France’s forward #09, Eugenie Le Sommer, displayed her scoring prowess during the round of 16 match between France and Morocco at the Women’s World Cup on August 8, 2023. Le Sommer scored two goals to contribute to France’s comfortable 4-0 victory, securing their spot in the quarterfinals against co-hosts Australia. Morocco, despite their unexpected advancement to the knockout stage in their debut tournament appearance, failed to pose a threat to the French team in Adelaide. Kadidiatou Diani opened the scoring in the 15th minute, followed by goals from Kenza Dali and Le Sommer, making it 3-0 before half-time. Le Sommer, France’s top scorer of all time, netted her second goal 20 minutes before the end of the match. The event attracted a crowd of 13,557 spectators as Les Bleues sailed into the last eight effortlessly. Their upcoming match against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday will determine who will face either England or Colombia in the semi-finals.
Herve Renard, the French coach, expressed satisfaction with their performance, stating, “We fulfilled our objective. You always want a little bit more, but it’s fine.” France aims to surpass their previous quarterfinal exit as hosts in 2019 and equal their best-ever performance in the Women’s World Cup, when they reached the semi-finals in 2011. Renard acknowledged the challenge Australia poses as the host nation but emphasized that his team is capable of defeating them.
While France is determined to secure their first major women’s international title, Morocco entered the game without pressure, having already achieved significant success by reaching the World Cup. Coach Reynald Pedros, a former French international midfielder, maintained an unchanged starting lineup from their 1-0 victory over Colombia in the group stage. Renard made five changes to the French side, including the return of Sakina Karchaoui as left-back. Karchaoui, of Moroccan descent, played a vital role in the first goal, delivering an excellent cross for Diani to score with a header. Diani continued her impressive goal-scoring form after her hat-trick against Panama by assisting Dali for the second goal. A defensive error by Nesryne El Chad allowed Diani to set up Le Sommer for the third goal. Although Morocco faced the risk of a heavy defeat after conceding three goals quickly, France eased off in the second half, scoring only once more through substitute Vicki Becho, who provided a cross for Le Sommer to head in her 92nd international goal.
In summary, France’s dominant performance secured their place in the quarterfinals and set up an exciting match against Australia. Their objective is to surpass their previous achievements and clinch the title. Morocco, on the other hand, can be proud of their World Cup journey so far. The match showcased the gulf in class between the two teams, with France displaying their attacking prowess and Morocco failing to mount a significant challenge.
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