Germany v. France

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Germany v. France

What. A. Contest!

by Jeremy Ruane

It was billed as a not-to-be-missed encounter between the first- and third-ranked teams in the world. It exceeded expectations.

One of the all-time-great contests in the history of the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals went all the way and then some at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on June 26 before Germany edged France 5-4 on penalties, these women's footballing goliaths having gone toe-to-toe throughout 120 pulsating minutes, only for the final whistle to sound with the scoreboard reading 1-1.

France started like the proverbial house on fire, and could have hit the front inside the first fifty seconds of the match. Eugenie Le Sommer released Elodie Thomis down the right, allowing her to get clear of Tabea Kemme and whip in a low cross at pace.

Arriving unmarked was Louisa Necib, who, without breaking stride, thundered a fifteen-yarder inches past Nadine Angerer's right-hand post - a real let-off for Germany, who found themselves well and truly under the cosh over the course of the next few minutes as France looked to secure an early goal, primarily via a string of free-kicks.

Necib took them all, the first of which, in the fourth minute, wasn't cleared. Laura Georges sent a volley flying past the post from the rebound, while two minutes later, Canadian referee Carol Anne Chenard ruined a French set-piece by getting in the way as Necib rolled the ball towards Amel Majri.

The fullback's shot flew past the far post, after which she turned round and gave the official a deserved earful - the sad part is, she would obstruct another French raid before the half-time whistle, and made probably the most disappointing contribution of all those on the park, to be blunt.

The players delivered in spades, France particularly. Necib sent one fizzing past the post in the ninth minute, to which Germany responded via a Lena Goessling free-kick three minutes later - Sarah Bouhaddi punched their first attacking thrust to safety.

That gave the two-time champions further encouragement, and three minutes later Louise Maier linked with Simone Laudehr on the right. The latter's cross picked out the unmarked figure of Celia Sasic, whose flying header flashed just over the far angle of bar and post.

Back came France, led by Thomis, who stormed past Goessling, only to be stopped in her tracks by a superb tackle from Annike Krahn - she has had a huge tournament at the heart of the German rearguard.

Two minutes later, and after Anja Mittag had unleashed a twenty-five yarder, another intervention by Krahn curtailed another French attack, Necib at its heart. Such had been the impact of Thomis early doors that the German fullbacks had swapped flanks, but there was only ever going to be one winner when Kemme looked to thwart Necib.

The French star was the outstanding player in this match, and outsmarted Kemme before linking with Le Sommer, whose progress came to a shuddering halt thanks to Krahn's crunching tackle.

France came again soon afterwards, Le Sommer being wrongly flagged offside as she headed Amandine Henry's delightfully flighted ball just past the post. Cue another Thomis raid down the right, the speedster picking out Marie Laure Delie with her cross. The striker headed this 25th minute header inches over the bar.

Back came Germany, via another Goessling free-kick. This one found its way to Laudehr, who saw two attempts to score blocked by the formidable figure of French captain Wendie Renard. The second rebound fell to Maier, whose twenty-five yarder was grabbed greedily by Bouhaddi in the 28th minute.

France responded with a crisp counter-attack, but once more Krahn stood firm, this time denying Delie. Anja Majri latched onto the rebound, but Mittag was on hand to help out in defence as Germany withstood yet more French pressure.

For all the attacking threat they had offered, however, Angerer's gloves hadn't been dirtied by a French shot. That situation changed in the 33rd minute, but while Delie's effort was tame, that unleashed by Henry two minutes later, after a wonderful move featuring the midfielder, Majri and a wonderful turn and surge by Necib which completely outfoxed Maier, had the 'keeper plunging to smother a well-struck twenty-five yarder.

France kept on coming, Necib's shot on the turn in the 38th minute forcing Angerer to tip the ball round the post for a corner which the midfield maestro delivered into the danger zone. The ball was cleared to Majri, who unleashed an exocet which screamed past the near post at a dizzying rate of knots.

Henry inspired the next move, driving through from midfield before linking with Thomis, whose first-time cross for Delie resulted in her header being parried by Angerer, who recovered to smother the rebound at the feet of Necib.

That 41st minute raid was followed seconds later by another instigated by France's midfield anchor. Henry picked out Le Sommer, who spread play wide to Thomis. Her cross-shot was grabbed by Angerer, who was relieved to see two further French raids come to nought in the time remaining.

