France’s loss on penalties to Germany in Saturday’s UEFA Women’s Euro quarterfinals sure seems to fit a pattern, doesn’t it?
In the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal, Les Bleues went down to the United States. Two years later, they exited the Euros in the first knockout round. Then there was the loss on penalties in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinals, followed quickly by a first-round knockout defeat to Canada at the Rio Olympics, itself quickly followed by another Euros quarterfinal loss in 2017.
Then came the World Cup on home soil, with the side touted as one of the best in the tournament. Megan Rapinoe took them down in the quarterfinals. They grabbed their first semifinal berth in over a decade at the Euros in 2022, but Germany once again sent them packing. A heartbreaking quarterfinals defeat on penalties ended their 2023 World Cup campaign, while Brazil blitzed past them the next year in the first knockout round of another tournament on home soil, this time the Paris Olympics.
This summer, while a player up for over 105 minutes plus stoppage time due to Germany’s early red card, France once again fell to Germany. Boy, what a bunch of chokers, right?
Wrong.
