France put an end to top-ranked USA’s 28-game unbeaten streak, Shanice van de Sanden racked up the air miles, and Jess Fishlock is a superhero. As the teams turn the corner for the final stretch before the World Cup kicks off, we’re catching up on all the international break action from the stars of OL Féminin.
Continue reading “Women’s International Round Up: Red, White & Bleue”
It’s only October, but the hospital wing of Olympique Lyonnais is running out of beds. While injuries are bound to happen, having so many at once is a headache for any manager. Fortunately, it’s not red alert just yet, but Lyon’s medical staff will be extra vigilant because any additions to the below list will definitely push the men’s, women’s, and reserve teams towards a crisis.
Nabil Fekir: This is the big one. He sustained an ankle injury in the early minutes against PSG, and while he tried to play on, he went down a few minutes later and signaled for a substitution. As we all know, OL’s fortunes went kaput after that.
All things considered, the injury is relatively minor. He has been ruled out for a month and is expected to miss the games against Nîmes, Angers, Bordeaux, as well as both games against Hoffenheim. This is a heavy blow, as we’ve seen the team struggles when he is not on the pitch.
We ask just one thing from international friendlies: No injuries. But you can’t always get what you want, and Amandine Henry’s early exit with a clavicle injury has cast a pall over the break for les Fenottes. But like Henry’s French teammates, we too will soldier on with a recap of big wins for les Bleues, frustration for England, and rising hopes for Canada and the Netherlands.
It’s October, which means another international week. While the world is still in recovery from this summer’s World Cup, two major tournaments are on the horizon: the Women’s World Cup and UEFA’s U21 Championship. In addition, the newly created League of Nations (whatever that is) will be in full swing.
It’s pretty much the same cast of characters, with two major exceptions: Tanguy Ndombélé has made the jump from France’s U21s to the senior team. It’s well deserved, though Didier Deschamps made it clear that Ndombélé’s inclusion is the direct result of Corentin Tolisso’s injury. The other big news is Jason Denayer’s return to the Belgian NT after two years, which is welcome after his outstanding performances the past two months.
Keep your fingers crossed that both will remain fixtures for their national teams.
Continue reading “International break: no rest for the weary”
Olympique Lyonnais is off for one more week, but many of les Gones are still in action. And the international break has generally worked out quite well for OL’s players engaged in patriotic duties.
Continue reading “Les Gones Deliver during the International Break”
Lyon Offside 