France’s three games in the group stage have shown a team with little play and fewer goals. The current world champion needed 49 shots to score a goal of her own creation and it was the penalty that Kylian Mbappé scored against Poland. The goal in favor that appears in the French box is the one scored by the Austrian Wober in his own goal. The poor scoring record has relegated France to second place in its group, which will take it to the round of 16 with Belgium and to the wild side that Germany, Portugal and Spain are also on.
With that background and the doubts raised by the football he has played, French coach Didier Deschamps declared Thursday as a day off. On Tuesday, after the draw with Poland (1-1), the French internationals who were not obliged to appear in the mixed zone of the Westfalenstadion, paraded at full speed on their way to the bus that was to take them to the concentration hotel in Paderborn. Their relatives were waiting for them there, with permission to visit them for a day. The feeling conveyed by his eagerness as he walked was to start the break with his team as soon as possible to forget the disappointing first phase in which they have participated.
“There are veterans here who know that in the second phase everything changes,” reflected Deschamps, very convinced that the lack of aim and not bad play is the big problem that has condemned France. “Oh no, I’m not disappointed at all, honestly. Except that we wanted to get first place in the group,” proclaimed the French coach with a touch of haughtiness. “The opposing goalkeeper was named best player of the match. Sometimes you can have many opportunities and not score. We were in a very complicated group. For those who were laughing at Austria, they are the first. Holland is third. The first objective has been achieved, we will play on July 1 (in the round of 16) and a new competition will begin. If we score more goals, we have a better chance of winning games. “I would be much more worried if we didn’t have chances,” Deschamps analyzed.
The two goals scored are the worst mark of the Deschamps era in a group stage in the three European Championships and three World Cups that he has directed the teams. blues, precisely runners-up in Qatar 2022. In the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups he scored eight, three and six goals, respectively. In the 2016 European Championship and the 2021 European Championship he registered four goals in the first phase. “I have full confidence in our attackers. When we have needed them they have always been there. We are a great team and a great team always gets up,” warned Real Madrid player Camavinga.
Among his forwards, Griezmann’s drought draws attention, as he has only scored two goals in his last 31 games with his national team. After the goalless draw with the Netherlands, Deschamps defended the Atlético striker and focused on his fatigue. “He is coming off a very intense season, with some very intense games,” the coach excused him. Against Poland he gave him a rest at the start. “He’s not angry for not playing, others surely are,” Deschamps responded. Not getting more out of the potential that their forwards have is a pending issue. France’s play under his direction caused one of the most unlikely and unusual paradoxes in the history of the World Cup in Russia 2018. France became world champion without its center forward, Giroud, scoring a goal.
Deschamps has never been an esthete of the game. Not even his world champion team in 2018 filled the eye, beyond his defensive solidity, Mbappé’s great individual explosion in a great international competition and Griezmann’s leadership in managing games.
The France we have seen so far has little coral. Everything seems to depend on the individual inspiration of Mbappé, Dembélé and Griezmann in attack. “We have to add more to the team collectively,” said PSG winger Barcola. The French attack is not flowing, forced to play against very closed defences. Deschamps has worked in training on this type of match in which there is no space. As a dominant team, France is clouded in the vicinity of the area and not only in the finish. It has shown that it feels more comfortable when it falls back and can run on the counterattack than when it has to show a plan to attack in a static position. Perhaps in that case, it could even be better for it to go for the more complex side of the team. Germany, Portugal and Spain monopolise the ball more.
You can follow The USA Print in Facebook and xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
_
