In Focus: Équipe de France Féminine

France Women's National Team

Current FIFA World Ranking: 3
2015 Women’s World Cup Qualifying: Won Group 7 in UEFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying (10-0-0; 54 GF, 3 GA)
Women’s World Cup Finals Appearances: 3 – 2003 (9th), 2011 (4th), 2015
Record vs. USA: 0-14-2
Head Coach: Philippe Bergeroo
Championship Honors: None
Leading Women’s World Cup Qualifying Scorers: Gaëtane Thiney (13), Marie-Laure Delie (9), Eugénie Le Sommer (7), Wendie Renard (5)
Key Players: Gaëtane Thiney (Juvisy), Louisa Necib (Lyon), Wendie Renard (Lyon), Eugénie Le Sommer (Lyon), Marie-Laure Delie (PSG), Laura Georges (PSG)

France Women's National Team Roster By Position

GOALKEEPERS (3): Sarah Bouhaddi (Olympique Lyonnais), Céline Deville (Juvisy F.C.F.), Méline Gerard (A.S. Saint-Etienne)
DEFENDERS (8): Laure Boulleau (Paris Saint-Germain), Anaïg Butel (F.C.F. Juvisy), Sabrina Delannoy (Paris Saint-Germain), Laura Georges (Paris-Saint-Germain), Jessica Houara (Paris Saint-Germain), Amel Majri (Olympique Lyonnais), Griedge Mbock Bathy Nka (E.A. Guingamp), Wendie Renard (Olympique Lyonnais)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Camille Abily (Olympique Lyonnais), Elise Bussaglia (Olympique Lyonnais), Kenza Dali (Paris-Saint-Germain), Kheira Hamraoui (Paris-Saint-Germain), Amandine Henry (Olympique Lyonnais), Louisa Necib (Olympique Lyonnais)

FORWARDS (6): Marie-Laure Delie (Paris-Saint-Germain), Kadidiatou Diani (F.C.F Juvisy), Claire Lavogez (Montpellier H.S.C), Eugénie LE Sommer (Olympique Lyonnais), Gaëtane Thiney (F.C.F. Juvisy), Elodie Thomis (Olympique Lyonnais) 

USA VS. FRANCE:

• Despite first playing France in 1988, the U.S. Women do not have an extensive history against France, having played just 16 times and only four times since 2006.
• The two most recent meetings came in the USA in June of 2014, a 1-0 U.S. victory in Tampa, Florida, on a goal from Sydney Leroux and a 2-2 draw in East Hartford, Connecticut, as Alex Morgan scored both goals, equalizing twice to cancel out scores from Louisa Necib (on a penalty kick) and Amandine Henry.          
• Before those matches in the USA, the came an epic pair of matches in world championships. The USA defeated France 3-1 on July 13, 2011, in the FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal in Monchengladbach, Germany. The U.S. also won the Olympic curtain raiser 4-2 on July 25, 2012, in Glasgow, Scotland, as Alex Morgan scored twice, while Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd contributed a goal each.
• The USA is 14-0-2 all-time vs. France. Seven of those meetings took place between 1991-97.
• The USA has scored 48 goals against France while allowing 13.
• Before the 2-2 draw in 2014, the first tie between the teams came at the Four Nations Tournament in Guangzhou, China, in 2006, a 0-0 draw.
• U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath played with and against almost all the French players while playing with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.
• France is in Group F at the Women’s World Cup with England, Colombia and Mexico. 

