France entered the main round after a perfect group stage, taking on Austria. Despite some struggles in the first half, it ended in a clear French victory, 29–17.
First-half struggle
France has walked through the tournament so far, winning every game with a significant goal difference. The expectation was that the same would happen against Austria, and perhaps this caused the French players to underestimate their opponent. In the opening minutes, France looked completely shocked by an Austrian team that came out with high energy. Austria managed to take a 5–1 lead before France woke up and got their game together. France managed to turn the game around in the first half, ending it with a 14–12 lead, but the start should be a wake-up call taht they will be punished at this stage of the tournament if they don’t perform.
Dominating win
Despite the shaky start, it was still another impressive performance from the French team. When they bring the intensity, they look incredibly solid defensively, which was shown in the second half where they conceded just five goals. Having scored over forty goals in their first three games, this was somewhat of a step down. But with the firepower they have offensively, they will always be able to score goals, and so far it’s been four dominant performances from France.
Group final against Netherlands
If we don’t get an incredible upset, Group 3 should come down to France and the Netherlands battling for the top spot. They will face each other in the third and final group match, with the winner getting a much better matchup in the quarter-finals. France will go in as the favorites, but the Netherlands will be a completely different test — one to keep an extra eye on in the main round.