The captain of the France team savored the heroic victory of the Blues against Denmark (30-29) on Wednesday, synonymous with qualification for the semi-finals, at the end of a match which “forges character”.
How did you experience this completely crazy meeting?
Valentine Wears: We could not dream of better, finally if, for the hearts we could. But we could not have dreamed of a better “quarter-final” as far as we are concerned. I saw a team a bit like against Iceland at the start. A little amorphous. With a defense that took on water, few stops, a game that was not very fluid. And we yelled at each other, we encouraged each other. If we were to lose, it was by having given everything and in the second half that’s what happened. There are unmistakable signs in a game. Fifteen minutes from the end there is -5 but we always believed in it. There are one or two good saves, a loss of the ball or two, Hugo (Descat) who is good at penalties and leaves us alive. All this means that we win the match.
Two hours before, you learn that Nicolas Tournat is positive. Does that bother you a bit?
No, it doesn’t bother us because I think we managed to keep our heads in check on that. If we were amorphous each time a new one fell, we would never have arrived at this level. Some will complain, and others like Iceland say nothing and give us eight goals. We said to ourselves that’s how it is. We have a full squad. And a guy like Théo Monar can hold on to a complicated position after Ludo (Fabregas) took a red. Something was created tonight.
For you, was there an action in particular that changed the game mentally?
There are several of them. I think the Danes may have seen themselves a little beautiful, a little early. They lose a ball, throw a kung fu a little too high. And even in the defensive intensity, they were pushed and there was no revolt I have the impression. They left us a window of opportunity and then we knew how to seize our chance. We tightened the defense, we saw Nikola Karabatic throw himself on all the balls. These are once again signs that do not deceive with elders who set the example and young people who stand behind. This kind of match makes it possible to make the adventure more beautiful, to surely please the spectators and above all to forge the character of a team. Tonight we went looking for her with the guts, the head, with everything.
