The Tricolores, after securing two significant victories against Brazil and China with scores of 16-11 and 16-9 respectively, experienced a high-intensity match-up against Greece during the World Championships held in Doha. The match, which held everyone’s attention till the last minute, saw Greece, the silver medalists in the recent Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, clinching a narrow victory with a penalty, making the final score 13-12.
The last thrilling action of the match saw Emile Bjorch just missing a score, as the ball touched the bar of the opposing goalkeeper. Despite the result not being in favor of the Tricolores, the competitive spirit and performance they displayed show promise for the upcoming matches in the tournament. Impressive performances were displayed by goalkeeper Hugo Fontani, who made several crucial saves including two penalties and Romain Marion-Vernoux, who finished as the top scorer for the French side with 4 goals.
Coach Floran Bruzzo reflected positively on the team’s overall performance, stating, “After a shaky start in the first quarter, our collective performance improved significantly. We developed our strategy effectively and executed our game well. This is how we win matches. However, we need to gain more experience for handling crucial moments in the game.”
As a result of these matches, France secured the second position in Group B, behind Greece and ahead of Brazil and China. The team, led by Florian Bruzzo, will now face Australia in the playoffs, which can be seen as a round of 16, this Sunday at 2 p.m. If they manage to secure a victory in this match, they will then face the reigning world champion, Hungary, in the quarterfinals, setting a challenging path ahead of them.
