France 5-2 Colombia | Hervé Renard wins first match as manager of Les Bleues | OneFootball

France women’s national team manager Hervé Renard shared his thoughts on his team’s performance following their 5-2 victory over Colombia in his debut match as coach. Renard acknowledged that the team had shown two faces in the match, struggling against an athletic Colombia side before making adjustments at half-time to turn the game around. The following was transcribed by L’Équipe.

Regarding the substitutions made during the game, Renard clarified that they were not intended as punishment but rather to rectify the team’s performance. He stated, “It wasn’t a sanction, it was to straighten things out. I had planned to make three substitutions, but the changes I made were necessary to get the team back on track.”

Renard praised the contributions of Delphine Cascarino and Clara Matéo, saying, “You know their qualities.” He also noted the need to conserve energy for their upcoming game against Canada.

The manager emphasised the importance of solid defense and aggression for the team to compete at a high level in the upcoming World Cup. Renard said, “Defensively, we need solidity, rigour, and much more aggression. We have a lot of time to work, but we can’t behave like that against some of the best teams in the world.”

In the match, Eugénie Le Sommer and Cascarino both scored twice, with Grace Geyoro adding another goal in injury time to secure the win. Despite going 2-0 down before half-time, Les Bleues’ second-half performance showed their potential and promise under Renard’s leadership.

GFFN | George Boxall