One by one, they cast out their demons. Badly embarked, the trip to Japan of the French women’s basketball team is gradually turning into a salutary therapy. After being extracted from the groups by a mouse hole, the teammates of Marine Johannes took the best, Wednesday August 4, on Spain in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games (67-64). And exploded with joy to the siren. Les Bleues join all the French collective sports teams (hand, basketball volleyball) in the last four of the Olympic Games.
For those who have followed the last decade of the international orange ball, a victory for France against its neighbor in the South of the Pyrenees is never trivial. “They are our best enemies, warned the French coach, Valérie Garnier. A team always present on the competitions. “ And very often, to the detriment of its Blues. Three times since 2013, France has lost in the Euro final against the teammates of Alba Torrens. And given the progress of the group stages, the Blue did not arrive as favorites.
“We had more difficulties, it developed values for us. We now know the performance path we must take ”, warned Valérie Garnier. Its players have applied the recipe unearthed against Nigeria and then the United States. After a good start to the Spanish, Gaby Williams launches the Blue. The Franco-American has no complexes, where her partners seem to carry on their shoulders the weight of previous meetings against the Spaniards.
Beginning on the bench, as in recent games, Marine Johannes makes an incisive entry. Seven points in a row from the fireworks of the Bleues allow the French to turn in the lead at the end of the first quarter (21-16). And the ASVEL player does not interrupt her task. Carried by its individualities at the back, the France team dominated the first period. If the Blue are effective in attack and catchy in defense, they offer too many second chances to Roja by not securing defensive rebounds. A defect that will cost them dearly at the end of the meeting.
Because Spain does not plan to leave the game without a final fight. But Marine Johannes sanctions, two and then three points, and blows his Blue. In sixteen minutes of play, the pistolera of ASVEL scored 16 points. She ends the game with 18 points.
Eight minutes from the end, the Spaniards returned to two points, and offered a ball to pass in front. With anger, as usual, the players of Lucas Mondelo tighten the screw in defense, even if it means serving the vice. The young Ilona Rupert falls into the trap, and returns the ball to the teammates of Cristina Ouvina, who caused the offensive foul of the blue interior.
Two points apart, the chrono runs in slow motion, like the artist’s soft watches that the two countries share. Each attack is tough, and on a three points from Maite Cazorla, Spain takes the lead. To the courage, Endy Miyem then Gaby Williams do not tremble with the free throw. And in the last minute, transformed into leeches in defenses, Sandrine Gruda’s teammates force the Spaniards to return the ball after 24 seconds.
In the money time, while there is only one second left before the Blue lose the ball, Marine Johannes rises. His shot, fluid, puts France three lengths from La Roja. Who answers, by Maite Cazorla. At 16 seconds from time, Alix Duchet registered only one free throw in two, and offered Spain a final match point. But this meeting was promised to the Bleues, who complete the royal flush of French team sport in the last four (and join the basketball players, volleyball players, and the Bleues et Bleus of handball).
Since they promise, this team has changed, and tackles high-stakes games in a different way, the Blues will have the opportunity to erase a new “demon” for a place in the final. After having defeated their Iberian bête noire, France will face surprising Japanese women, winners in extremis of Belgium in the quarters (86-85). The same Japan that surprised the Blue in the first game of the competition, plunging them into doubt (74-70). This time, the Blues will no longer have the excuse of ignoring a country that has hardly got a hold on the international scene. As if freed from a weight, this team is no longer afraid, evidenced by its management at the end of the game.