The first saw Le Sommer, Necib and Thomis joining forces, with Necib inches away from meeting the resulting cross with a diving header, while Delie was only prevented from giving France what would have been a richly deserved half-time lead by the intervention of Babett Peter in the shadows of the half-time whistle.

The second half began as the first half had concluded - France hot on attack. And it was the pace of Thomis which once again caused the Germans problems, the fleet-footed flyer careering past Kemme once more before crossing for Delie, only for Krahn to intervene yet again.

Cue a German attack, with Popp and Sasic combining with half-time substitute Dzsenifer Marozsan, whose great return pass invited Sasic to unleash a twenty-yarder which Bouhaddi saved at the second attempt.

Instantly, France retorted with a raid which earned them a free-kick. Cue a beautifully flighted delivery from Necib to the far post, where Renard was timing her run perfectly to meet it with a full-blooded header.

Ahead of her was Delie, who didn't hear her captain's call, and headed a great chance wide of the target … at a towering six foot three, Renard is arguably the most physically imposing player in the women's game. There are times when just a look is enough to express her disappointment, and that which she directed at Delie at that moment spoke volumes.

Germany took heart from this, and came close to opening the scoring in the 58th minute - only Bouhaddi's brilliant save to her right denied Marozsan's splendidly flighted twenty-five yard free-kick attempt.

We had but six minutes to wait to see the game's opening goal, however, and it was one which delighted the vast majority of the 24,589-strong crowd, many of whom were cheering on France in the French-speaking city of Montreal.

It was well worth the wait, too. Necib, Le Sommer and Camile Abily worked a triangle on the left before the last-mentioned picked out Jessica Houara with a cross-field ball. The fullback knocked it long for Delie, but Peter headed the danger seemingly to safety.

That danger is always present when Necib latches onto the loose ball, as she did on this occasion. One touch to control, she promptly let fly from twenty-five yards, with the ball ricocheting off the covering figure of Krahn and beyond the dive of Angerer to give France a well deserved lead.

How would the Germans respond to this setback? In the best manner possible. Substitute Sara Daebritz unleashed a 71st minute thunderbolt

which cannoned off a defender after Laudehr had held the ball up well, while from the resulting Goessling corner, Laudehr stabbed the ball an inch past the post from ten yards.

France were as resolute in defence as they had been rampant in attack during this spell, with Angerer often the lone player in her half of the pitch as the Germans piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser.

The French weren't the only ones under pressure, mind. Referee Chenard had been dishing out the cards fairly regularly during the second spell, but this time she made an error of judgement which would have severe repercussions for the victims of her decision.

Laudehr played the ball to Marojsan in the 83rd minute, the substitute then linking with the overlapping figure of Maier, whose cross struck the arm of Majri in the penalty area. Referee Chenard didn't hesitate - a terrible decision, as it was a case of ball striking arm rather than any deliberate intent by Majri to stop its progress.

The Canadian whistle-blower wouldn't be swayed, however, and up stepped Sasic to level the scores, calmly sending Bouhaddi the wrong way to tie things up at 1-1 and, barring a late winner, almost certainly set up extra time … not that that was a worry, given the quality of this match - one of those games you simply don't want to end anytime soon, that's for sure!

There was still time to wrap up the contest inside ninety minutes, however, and both teams spurned chances to do so. Maier and substitute Melanie Behringer linked as Germany pressed in the 87th minute, the substitute linking with Laudehr, who picked out Marozsan with her cross.

She invited Kemme to let fly, but a timely tackle by Renard thwarted the fullback, and sparked a French counter-attack which culminated in substitute Claire Lavogez going down a little too easily in the penalty area as she ran across the covering figure of Peter while in pursuit of a through ball.

Referee Chenard wasn't having a bar of any penalty claims, but was rather concerned for Lavogez's welfare in stoppage time when the youngster landed heavily on her shoulder blades following an aerial duel with Kemme.

When the substitute was deemed fit to continue, the extra half-hour was upon us, and in the 97th minute, France came desperately close to regaining the lead. Delie pounced on an error, and quickly linked up with Necib, who was taken out by Kemme's tired tackle on the edge of the penalty area.

