News : Women's football: Despite defeat won hearts – sports

The suffering of the French women was most evident in the empty glances of the proud captain Amandine Henry. Until just before the end, she had fought a fight that could no longer be won. When the final whistle sounded, she sank onto the grass. With 1: 2 (0: 1) lost the French women footballers in the quarterfinals of the World Cup against the United States. The dream to win the World Cup in their own country ended abruptly. La fête est finie. After the party of the "hangover", like the French sports paper L'Équipe headline.

For five games, "Les Bleues" have increased their enthusiasm for women's football in France with their performances. When national coach Corinne Diacre's team ran aground, there was no room left in the stadium. People met in bars or at home to watch players like Eugénie Le Sommer, Wendie Renard or Henry on their way. How much this team inspired their country, clarifies the message of France's head of state Emmanuel Macron. The team "definitely won the hearts of the French!", He wrote on Twitter and thanked him for it.

Hardly any chances against world champion serenity

There are several reasons why the big festival ended before the final. On the one hand there is the misfortune of the French women to have already met the USA in the quarterfinals, the big favorite of this World Cup. The duel had been stylized in advance of the "Game of Games". The best that women's football has to offer. But it also turned out that the French team is not equal to such a match.

Although France's players combined well through midfield, had 60 percent possession and many attempts to shoot. But only a few flew in the direction of goal. The US team, however, played with world champion serenity and rarely gave the impression that their self-assurance could be shaken by the French attacks. On the other hand, the US players consistently punished the mistakes in the French defense. The team of coach Diacre got "a lesson in realism", wrote the L'Équipe,

The first lesson at the Parc des Princes was already in the fifth minute. Megan Rapinoe's free-kick to make it 1: 0 silenced the party of the French fans. The early goal taught the French, on the one hand, that a wall with three players would have been more useful. And second, that the French goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi at least made an unfortunate figure. Coach Diacre told her team after the game in the dressing room that there was not much to regret, "except for the first goal conceding".

Trainer Diacre is in the criticism

However, in the 65th minute, the French team managed to defeat again one more time. Again met Rapinoe. With five tournament hits, she now leads the scoring list - on par with strike partner Alex Morgan, Ellen White (England) and Sam Kerr (Australia). Renard's (81.) French goal to make it 2-1 was another hope for a dramatic return to comeback: a goal, extra time and a penalty shoot-out victory. The French women fought sacrificially until the end, but with their quintet the Americans wrote another script, defending the lead until the very end. "It's a lack of experience, definitely," Henry judged on French television the departure of their team.

In the face of failure, the focus quickly turned to boss Corinne Diacre. Had she chosen the right players, French television asked, when the tears of the actors had not yet dried. The trainer acknowledged "a sporting failure" that one was "far from our goal." However, the 44-year-old did not want to offer her resignation: "I'm not the type to give up." She has a very long contract, it would be up to the President of the French Football Federation to make a decision. But: "I still have much to do."

In the aftermath of the knockout, she did not lose sight of what her players had specifically touched during the tournament and in this game: "They won something tonight: the hearts of millions of people."