Seven out of seven! The French team does not lose a World Championship semi-final. Never. Sweden paid to find out this Friday, and the Blue won the seventh semi-final out of seven contested in their history. A magnificent victory, at the end of an exceptional performance during the first act, then very serene and solid in the second. On Sunday, the French will try to win their third world against Norway (7:00 p.m.), which they had dominated five days ago (24-23) to finish the main round.
The lesson of the quarter-final was perfectly learned by the Blues. From stammering during the first period against the Czechs on Tuesday evening to thunderous this Friday against the Swedes, the reigning Olympic champions produced a first 18 minutes of great beauty. To the point of giving themselves a ten-goal lead (13-3) against a team, it should be remembered, undefeated since the start of the competition. But who achieved nothing in attack against Laura Glauser on the momentum of her demonstration in the quarters with five saves on the first five opposing shots. And as offensively Tamara Horacek and her partners admirably recited their game, the gap quickly took on Dantesque proportions, forcing the Swedish coach to take two timeouts in ten minutes, to try to extinguish the fire that was smoldering in the Scandinavian house.
A profitable option since after the second, the Swedes loosened their grip somewhat by signing a 4-0 which kept them alive (13-7, 22nd). Less radiant, the Blues however managed, through individual exploits such as those of Lucie Granier or Estelle Nze Minko, to maintain a very clear lead at the break (19-11). A gap which would prove completely prohibitive for the Swedes who would never manage to come back to within six lengths of the French women, less brilliant than in the first act, but still very solid, with each time the little stop from Glauser or from Sako who did good. Or the goal of an almost perfect Horacek (9 out of 10 shooting). So much so that at the end of the match, the gap rose again to ten units, finally stopping at nine at the final buzzer (37-28). A show of force against a Swedish defense that is supposed to be a current benchmark. Except that in attack, the Blues have moved up a gear in this World Championship. They only have one step left to take. And not the least with Norway.
