The French women's team, without Katoto or Cascarino returning at the end of the match, was once again beaten by the Spanish world champions (4-2), but existed more than ten months ago.
This time, the Blues weighed more and hampered the teammates of the Ballon d'Or Aitana Bonmati but their year ended as it had started: after the lost final of the League of Nations against the Spaniards (2-0) in February, the Bleues also lost for the second time in four matches under Laurent Bonadei at the head of the Bleues. The other difference was seen in the stands. This last match of 2024 for the Tricolores took place at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, which was three-quarters empty. The Spaniards, without several managers (Putellas, Paredes, Hermoso, Paralluelo) and who remained in four matches without a victory before the success against South Korea, hurt with their individual talent and their intelligence of play as soon as they accelerated.
The action of the third baseman is the most telling to illustrate this. Thanks to well-timed passes and a good reading of the game, Lucia Garcia concluded a long sequence of possession (60th).
Cascarino hit in the knee
From the 6th minute, Bonmati easily broke through the French defense to take a cross from Mariona Caldentey and deceive the new N.1 goalkeeper of the Bleues Constance Picaud. The goalkeeper, preferred to Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, is at fault on the second goal by very poorly anticipating a powerless and innocuous strike from Claudia Pina (23rd). She made up for it by releasing a powerful shot from Teresa which was flying into the top corner (52nd) but was unable to do anything about the penalty conceded by Kenza Dali, guilty of a handball in the area (4-2, 81st). As soon as they accelerated, the world champions, who were left with a failure in the semi-final of the Olympic Games, hurt the Blues, who did not want to give them the ball like last February.
Organized in 3-4-3, the new system put in place by Laurent Bonadei, the French put in place high and often aggressive pressing to prevent the passing game of the Spaniards, who slowed down at the end of the first period.
Before half-time, the decline of La Roja allowed the French team to react and pull itself together by reducing the score thanks to a goal against its Spanish camp on a cross from Vicki Becho (37th), preferred to Delphine Cascarino yet very strong on Saturday against Nigeria (2-1 victory).
A double for Diani
At the heart of a well-contested second act, Kadidiatou Diani, aligned at the forefront of the attack, concluded a great French action (3-2, 71st) before hitting too weakly alone in front of the goal (83rd). For his fourth friendly match, Laurent Bonadei continued his squad review by notably aligning Thiniba Samoura, Wendie Renard and Estelle Cascarino, who left following a knee injury (84th).
Reduced by knee discomfort, Eugénie Le Sommer, scorer on Saturday, did not honor her 198th selection, which could have allowed her to equal Sandrine Soubeyrand's record. The French team has completed an intense year, punctuated by the failure of the Olympic Games at home, the lost final in the Nations League and the departure of Hervé Renard. The year 2025 will be marked by the Euro next summer in Switzerland, where the Blues are expected to finally go far in a major competition. Before that, a new League of Nations will begin in February.
