women who, unable to defend their title at the Tournoi de France, will gauge their state of form against the Swiss selection, 19th in the Fifa rankings, Saturday then Tuesday in Moselle.
“This is not a discounted internship”, evacuates guard Pauline Peyraud-Magnin. “The 24 players selected are there to play the two matches, that does not detract from the charm of this selection ».
Corinne Deacon is on the same wavelength. “There is no frustration when you play an international match”, launches the coach, with a clear objective announced to her players: ” keep winning “.
Unbeaten since the World Cup-2019, the Blue remain in six consecutive matches without conceding a single goal, during which they ensured their qualification for the next Euro in 2022.
READ ALSO. French team. Deacon is “spoiled for choice” before facing Switzerland
Despite the cancellation of the Tournoi de France, the first match of which was scheduled for last Wednesday, Deacon made a point of summoning his players from February 13 to have a full week of training, a luxury for the coaches forced to work in the ’emergency.
“Rich problem”
“As soon as we can do more land, we take advantage of it”, relishes the former coach of the Clermont men’s team (L2). On the lawns of Clairefontaine, “We worked well, the atmosphere is good”, she assures by evoking the good alchemy between ” old and new ».
For the start of the school year, Deacon opened the doors of Les Bleues to goalkeepers Mylène Chavas (Dijon) and Constance Picaud (Le Havre), as well as to Bordeaux circles Ella Palis and Julie Dufour. The latter, however, had to leave the group Thursday after having “slightly” injured a thigh, according to the FFF.
The Parisian midfielder Léa Khelifi, loaned this season to Dijon, can for her part hope to experience a first selection in Metz, a city whose colors she has long worn.
In a press conference on Friday, the coach gave no indication of her first composition of the year 2021.
“I have a wealthy problem, I’m not going to complain about it. It’s complicated to release one + eleven + so much the 24 players deserve it ”, says the boss of the Blue, however deprived of Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG), injured, and Valérie Gauvin (Everton), forced to stay in England because of the restrictions linked to Covid-19.
Switzerland experienced the same misadventure with its four “English” playing for Arsenal and Everton, which weakens the adversity expected at Saint-Symphorien stadium.
“It’s a strong team that is part of the world top-20”, nevertheless points out Peyraud-Magnin.
His coach puts forward another argument. “I expect a difficult double confrontation because Switzerland is preparing for qualifying for the Euro in April, which is not our case”, notes Deacon, captain during the last Swiss victory (2-1) in the summer of 2002.
Les Bleues will have to wait until September a priori to play their next matches in official competition, as part of the qualifications for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
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