If we weren’t Canadian, we’d argue that France really should have won the bronze medal match at the London Olympics. Thankfully for excellent goalkeeping and the generosity of Canada’s woodwork, the French were kept out, but the fact remains that Les Bleues were and are a dangerous side. Moreover, this is a team with pedigree and chemistry: coach Phillippe Bergeroo has selected no less than nine members of Olympique Lyonnais, who’ve just won their ninth (ninth!) consecutive top-flight title. Turning club success into a world title will take some doing, but it’s far from beyond the capabilities of the third-ranked nation in the world.
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Roster
Goalkeepers: Sarah Bouhaddi, Céline Deville and Méline Gérard
Defenders: Laura Georges, Wendie Renard, Laure Boulleau, Jessica Houara, Sabrina Delannoy, Griedge Mbock Bathy, Amel Majri and Anaïg Butel
Midfielders: Camille Abily, Élise Bussaglia, Louisa Nécib, Élodie Thomis, Amandine Henry, Kheira Hamraoui and Kenza Dali
Forwards: Claire Lavogez, Gaëtane Thiney, Eugénie Le Sommer, Marie-Laure Delie and Kadidiatou Diani
Coach
Phillippe Bergeroo certainly has the kind of experience that players look up to: the former French international goalkeeper was part of France’s 1984 European Championship–winning team and their 1986 World Cup squad. After taking over the French squad ahead of the start of qualifying for Canada, Bergeroo has led Les Bleues to 24 wins, three draws and just two losses.
Group F schedule
June 9: vs. England in Moncton
June 13: vs. Colombia in Moncton
June 17: vs. Mexico in Ottawa
How they qualified
In a word: Easily. Coasting through Group 7, the French scored 54 goals in 10 games—all wins—while conceding only three. Their 24-0 aggregate victory over two matches versus Bulgaria shows what can happen when an under-matched side comes up against the likes of the French.
Team strengths
It’s tempting to say scoring is a strength of this team—again, 54 goals in qualifying ain’t no joke—but that’s as much about the disparity in women’s football as anything else. What really looks promising about the French is their unity and familiarity: not only is the team drawn almost exclusively from two club teams, Bergeroo didn’t radically alter the squad when he took over. The continuity has served the team well—the give-and-go goal that secured the win over Canada in April is the kind of move that familiarity breeds into a team—and the French will bring eight starters with experience from the 2011 World Cup where they finished fourth.
Team weaknesses
For a French team that is solid from front to back, the biggest difficulty on the road to the finals in Vancouver will be the road they have to travel to get there. Though blessed with a manageable group draw (Group F also features England, Mexico and Colombia), the French will likely have to beat the Germans in the quarterfinals and the Americans in the semis (though hopefully not, as this means the Canadians are already out). That’s two legitimate title contenders standing in the way just to get to the final. No easy feat, even for as strong a team as the French.
Player to watch
French fans call Louisa Necib “The Female Zidane”—even giving the Marseille-born player the nickname “Ziza”—but the truth is the 28-year-old playmaker stands on her own two (extremely gifted) feet—no comparisons needed. Perhaps the best string-pulling midfielder in the women’s game, Necib combines technical ability with an eye for a pass that allows her to slice open any defence she faces. That’s lethal stuff when she’s seeking out an experienced finisher such as Gaetane Thiney or a blisteringly pacey winger like Elodie Thomis. If all else fails, the Lyon star does have another option: score the kind of screamer of a goal that earned her a Puskas Award nomination in 2013.
Burning question
Have they really arrived? Fourth-place finishes at the 2011 World Cup and the Olympics, recent results and the quality of the French domestic league (well, of PSG and Olympique Lyonnais, at least) all suggest that the French are on the brink of a breakthrough to title contention. Granted, it’s one thing to beat the Americans, Japanese and the Germans in friendlies, and quite another to do it on the sport’s biggest stage, but there’s never been a better moment to back the Les Bleues for success.
World Cup history
1991-1999 – Did not qualify
2003 – Group Stage
2007 –Did not qualify
2011 – Semifinals (Fourth place)