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11 juin 2023
France 1-1 (3-2 pen) Venezuela : Post-game reactions
In the last game of the group A, France beat Venezuela on penalties (1-1, 3-2 pen) after a hard-fought match in Aubagne. Here are the post-game reactions from the players and coaches of both teams.
Bernard Diomède (France head coach) :
"We knew when we prepared for this match that it was going to be very difficult, because the staff and I had the advantage of knowing this Venezuelan team well, having met them last year in the final with the 2002 generation. At the start of the match, there were 10 similar players, so we knew them well individually and collectively.
We warned our players that it was going to be a tough, committed game and I think what's important is that despite the poor start, the players managed to come back, just like they did against Saudi Arabia.
We accepted the age difference with the aim of preparing our young players for what's to come, giving them more experience and the opportunity to come up against different styles of play.
I never panicked, because I have confidence in my players and I knew they could do well. We've worked hard, they're young players who understand quickly, the group lives well and everyone pushes to play. I'm lucky to have 23 players available to come on at any time."
Jérémy Jacquet (France player) :
"At half-time, we told ourselves we could come back from behind. We had to take our time, as we did against Saudi Arabia, and in the end we managed to score the goal that gives us qualification.
Our first goal is to go and take our exams, rest up and come back on Wednesday to prepare for the semi-final. Everyone wants to pass their exams, but we're trying to balance school and football."
Ricardo Valino (Mexico head coach) :
"In the first half, we were very clever tactically, putting them under a lot of pressure right from the start. In the second half, we started to lose a lot of duels and stopped attacking.
The French team made things difficult for us with their change of system in the second half.
This is the start of a long road to February and the preparation for the Olympic Games. We're going to analyse the negative points of all the matches in the competition so that we're perfectly ready for the next ones."
Steven Pabon (Venezuela player) :
"We knew it was going to be a complicated game, we'd analysed it. Our opponents have players who play for big European clubs. We were physically present in the first half. Despite these results, I'm very proud of the way we performed.
We wanted to finish top of the group, so we're disappointed, but we gave it everything we had. Now we know where we need to improve. This tournament has helped us to discover ourselves as a team, as a group."
