The Blues have still not won a match at the Euro. A little over a year after its surprising 4th place at the World Cup in Uzbekistan, the French futsal team launched its second participation in a European Championship (which is taking place this year in Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia) this Wednesday with a draw against Croatia (2-2), its toughest opponent in Group A.
If in 2018, during their first Euro, the Tricolores were the Little Thumb of the competition, they have since changed their status and are now among the contenders for final victory. Their lack of offensive efficiency this Wednesday was fatal to win but this result is not bad in the race to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Dominated during the first act, the Blues logically conceded the opener with a goal from Kustura (0-1, 15th). But Raphaël Reynaud’s men reversed the trend in two minutes. Mamadou Touré, the star of FC Barcelona, first puts the two teams back on level terms following a 35m ride ending with a curling shot into the top corner (1-1, 16th). In the following minute, Ouassini Guirio took advantage of a poor Croatian recovery to hook the goalkeeper and score in the empty goal (2-1, 17th).
Better on their legs after returning from the locker room, France narrowly missed the break several times by Abdessamad Mohammed (21st) and Souheil Mouhoudine (22nd). Croatia manages to equalize against the run of play at the end of the match with an opportunistic goal from Kustura (2-2, 34th). Despite a final rush at the end of the match, the Blues had to settle for a draw. The other two teams in Group A, Latvia and Georgia, face each other this evening (8 p.m.). The Blues will play their second match in the competition this Sunday (6:30 p.m.) against the host country. A success would be welcome to move closer to qualifying for the quarter-finals.
