Popp's sixth and fifth goals sealed Germany's place in the final against England. There is a time and a place for it. A well-fancied France team failed to live up to expectations at a major tournament, with their 2-1 semifinal defeat to Germany the most recent in a long line of summer disappointment. Something seems different this time. This was a team that could finally do what their predecessors from 2011 could not and they were the favorites coming into the Women's Euros. There were rumblings of dissent and distrust from within camp, as well as some very public fallings out between the coach and several notable internationals. They were going to tell a story about how the team could never win a title under Diacre's leadership. The players had reported how happy they were in camp, in the environment fostered by their coach. Those in the group know that this team looked like a team, but they don't know if those thoughts were earnest or just lines to promote a show of unity to the media. There was a balance and a willingness to commit oneself to the cause in the first half of their game against Italy. The team spirit was obvious and the environment cultivated by Diacre has been one of humility. Even if her starting XIs were not the best players available to her on raw talent alone, la sélection was built on stronger foundations. The Euros final will be live on Wednesday at 11:30m. The time has not yet been determined.
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For all that noise, the team silenced their critics in that opening group-stage game, yet they suffered the same fate as many French teams before them: The football began to stagnate, and the goals dried up.
France could either have done something no other French team had done before and built upon that success, or they could have done as many other teams have done and peaked too soon. As they made their way through to the semifinals, there was a sense of inevitability about what was going to happen. France had been superior against the Dutch, but they'd failed to put the match to bed inside 90 minutes and would have to work extra hard to beat Germany, which had 48 hours to rest and prepare.
Leaving record scorer Eugenie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry out of the squad had been a choice made in favor of the collective, but it also meant there were precious few reinforcements Diacre could call upon. Had she been born a decade earlier, she would have been seen as the attacker who could have fired the legendary teams of the 2011 and 2015 Euros to victory.
There was a decline in scoring. France's four goals since losing her were a centre back's head at a corner, a cutting open play sequence, an extra-time penalty and an own goal.
It was not a new thing for Les Bleues. They failed to strike when they really mattered. In the loss to Germany, their off-the-ball shape to cut out obvious passing lines had worked well in the first half as they generally dominated the middle of the field.
Diacre's decision-making regarding her bench wasn't as strong as that of Germany's coach, who made the changes that helped her side. Introducing Clara Mateo into the game made sense from an attacking point of view, but instead of using her in more central areas you'd associate her with a No. 9 or 10. Kadidiatou Diani was pushed into a centre forward role because he was the right player in the wrong position.
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Saturday, July 30th.
• Cercle Brugge vs. Anderlecht (10 a.m. ET)
• Middlesbrough vs. Albion (1 p.m. ET)
• Community Shield: Liverpool vs. Manchester City (12 p.m. ET)
• DFL-Supercup: Leipzig vs. Bayern Munich (2:30 p.m. ET)
On Sunday, July 31st.
• Euro final: England vs. Germany (11:30 a.m. ET)
On Monday, August 1st.
• Watford vs. Sheffield United (3 p.m. ET)
• German Cup: Energie Cottbus vs. Werder Bremen (2:30 p.m. ET)
It wouldn't be hard to talk about a team that needed to succeed. There are more than enough goals in this France side for Les Bleues to have been more convincing in the final third.
On the morning after the night before, with France once again going home early from a major tournament having shown so much promise but with nothing to show for it, the feeling is all too familiar. There was a different feeling around the French team this summer because of all the noise from outside. The team was able to rise to the challenge of the summer. The future of this team is bright even in the cold. The Diacre group will be in England for the World Cup next year, as well as the Olympics in 2024 and again in 25 years.
For the first time in a long time, there is hope, even though Diacre won't be the coach by the end of the Euros.
After the loss to Germany, Diacre said that he was disappointed. We have strong foundations. We don't need a lot of time. Our night was not this one. It might have been our competition this year. We built something here with a group that doesn't want to lose.
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