ORLANDO, Fla. (March 7, 2018) – France defeated Germany 3-0 in the final game for both teams at the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, getting a first half screamer from Amandine Henry and second-half scores from Eugenie Le Sommer and Valerie Gauvin that sealed the victory.
France head coach Corinne Diacre started a predominately first-choice team while Germany head coach Steffi Jones chose to start several players who had played sparingly or not all so far in this tournament.
France opened the scoring in the 10th minute via an attack down the right wing. The ball was played into the middle to Le Sommer, who touched it back to Henry and she crushed a rising shot from 23 yards that flew past diving Germany goalkeeper Almuth Schult into the right side of the net. It was Henry’s first goal of the tournament and 11th of her international career.
In the 23rd minute, Germany midfielder Dzenifer Marozsan spied France goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi off her line and launched a shot from just steps over midfield. The attempt was almost perfect, and for a moment looked to have a chance to sail into the net, but the scrambling Bouhaddi, who plays with Marozsan at Olympique Lyon, was able to scramble back, tip the ball in the air and come down with it.
France lost defender Aissatou Tounkara near the end of the first half to an apparently serious leg injury after she got the worst of a tackle from Marozsan near the top of the France penalty box. The stoppage to attend to Tounkara, who was carted off the field with a brace on her lower left leg, necessitated 12 minutes of stoppage time.
France sealed the game in the 55th minute on a nice piece of skill from Gaetane Thiney. She received a long throw-in from the right sideline with her back to goal and a defender draped all over her. Thiney controlled the ball, spun to the end line and lifted a short cross to the far post where the 5-foot-3 Le Sommer was unmarked and headed home. It was the second goal of the tournament for Le Sommer and her 66th in 151st cap.
France add a third off the break in the 68th minute as Le Sommer sprinted down the right wing before playing a cross on the ground to the wide-open Gauvin and she finished into the roof of the net just out of reach of a sliding German defender. It was her second international goal in just her 8th cap.
The result earned France no worse than third place in the tournament with a chance to move into second depending on the result of the USA-England match. Germany finished fourth with one point from a tie and two losses.
2018 SheBelieves Cup Standings
|
Team |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts. |
|
England |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
+3 |
4 |
|
United States |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
+1 |
4 |
|
France |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
|
Germany |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
-4 |
1 |
– SheBelieves Cup Match Report –
Match: France Women’s National Team vs. Germany Women’s National Team
Date: March 7, 2018
Competition: SheBelieves Cup
Venue: Orlando City Stadium; Orlando, Fla.
Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET
Attendance: 6,525
Weather: 68 degrees; mostly sunny
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
FRA 1 2 3
GER 0 0 0
FRA – Amandine Henry (Eugénie Le Sommer) 10th minute
FRA – Eugénie Le Sommer (Gaëtane Thiney) 55
FRA – Valérie Gauvin (Eugénie Le Sommer) 68
Lineups:
FRA: 16-Sarah Bouhaddi, 17-Marion Torrent, 19-Griedge Mbock Bathy, 2-Aïssatou Tounkara (4-Laura Georges, 45+5), 7-Amel Majri; 18-Viviane Asseyi (20-Kadidiatou Diani, 67), 23-Grace Geyoro, 6-Amandine Henry (capt.) (8-Maeva Clemaron, 89), 9-Eugénie Le Sommer (22-Sakina Karchaoui, 78); 12-Gaëtane Thiney, 13-Valérie Gauvin (15-Marie-Charlotte Leger, 90+1)
Substitutes: 1-Karima Benameur, 21-Solène Durand, 3-Eve Perisset, 5-Estelle Cascarino, 11-Ouleymata Sarr,
Head coach: Corinne Diacre
GER: 1-Almuth Schult, 14-Anna Blässe (16-Linda Dallmann, 57), 3-Kathrin Hendrich, 2-Johanna Elsig, 17-Verena Faißt; 11-Alexandra Popp, 15-Sara Doorsoun (8-Lena Goeßling, 90+1), 10-Dzsenifer Marozsan (9-Mandy Islacker, 88); 20-Lina Magull (7-Jacqueline Klasen, 46), 27-Lea Schüller (19-Svenja Huth, 46), 13-Sara Däbritz (23-Hasret Kayikci, 80)
Substitutes: 12-Laura Benkarth, 21-Carina Schlüter, 4-Leonie Maier, 22-Tabea Kemme, 26-Sharon Beck
Head coach: Steffi Jones
Stats Summary: FRA / GER
Shots: 9 / 7
Shots on Goal: 6 / 3
Saves: 3 / 3
Corner Kicks: 2 / 3
Fouls: 12 / 11
Offside: 0 / 5
Misconduct Summary:
GER – Jacqueline Klasen (caution) 64th minute
Officials:
Referee: Christina Unkel (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Brooke Mayo (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alicia Messer (USA)
4th Official: Gillian Martindale (BRB)