FRANCE ROSTER NOTES

• France, which will be considered one of the favorites this summer, has some of the best players in the world at their positions and some of the best team speed in the world, in addition to two towering center-backs in Laura Georges and Wendie Renard, both of whom match up to the size of Abby Wambach, a rare occurrence in international women’s soccer.
• Louisa Necib is widely hailed as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world.
• France has depth in the attack with powerful forward Gaetane Thiney scoring 13 goals in WWC qualifying. Necib had 13 assists.
• France strolled through its World Cup qualifying campaign to secure a third appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, winning all ten Group 7 matches, while scoring 54 goals and conceding three.
• In October of 2014, France earned its first-ever victory over Germany, winning 2-0 in Offenbach.
• France, which won the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, also has some tremendous young talent, led by Griedge Mbock-Bathy and Claire Lavogez. France finished third at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
• France head coach Philippe Bergeroo took over from Bruno Bini in September of 2013. A former French international goalkeeper and EURO 1984 winner, he had previously coached Paris Saint-Germain, Rennes, and the French men’s U-17 side, and was part of Aime Jacquet’s backroom staff during France 1998. This is the first time in his career that he has been in charge of a women’s team.
• Two of the French players have experience in the USA. Defender Laura Georges played college soccer at Boston College from 2004-2007 where she was the ACC Defender of the Year and midfielder Camille Abily played in the WPS with the Los Angeles Sol and FC Gold Pride, winning the title with FCGP in 2010.
• Almost the entire French team comes from the top four clubs in France. Perennial champion and two-time Champions League winners Olympique Lyonnais, which has won six consecutive French league titles including last season, has nine players on the roster. Runners-up PSG, which features American Lindsey Horan, has five players.
• France was expected to contend for the title at the 2013 UEFA Women’s Championships but was upset on penalty kicks in the quarterfinal round by Denmark despite dominating the match. 

LAST TIME
On the field for the USA:
Dec. 21, 2014 – Mane Garrincha Stadium; Brasilia, Brazil

USA                0         
BRA               0          

Lineups:
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 25-Meghan Klingenberg, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 16-Lori Chalupny (11-Ali Krieger, 56); 7-Morgan Brian, 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Holiday; 17-Tobin Heath (9-Heather O’Reilly, 81), 20-Abby Wambach (8-Amy Rodriguez, 74), 5-Kelley O’Hara (15-Megan Rapinoe, 73)
Subs Not Used: 6-Whitney Engen, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Julie Johnston, 18-Alyssa Naeher, 19-Crystal Dunn, 22-Samantha Mewis
Suspended: 2-Sydney Leroux
Head Coach: Jill Ellis

BRA: 12-Luciana; 2-Poliana, 3-Bruna (capt.), 14-Monica, 11- Andressa Alves (17-Andressinha, 89), 7-Maurine (6-Tamires, 57), 5-Thaisa, 20-Formiga, 8-Rosana (21-Beatriz, 57), 10-Marta, 9-Debinha
Subs Not Used: 1-Andreia Suntaque, 4-Tayla, 13-Camila, 15-Erika, 16-Rafaelle, 18-Fernandes, 19-Darlene, 22-Gabi, 23-Barbara
Head Coach: Oswaldo Alvarez

On the field for the USA vs. FRA:
June 19, 2014 – Rentschler Field; East Hartford, Conn.

USA                2          Morgan 56, 85
FRA                2          Necib 27; Henry 68

Lineups:
USA: 24-Ashlyn Harris; 11-Ali Krieger, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 6-Whitney Engen (3-Christie Rampone, 46), 25-Meghan Klingenberg (5-Kelley O’Hara, 79); 15-Allie Long (17-Tobin Heath, 60), 10-Carli Lloyd (capt.), 12-Lauren Holiday; 9-Heather O’Reilly (13-Alex Morgan, 46), 2-Sydney Leroux (8-Amy Rodriguez, 79), 23-Christen Press
Subs Not Used: 7-Morgan Brian, 18-Nicole Barnhart
Head Coach: Jill Ellis

FRA: 16-Sarah Bouhaddi; 8-Jessica Houara, 2-Wendy Renard, 4-Laura Goerges, 24-Julie Soyer; 6-Amandine Henry, 15-Elise Bussaglia, 14-Louisa Necib, 12- Elodie Thomis; 9-Eugenie Le Sommer (10-Camille Abily, 84), 17-Gaetane Thiney (18-Marie Laure Delie, 89)
Subs Not Used: 1-Celine Deville, 3-Laure Boulleau, 5-Sabrina Delannoy,  7-Viviane Asseyi, 11-Laetitia Tonazzi, 13-Pauline Crammer, 19-Marina Makanza, 20-Anaig Butel, 21-Laetitia Phiippe, 22-Amel Hamraoui, 23-Kheria Hamraoui, 25-Ines Jurena
Head Coach: Philippe Bergeroo