At half-time in Rotherham on Sunday evening, the stadium announcer cleared her throat. Those in that role at this tournament apparently have one persona, an E number-fuelled children’s TV presenter whose wage is directly proportional to the amount of hype they generate. “Are we ready for more football?” was screamed rhetorically. “Italy are going to try and get back into the match.”
Buona fortuna. Those in the New York Stadium had just witnessed a clinic of attacking football from a French team that produced something so complete that it would make their potential rivals inhale sharply. Italy did at least pull one back to overwhelming cheers, marking the point where congratulation meets condescension.
France entered the tournament shrouded in alleged dissension and Corinne Diacre’s squad selection again overshadowing all else. Eugénie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry, both of Lyon, were the perceived victims of a ruthless coach. Diacre’s public would use this tournament to make their definitive judgement on her reign.
They were not missed in Rotherham. Forwards Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Delphine Cascarino – teammates at Paris Saint-Germain Féminine – scored, the latter rifling past the forlorn Laura Giuliani from 20 yards. Interspersed around those goals was the first first-half hattrick in women’s European Championship history.
Grace Geyoro captains Katoto and Cascarino at club level from defensive midfield; in the first half she was their leader, their provider, their facilitator and their role model too. With Charlotte Bilbault – surely known as The Hobbit to her friends? – sitting deep and France dominating, Geyoro could arrive late into the box and make hay. She scored six times for PSG last season and half-matched that total in 36 first-half minutes.
Those who have watched France at recent major tournaments will be desperately insisting that rampant excitement must be caveated. They have seen too much: too many controversies, too many headlines, too many false dawns. They see a looming quarter-final draw against Netherlands or Sweden and it makes them gulp. You cannot blame them.
But if France may not be here for a long time, they seem determined to have a good time. Italy are the second seeds in Group D, who have beaten Norway and Denmark and drawn with Spain in 2022. They were humiliated during a first half in which France scored five times and could feasibly have doubled that number.
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If Italy were surprised by France’s ruthlessness, they were complicit in their own farce. There was great passion for the anthem but no discipline after it. They played a mesmeric one-touch game in warm-up but seemed fatigued after 15 minutes of chasing the ball. They continued to attack even when it became obvious that France were simply waiting to pick them off.
Italy will hope for better fortune and form against Belgium and Iceland. France could potentially at least repeat this margin of victory in their next two matches. But they know more than anyone else that as pride increases, so too does the potential distance that you’ll fall. For now, all is calm. It never stays that way for long.
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