Play continued, however, as the ball fell kindly for French substitute Gaetane Thiney to let fly. Krahn was on hand to block this effort, and repeated the dose two minutes later after a wonderful French move featuring Thiney, Delie and Houara which culminated in a Necib piledriver striking the arm of the veteran German defender.

Referee Chenard was at least consistent on this occasion, and called the free-kick accordingly. The less said about Majri's attempt to convert it the better - suffice to say, Necib would have been a far better option, particularly given she had taken the vast majority of set-pieces for France during this match.

The final act of note in the first half of extra time saw Laudehr and Maier team up on the right to present Kemme with a chance which she directed straight at Bouhaddi. But there was a staggered start to the final fifteen minutes as both teams were temporarily reduced to ten players in separate incidents.

In France's case, substitute Kheira Hamraoui copped an elbow from Melanie Leupolz which soon saw the newcomer requiring treatment to stem the flow of blood. She also had to change her shirt - when a new one was eventually retrieved from the dressing room - which further delayed her return to the fray.

While she was sidelined, Behringer also found herself in the wars, landing awkwardly after Angerer had punched out a Necib corner. She was eventually able to continue, which was just as well, as the Germans had already used their full quota of substitutes.

Eight minutes from time, France contrived a super move which involved Hamraoui, Lavogez, Thiney and Necib, who evaded two challenges before playing the ball wide to Lavogez. Her cross was cleared to Houara, whose cross sought out Thiney on the far post.

Angerer read the danger, however, and plucked the ball from the sky as these two prize-fighters, despite being out on their feet and in the last of fifteen rounds, somehow found both the strength and energy to keep giving more …

Four minutes from time, France spurned a glorious chance to win the match. Abily sparked things off, beating two before finding Lavogez, who evaded Kemme's challenge only to be double-teamed by Daebritz.

The ball fell kindly for Houara, who worked a one-two with Henry before crossing to the far post where Thiney was arriving bang on cue, having beaten the offside trap. With Angerer stranded at her near post, all the substitute had to do was guide the ball on target from four yards. But with the goal at her mercy, Thiney steered the sphere agonisingly wide.

Both titans were denied a dramatic winner in injury time. Angerer punched out Necib's corner off the head of Renard, with the ball landing invitingly for Hamraoui to let fly. Her dipping effort landed on the roof of the net, while from the resulting goal-kick, Laudehr picked out Marozsan, whose drive was saved to her right by Bouhaddi.

What. A. Contest. Two hours of pulsating action had failed to separate these sides, which meant a penalty shoot-out would be necessary to determine the first semi-finalist at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals.

Even here, there was virtually nothing between Germany and France, with the first nine spot-kicks finding the net with metronome-like precision - it was a penalty-taking clinic. Until …

Lavogez stepped up to take France's fifth penalty, with Germany having converted all five of their attempts. The youngest player in their squad wasn't a picture of confidence body language-wise, and when Angerer plunged to her left to keep out the spot-kick, Lavogez crumpled to the ground, a picture of utter despair, in stark contrast to the undisguised delight of the Germans, who rejoiced wholeheartedly at progressing to the last four.

German coach Silvia Neid, no stranger to significant contests throughout her many years in the game both on the pitch and the touchline, later summed up the match to this writer in this way.

"We had some intense games during Euro 2013, but this one had extra time and penalties as well. On a scale of one to ten, this ranks as a ten - very intense, and quite possibly the most intense match of them all".

It was certainly that, and then some. A fabulous contest, one which will live long in the memory, and one fully deserving to be ranked alongside the magnificent clash between these countries at the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain as one of the footballing world's all-time-great encounters.

Sadly, there had to be a loser, something France, the better team overall over the two-hour contest, didn't deserve. Their chance for swift revenge will come at Rio 2016, but for now, Germany reign supreme yet again.

Germany: Angerer; Maier, Krahn, Peter, Kemme; Laudehr, Goessling (booked, 68) (Behringer, 79), Leupolz (booked, 91); Mittag (booked, 36) (Marozsan, 46 (booked, 68)), Sasic, Popp (Daebritz, 70)

France: Bouhaddi, Houara, Georges (booked, 57), Renard, Majri; Thomis (Lavogez, 69), Henry, Abily, Necib; Le Sommer (Thiney, 91), Delie (booked, 55) (Hamraoui, 101)

Referee: Carol Anne Chenard (Canada)

2015 Draw