Women's World Cup 2019: France thrash South Korea to open campaign in style on home soil

France 4-0 South Korea: Hosts thrill Parc des Princes on tournament's opening night

For much of this opening night, the Parc des Princes rang out with the same joyful chants of ‘Allez Les Bleus’ that echoed around corners of Moscow and Saint Petersburg last year. France hopes this summer ends with the equivalent result and on this evidence, the hosts of the 2019 Women’s World Cup have every reason to believe.

Two headers by Wendie Renard, sandwiched between goals by Eugenie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry secured a 4-0 win over a sub-par South Korea. All three scorers are members of a seven-strong contingent from Olympique Lyonnais – the European champions for each of the last four years – and all seven will be integral to any French success.

Few, in truth, expected it to be this easy. Les Bleus have earned a reputation for wilting when under the spotlight since their emergence as a contender in the women’s game and their ‘chokers’ tag is well-earned. Each of their last four tournaments have ended prematurely in the last eight. At the 2015 World Cup, a group stage defeat to Colombia was the tournament’s first great upset.

Four years later, the particular pressures which come with host nation status could have led to a cautious, timid performance and an underwhelming curtain-raiser. Yet when Corinne Diacre’s side casts self-doubt aside and shows off its considerable talent, it is easy to see why some consider them favourites to be crowned champions of the world in a month’s time.

Despite a long, gruelling club season, the seven Lyon players all started and two combined to open the scoring. Only nine minutes had passed when the predatory Le Sommer crashed the ball against the underside of the crossbar and over the goal-line, though France’s lead owed much to the drive and tenacity of their captain Henry.

Considered by many to be the finest central midfielder in the women’s game, the 29-year-old briefly turned out on the right wing, nipping the ball away from Lee Young-ju’s feet, playing a one-two with Kadidiatou Diani and bursting for the by-line. Once there, her exquisite cutback to the penalty spot left Le Sommer with little to do.

While France celebrated, Korea held a brief 11-woman team-talk inside their own penalty area. Their would be more as the evening went on, after every French goal. They had no discernible effect. Yoon Duok-yeo’s side were clearly shaken by conceding so early. On the one occasion in the first half they threatened, winning a corner, Jung Seol-bin sent a limp set-piece into the side netting.

Wendie Renard celebrates (Getty)

France believed they had a second shortly before the half-hour mark. Instead, Griedge Mbock Bathy’s acrobatic half-volley over her own shoulder would be the first goal ever ruled out by VAR in a competitive women’s game. Her left foot had strayed marginally beyond the last Korean defender. The Parc des Princes jeered, but not for too long.

Some bookmakers have offered relatively short odds on Renard to finish as this World Cup’s top scorer, considering that she is a 6ft 1in centre-half who only ventures forward for set pieces. Clearly though, they are onto something. Soon after her intelligent knock-down had set up Mbock Bathy’s disallowed goal, Renard used her substantial frame again to barge through Korea’s helpless defence and nod Gaetane Thiney’s corner home.

Amandine Henry is congratulated by teammates (Getty)

In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Renard moved clear in those Golden Boot stakes. Whereas her first header was pushed down hard into the turf, the second was smooth, straight and precise, dispatched from near the penalty spot into the bottom left-hand corner.

The half time whistle followed immediately after the goal and the evening may as well have ended there. The second half passed with little incident until a defensive mix-up that was the only blot on Renard’s copy book. Korea substitute Lee Min-a was allowed through one-on-one with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining but dragged wide.

There was still time, however, for a deserved Henry goal. France’s captain is fond of speculating from range but this was no ‘hit and hope’, as 20 yards out, she nonchalantly dug her foot underneath the ball to lift it up and out of Kim Mun-jung’s reach. Sterner tests will come for her and her team-mates, not least against Norway in Nice on Wednesday. But the French bid to hold both the men’s and women’s World Cups simultaneously could hardly be off to a more impressive start.