A France-Brazil match is never insignificant, both for boys and girls. In Caen, in an Ornano stadium which has not seen the French A men’s team since 1995 and a France-Israel qualifier for Euro 96, Corinne Deacon’s team beat Seleçao 2-1 thanks to a double from the Parisian Marie-Antoinette Katoto.
At the end of this match, if the Bleues are still wondering who will carry the tricolor attack this summer during the European Championship in England (July 6-31), this gala meeting once morest the Brazilians, remake of the 8th final of the 2019 World Cup won by France in overtime (2-1), has undoubtedly evacuated their last doubts. It will be Marie-Antoinette Katoto.
Opportunistic to equalize on a goalkeeper error (23rd), then ideally placed to offer victory to hers on a pass from Kadidiatou Diani (59th), the PSG striker brought her total of goals in selection to 21, in 25 appearances only . And this, a few days following becoming, already, the top scorer in the history of women’s PSG (134 goals).
The 23-year-old striker allows Les Bleues to take the lead in the Tournoi de France three days before the shock of this friendly event once morest the Netherlands, victorious earlier from Finland (3-0).
Hamraoui was the holder
After fielding a revamped team once morest Finland on Wednesday in Le Havre (5-0), Corinne Deacon returned to her preferential attacking triangle, with Katoto, Diani and Delphine Cascarino, but she surprised with her defensive choices, notably establishing a central back , Hawa Cissoko, at the right-back position. The player from West Ham, inexperienced in this position, missed accuracy in the offensive phase and lost many balls in the wrong place, once morest the intense pressing of the Seleção. Without landmarks, Cissoko left his place in the 56th minute.
But the most scrutinized holder of (Saturday) evening was Kheira Hamraoui. Three months following her attack with iron bars, the Parisian celebrated her first tenure in blue since October 2016. Long shunned by Deacon, the former Barcelonan had points to score… But not sure that she was very convincing. His Caen performance was tarnished by a big foul on Debinha in his own area, an indisputable penalty converted by Marta, who was celebrating her 36th birthday (19th).
Stung by this conceded goal, the first for Les Bleues in six games, Hamraoui immediately attempted a long shot, countered, then badly negotiated by goalkeeper Leticia, the latter leaving Katoto a boulevard to score his 20th goal in selection (23rd).
In front of more than 12,000 spectators
A liberating achievement for the 12,050 spectators at the Ornano stadium, but a little less by the French: as often in recent weeks, the celebration between Hamraoui and her PSG teammates Diani and Katoto remained chilly to say the least. It was also when Katoto doubled the bet, shortly before the hour mark (21st) before an end to the match without an opportunity worth telling.
Besides Katoto, the other good news of the evening remains the atmosphere of the Ornano stadium, joyful and playful in front of his selection, relieved to see a large audience once more following the sad crowd observed in Le Havre on Wednesday, with only 3,631 spectators.
