DAY 4
First day of competition for the 98s started with a 90 minute drive to the French Regional Center of Chateauroux. This is were the top selected players live during the week, go to school and train; returning home on weekends to be with their families. A fantastic lunch was served in the French School in prep for game day for the 98s and the 96s.
After a brief formal ceremony, the 98s kicked off at a frantic pace. The hosts weathered the storm and slowly gained the upper hand. A couple of squandered chances in the first half by the 98s and a very open second half, with the hosts getting the winner with 15 min left off of a free kick. Delight for the French team and disappointment for the 98s at the final whistle.
The 96s kicked off in the evening and cruised to a comfortable victory over the hosts' women's team. Ahead 1 nil at the half, they scored 2 in the second before giving up a consolation strike to make it a 3 to 1 final. We showed some bright spots and have stepped up our speed of play from yesterday's draw.
After the match, we had a fantastic pizza "ala" wood oven style and made our back to our French home.
