Poye’s Penalty Heroics Send France Past Spain and Into Quarter-Finals
Substitute goalkeeper Nell Poye was the star of a dramatic sudden-death penalty shootout, leading the French ‘Bleuettes’ to victory over European rivals Spain and securing a place in the quarter-finals.
Poye was brought on specifically for the spot-kicks, replacing the excellent starter Lauryne Chevray. Poye repaid the faith, making two crucial saves in the shootout, including the deciding stop against Celia Gomez in sudden death. The winning penalty was then delivered by Maissa Fathallah, sending France through to face the Netherlands in the last eight.
90 Minutes of Fierce Defence
The match itself was a hard-fought defensive battle, with both goalkeepers playing key roles to force the tie to penalties.
France was indebted to Chevray in the 34th minute when she rushed off her line to deny a point-blank shot from Spain forward Lua Arufe. Spain came closest to a breakthrough in the 59th minute when a deep free-kick from Claudia Barros, which looked intended as a cross, flew past Chevray and clattered the post. Despite sustained Spanish pressure, Chevray held firm throughout the 90 minutes to ensure the score remained goalless.
Post-Match Reaction
The match was emotionally charged for the players and coaches.
“It’s exceptional for a first time with the French team in an international competition. This victory allows us to advance to the quarter-finals in the most beautiful of competitions. We may only have one in a lifetime, so it’s incredible,” said France’s sudden-death heroine, Nell Poye.
France coach Mickael Ferreira praised his team’s tactical discipline and spirit.
“Against Spain, we know we have to run a lot, make a lot of effort, and defend well. It’s a necessity against a team that attacks very, very well. We did it well. I think tactically, it was a very good match by the young players because we were very disciplined, very committed… The spirit of the young girls is rewarded as they fought hard to save balls on the line.”
Spain goalkeeper Anna Alvarez expressed her frustration after a dominant performance that failed to yield a goal.
“It was a very difficult game against a very strong opponent… We had many chances, they practically didn’t create anything. And in the end, they were very solid in their defensive phase, so we have to applaud that too. Nothing entered the net during the 90 minutes of play, and going to penalties is a lottery. On my part, I feel very frustrated for not being able to contribute more to the team.”
