By Lori Ewing
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Barely four months after he was hired to guide France at the Women’s World Cup, Herve Renard praised Les Bleues for how quickly they have responded to his arrival, booking their place in the last 16 on Wednesday with a 6-3 win over Panama.
“For sure. We just have 10 days in April (for camp), so it’s not a long time, but the commitment of these players is fantastic,” Renard told a press conference.
“They are working very seriously, they are concentrating on the competition. The team spirit is perfect. So I’m very happy.”
Kadidiatou Diani, who netted a hat-trick including two penalties in Wednesday’s victory, was one of several top players to leave the team in revolt before the March sacking of Corinne Diacre.
Renard, coach of Saudi Arabia’s men’s team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, was hired weeks later.
The 54-year-old, who famously worked as a cleaner between his days as a player and his managerial career and had no prior experience in the women’s game, was not pleased with his squad conceding Panama’s only three goals of the tournament.
“The most important thing for us was to finish at the head of the group after the three games played,” Renard said. “There was a huge shock this evening, if we can consider this as a huge shock. This shows what you can see with your very own eyes, the women’s game is kicking things up a notch.
“I think that with each game played, we need to stay focused and not get ahead of ourselves, which is sometimes what we saw during a couple of moments in the game.”
Fifth-ranked France, considered among the favourites, did not have an easy road to the last 16, drawing with Jamaica 0-0 and edging Brazil 2-1. They were victorious on Wednesday despite resting captain Wendie Renard and all-time leading scorer Eugenie Le Sommer.
Panama’s Marta Cox stunned Les Bleues with a goal just one minute and seven seconds into the game, a scorching, curling free kick from 35 yards out.
“We didn’t start on the right foot,” said Renard, who wore a concerned scowl for much of the game. “My girls weren’t playing as they should have been playing, and collectively, we were looking for the easy solution, the easy game, forgetting that in a World Cup game, you need to show respect.
“And everything that you’ve built up can come tumbling down in a matter of seconds… This shows the ones who are hoping to be part of the starting 11, they need to work a little bit harder and pull their socks up, because what I saw this evening maybe wasn’t good enough.”
Renard was pleased for the 28-year-old Diani, who scored for the first time at a World Cup three months after undergoing surgery on her collarbone.
“It’s very important up front to have a forward who is gaining self confidence,” he said.
France will face the second-place finisher of Group H – either Colombia, Germany or Morocco – in the last 16.
Renard said he has no preference saying, “It’s easier to wait in my armchair than to sit and live it.”
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Ediitng by Christian Radnedge)
