With a masterful performance, France won the last ticket to the World Cup quarterfinals after thrashing Morocco without arguments. Diani, Dali and a double from Le Sommer gave victory to a French team that will play the pass to the semifinals against the hosts, the Australia of a recovered Sam Kerr.
Hervé Renard's team had no rival. He dominated the duel from start to finish against an inferior rival who had no options against the French giant. Kadidiatou Diani put France ahead in the first quarter of an hour of the game. The striker who has just signed with Olympique de Lyon signed her fourth goal in this World Cup, one behind the Japanese Miyazawa who leads the race for the Golden Boot.
France had put the direct and overwhelmed Morocco with two more goals that left the tie sentenced after twenty minutes of the game. Kenza Dali, assisted by Diani, took advantage of a quick and effective attack against the French team to make it 2-0 and in minute 23 Le Sommer sealed the victory. The 34-year-old veteran soccer player, on her return to the national team after Diacre's departure from the French bench, would end the game with a double on her own account. A bit that she came in the second half.
After the break, France gave the sensation of having taken their foot off the accelerator, but even at half throttle it was enough for them to maintain their dominance over a Morocco that was more like the one that was beaten (6-0) by Germany than the that was imposed on Korea and Colombia. Despite everything, a great role was played by a team that was debuting in a World Cup and managed to sneak into the round of 16 with a creditable victory over Colombia -now a quarterfinalist- on the last day of the group stage.
The team made up of Levante Las Planas, Yasmin Mrabet, and CE Europa, Fatima Gharbi, has already made history, despite the elimination. In a country where women's football is not so present, the great tournament of the 'Atlas lionesses' is a feat that will inspire the next generations of women in the Arab country.
4 - France: Pauline Peyraud-Magnin; Elisa De Almeida, Wendie Fox, Sakina Karchaoui (m.91, Aissatou Tounkara), Eve Perisset (m.81 Estelle Cascarino), Selma Bacha; Sandie Toletti (m.64, Vicki Becho), Grace Geroyo, Kenza Dali; Eugene Le Sommer (m.81, Naomi Feller) and Diani Kadidiatou (m.91, Viviane Asseyi).
Coach: Herve Renard
0 - Marruecos: Khadija Ermichi, Zineb Redouani, Nouhaila Benzina, Nesryse El Chad, Hanane Ait El Haj; Elodie Nakkkach (m.64, Sarah Kassi), Anissa Lahmari (m.64, Rosella Ayane); Ghizlane Chebbak, Fatima Tagnaout (m.64, Sofia Bouftini), Sakina Ouzraoui and Ibtissam Jraidi.
Coach: Reynald Pedros
4-0 Goals: Diani Kadidiatou (14 minutes), Dali (19 minutes), Le Sommer (22 minutes and 70 minutes).
Referee: Brooke Mayo (USA). He admonished Hanane Ait El Haj in the 57th minute.
Incidents: match corresponding to the round of 16 of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand played at the Hindmarsh Stadium (AUS).
