Gaëtane Thiney and Camile Abily each scored to lift France a 2-0 win over England for the 2014 Cyprus Cup final.
Thiney opened the scoring in the 6th minute after a scramble in the box, and Abily doubled Les Bleues lead 12 minutes later. The title was the first of any kind for France under new head coach Philippe Bergeroo
England were the defending champions, having beaten Canada in last year’s final. The defeat was England’s first under new coach Mark Sampson, who had three wins and a draw up until that point.
All-time leading goal scorer Kelly Smith played for England for the first time since Euro 2013 in August, entering the match in the 66th minute.
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England (4-3-3): 1 Siobhan Chamberlain (Arsenal); 2 Alex Scott (Arsenal), 6 Steph Houghton (C; Manchester City), 5 Lucy Bronze (Liverpool), 3 Demi Stokes (University of South Florida); 8 Fara Williams (Liverpool), 7 Karen Carney (Birmingham City), 4 Anita Asante (Malmo); 11 Toni Duggan (Manchester City), 9 Natasha Dowie (Liverpool), 17 Gemma Davison (Liverpool).
Substitutes: 18 Jill Scott (Manchester City) for Asante, 51; 22 Eniola Aluko (Chelsea) for Davison, 58; 24 Kelly Smith (Arsenal) for Dowie, 66; 9 Lianne Sanderson (Boston Breakers) for Carney, 66.
Substitutes not used: 13 Carly Telford (Notts County), 12 Jade Moore (Birmingham City), 20 Ellen White (Notts County).
Bookings: Williams, 37.
France: 16 Sarah Bouhaddi, 2 Wendie Renard, 4 Laura Georges, 8 Jessica Houara, 9 Eugenie Le Sommer, 10 Camille Abily, 12 Elodie Thomis, 14 Louisa Necib, 15 Elise Bussaglia, 17 Gaetane Thiney, 20 Griedge Mbock Bathy.
Substitutes: 19 Marina Makanza for Thomis, 53; 23 Kheira Hamraoui for Le Sommer, 69; 18 Marie Laure Delie for Thiney, 77.
Substitutes not used: 1 Celine Deville, 5 Sabrina Delannoy, 7 Corine Franco, 11 Laetitia Tonazzi, 13 Camille Catala, 21 Laetitia Phillipe, 22 Amel Majri, 24 Viviane Asseyi.
Goals: Gaetane Thiney (6) Abily (18)
