France rue 'missed opportunity'

France captain Sandrine Soubeyrand admitted her side had been "taught a lesson in pragmatism" by the Netherlands after losing their UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ quarter-final to the Oranje on penalties.

Penalty drama
Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the preceding 120 minutes, but it was Les Bleues who showed the greater ambition, only to find no way through the well-organised Dutch defence. Ultimately it took spot-kicks to separate the sides, and although Daphne Koster and Dyanne Bito both failed to convert for the Netherlands, Corine Franco, Ophélie Meilleroux and Candie Herbert all fell short for their opponents.

'Big difference'
"We played and they defended," said Soubeyrand, who collected her 140th cap in the match. "We couldn't find a way through what was basically a wall, but they didn't offer up anything interesting at the other end. That's effective football, though." The defensive midfielder felt she and her colleagues will be able to learn from the encounter after their disappointment has passed. "Between having the ball and being effective, there's a big difference," she added. "We weren't taught a lesson in football today, but we were taught a lesson in pragmatism. They did nothing other than defend, yet in the end it's they who come away with the reward. We lacked the little spark we needed to win this match."

French pride
The 36-year-old departs the competition proud of her team's efforts, however, France having graduated from the group stage for the first time since the competition format was revised in 1997. "We reached the quarter-finals and I think we played some good football," she said. "I'd even say this was one of the games where we've most dominated the ball, but it's also the one where we've come away with the least to show for it. Still, football isn't just about moving the ball around – it's about putting it away and we failed at that."

Unsure future
Les Bleues will try to absorb that lesson before they travel to face Croatia on 23 September in their opening 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier, but according to Washington Freedom defender Sonia Bompastor, their longer-term future could suffer due to their last-eight exit in Finland. "Going further here would have helped us develop the discipline and inspire a few more young girls because we would have been followed a lot more in the semi-finals," she said. "It's a shame. This is another missed opportunity."