Paris 2024 | France seal quarter-finals spot with third win in a row

For the first time in seven appearances in the women’s handball competition at the Olympic Games, France secured three wins in their first three matches, after yet another dominating display against Pan American champions Brazil, 26:20.

The hosts are qualified for the quarter-finals, as they cannot finish lower than the fourth place in the standings, with matches against Angola and Spain coming next.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES – PRELIMINARY ROUND
GROUP В
France vs Brazil 26:20 (14:11)

France made two changes in their 14-players roster before the match against Brazil, as goalkeeper Hatadou Sako and centre back Meline Nocandy, both injured, were replaced by Cleopatre Darleux and Grace Zaadi.

Both Sako and Nocandy were important in the previous two wins, but there absence was nowhere to be seen, as Olivier Krumbholz’s side provided another fantastic display, delivering a clear-cut win, confirming France’s credentials as one of the top teams in the world and a certain candidate for the gold medal at Paris 2024.

Brazil scored the first goal of the match, but it was the only time the South American champions led in this match, with France immediately finding their rhythm. This time around, it was not like the previous two wins for France, rather than the reigning Olympic champions reloading their defence and imposing their will, with a great outing from goalkeeper Laura Glauser.

At the break, Glauser had already eight saves for a 42% saving efficiency, while at the end of the match she finished with 14 saves for a 42% saving efficiency, constantly frustrating Brazil’s attack, with one-on-one saves, which kept France at a big distance throughout the whole match.

In attack, France once again shared duties, with stalwarts like Estelle Nze Minko and Grace Zaadi failing to score a goal, rather than playing the role of the providers for the line players and wings, which were the main weapons for the hosts in this match.

With seven goals – four of which came in the first 14 minutes, when France were building up their lead – Pauletta Foppa was France’s top scorer, as she was instrumental for the European side to create the crucial buffer in the first part of the match, when they entered the break with a three-goal lead, 14:11.

But in the next 23 minutes, Brazil could only score five times, as France slowed down the tempo and put on a fantastic defensive display, forcing their opponents to constantly make mistakes, with the Pan American champions finishing with one of the lowest efficiencies in the women’s handball competition at Paris 2024, 43%.

As the clock wound down, Brazil tried to manage the gap and replaced Gabriela Moreschi with Renata de Arruda between the posts, and the top goalkeeper in the EHF European League Women this season basically locked down Brazil’s goal, saving eight of the first 10 shots she faced, for an otherworldly 80% saving efficiency.

Yet Brazil failed to mount a comeback, due to their attacking woes, as France secured a 26:20 win, which helped them become the first team in the competition to secure a quarter-finals berth, as they cannot finish lower than the fourth place, due to their opponents meeting in mutual matches over the last two rounds.

Brazil lost their second match in a row and will aim to get back to the winning ways in the last two rounds of the preliminary round, where they face the Netherlands and Angola.