Gabi Portilho’s 82nd-minute winner sent Brazil through to their second semi-final appearance, following a 1-0 victory over hosts of the 2024 Games France at the Stade de la Beaujoire.
The French side were one boot away from playing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners and pre-tournament favourite Spain in the semi-finals at this year’s Olympic Games on Tuesday.
France welcomed back captain Wendie Renard ahead of their match against Brazil.
While she returned to the heart of defence, manager Hervé Renard decided on a change in goal as Constance Picaud replaced Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.
Meanwhile, with Brazil having never beaten Les Bleues in their 12 head-to-head encounters, manager Arthur Elias made six changes to the XI that lost 2-0 to La Roja.
This included being without the footballing phenomenon known as Marta due to suspension.
How it happened
France flew out of the traps at the beginning of the game in Nantes and were handed a glorious opportunity to take the lead from the spot after Tarciane clumsily brought down Delphine Cascarino after 12 minutes.
However, following a four-minute delay between the award of the penalty, courtesy of a VAR check and several interruptions from both sets of players, Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena ultimately ended up saving Sakina Karchaoui’s effort to keep the game goalless with one outstretched one-handed.
In response, Brazil struggled to call Picaud into action on her full debut in the 2024 Olympic Games Paris, as the returning Renard seemed to bring an added aura of confidence to Les Bleues’ backline.
With half-time on the horizon, France came millimetres to breaking the deadlock as Griedge Mbock’s powerful header, via Selma Bacha’s expertly whipped-in corner, beat Lorena but cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar.
Second half
Following an unparalleled attacking performance throughout the first half, despite failing to get themselves on the scoresheet, France again threatened Lorena’s goal as the tournament’s leading scorer, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, headed over the bar from close range.
Almost immediately at the other end of the pitch, Gabi Portilho then wasted Brazil’s most clear-cut opportunity of the game by firing the ball wide of the far post.
Unusually quiet since winning the penalty in the first half, Cascarino got herself back into the midst of the activity in the 73rd minute as she forced Lorena into a smart save.
However, against the run of play, a defensive debacle inside the French side ultimately handed Portilho the match-winner with only eight minutes left of regular time, seizing upon a communication breakdown to calmly slot the ball beyond Picaud.
Portilho hit the inside of the post with a strike at the 90-minute mark to the relief of Picaud, following a dreadful mistake from the FC Fleury 91 keeper.
However, the miss had no impact on Brazil’s progression, and in turn, France and Renard’s elimination from the tournament, as Canarinhas negotiated a staggering 16 minutes of added-on time by trying to spend the majority of it camped out in the corner.
Starting XIs
France: Picaud; De Almeida, Renard (c), Mbock, Bacha; Toletti; Geyoro, Karchaoui; Baltimore, Cascarino, Katoto
Brazil: Lorena; Thaís, Tarciane, Souza (c), Yasmim; Jheniffer, Sampaio, Yaya, Adriana; Nunes, Portilho
Featured image courtesy of CBF Oficial via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. License details found here.
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