Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020 – Basketball – Les Bleues in the semi-final after a thriller against Spain

Les Bleues did it! After an unbreathable end of the match, the French women’s basketball team managed to bring down Spain, its pet peeve in official competitions, to offer itself a place of choice in the last Olympic square (67-64) . Carried by a Marine Johannès finally found (18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), the formation of Valérie Garnier will face Japan, host country of the competition, this Friday to try to qualify for the second final of the Olympics in its history .

Johannès caught fire

However, with five losses of balls after five minutes of play, the Blue have experienced all the evil in the world to enter their quarter-final against an undefeated Spanish team since the start of the competition (6-11). But Gabby Williams is perfectly out of his box to plant two three-point baskets in quick succession and, finally, to launch the France team (12-11). Then the standoff between the “two best enemies”, in the words of Valérie Garnier, did not stop. At least until the entry into play of Marine Johannès. The tricolor spark, below its level since arriving in Tokyo, scored seven consecutive points to give two big possessions ahead to the Blue after the first ten minutes of play (21-16).

Energized, the protected Valérie Garnier continued to rely on their athleticism to take 14 points ahead of a shot from the top post of Alexia Chartereau (33-19). A turn that apparently did not please Astou Ndour, crushing the racket of the Blue to count 12 points and 6 rebounds at the break in order to put the Roja in contact when the time came to return to the locker room (36-30) .

Unbreathable

Best French player since the start of the competition, Sandrine Gruda perfectly revived the Blue with two shots from the high post to keep a comfortable lead (40-30). But La Roja, who has seen others, changed their defensive system to position themselves in the zone to prevent the France team from scoring inside. But Lucas Mondelo’s poker move was exploded by the three-point success of the vice-champions of Europe by a series of bombs from Johannès, Miyem and Duchet to conclude a third quarter once again under control (55-48 ).

In the lead throughout the meeting, the Blue were on the verge of falling into their pitfalls. Because barely two minutes later, the Spaniards stuck to the score, under the impetus of a very good Cazorla (55-53). Then the two teams did not let go. Dominatrix under the circle (17 offensive rebounds to 5), the Spaniards are even ironed in front (60-57). But it was without counting on the panache of Marine Johannés, registering a shot with the buzzer to bring her total to 18 points and the aggressiveness of the Franco-American Gabby Williams, who was delighted to eliminate the Spain by completing the work on the free throw line (67-64).

With this victory, the France team makes us forget its failed first round with two defeats in three group matches and recovers its status as a natural outsider two days away from facing Japan. A victory would give the Bleues the second Olympic final in its history, most certainly against the United States, which have not bowed at the Olympics since … 1992.