The demise of France was an unfortunate but controversial affair. In a match worthy of the tournament’s final game, France fell to Germany, losing 5-4 on penalties. Who’s to blame for the premature exit of such an illustrious squad? There are many factors contributing to the demise of France.
One huge decision cruelly started the downfall of France during the quarter final. At 84 minutes, the ball struck Amel Majri’s arm, which the referee deemed as a penalty, despite the arm being behind her back in a non-active position. There was no intent making this decision incredibly harsh. This one vital decision allowed an average and at times poor Germany a shot at staying in the tournament, a get out of jail free card. This won’t be the first or last time that a poor decision by a referee ruins a game, but it would have been excruciatingly frustrating for France fans who were enjoying an otherwise dominant France performance. Celia Sasic converted the penalty thus throwing the game on its head.
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But, the referee cannot take all the blame, for France had an absolute golden opportunity seconds from the end of extra time. Gaëtane Thiney missed a sitter, representative of France’s wasteful finishing throughout the tournament. All it took was a tap in to take France through, but alas, the ball trundled wide. Agony for Thiney, a seasoned professional who rarely passes up opportunities as good as that one. France were far too lavish and liberal in their taking of chances, in polar opposite to Germany in not just the tournament overall, but this very game. For example, France had 18% shots on target, more than half of Germany’s 39%. Ultimately, it’s the accuracy of the shooting that defines a game. If Germany has double the amount of shots on target, then they double their chances of winning.
Can any blame really rest with Claire Lavogez? Possibly. She did at least test the keeper, but it was still a poor penalty in truth. Penalties are a very cruel way to depart from any match, let alone the World Cup. In such a pressurised situation, Lavogez has some excuse for missing. But, in truth, France should have easily put the game to bed in the first 90 minutes, let alone the 30 minutes that followed after! Penalties are a bit of a jackpot, and France had truly run out of any fortune after passing up so many golden opportunities.
Although France were knocked out, they can reflect positively on their tournament performance. The positive, expansive football was a marvel to behold at times. Not many other teams possessed the ball as well France did. Despite failing to finish on countless occasions, France have scored some wonderful goals, but when it counted they were unable to deliver the goods. It’s such a shame after France had a totally dominant first half against Germany. It certainly highlights the value of capitalising on possession and the need to score whilst on top. Arguably, with a bit more luck (and some decent refereeing) France could have lifted that trophy. Football is a fickle game, but at least France attempted to play it the beautiful way.
