Tokyo (AFP)

While they did not want to "burn a joker", the Blue found themselves with their backs to the wall after their second defeat of the Olympic tournament against the Russians (28-27), Saturday at the Yoyogi stadium, and will have to beat the Brazilians under penalty of miss the quarter-finals.

Nothing is definitely lost for Estelle Nze Minko's gang in search of Olympic gold in Tokyo, the only title missing from their record, but they will end the group stage on Monday with a match that looks like the eighth-final.

"It's a life-to-death match, announces center-half Méline Nocandy. I don't know how, but you have to win it."

In the event of qualification, a huge challenge should await them in the quarterfinals, especially if they are the Norwegian favorites, and even the Dutch world champions.

"A team that has ambition, regardless of the order, it will end up playing the other teams," sweeps Olivier Krumbholz.

Even if his players only have one victory after four matches in what he called the "group of death".

Faced with the Russians, who fell for the Blue in the final in Rio five years ago, the French have repeated the same mistakes as since the start of the Olympic tournament: a squandered lead and a poorly managed end of the match.

World (2017) and European (2018) champions, Allison Pineau and Estelle Nze Minko toasted the last two equalizer balls, a sign that times have changed for these Blue, overwhelmed by absences due to injury (captain Siraba Dembélé, left-back Orlane Kanor and right-back Aïssatou Kouyaté).

"I miss a counterattack, I who have never missed one in my career I believe", breaths disillusioned Allison Pineau.

- "The same scenarios" -

"It's not working in our favor, luck is not with us, sighs the silver medalist in Rio. I have the feeling that we are repeating the same scenarios."

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Like against Sweden (28-28) when they let the victory slip by missing a penalty in the final second after spoiling a lead of five goals.

At the head of four lengths (16-12) three minutes from the break, the Blue let Russia return (under neutral flag) at 17-15 when joining the locker room.

Olivier Krumbholz had however made adjustments by aligning the right wing Blandine Dancette rather than Pauline Coatanea.

He had also entrusted the role of penalty taker to Allison Pineau (6/6) rather than Grace Zaadi, little success in the exercise since the start of the tournament (10/14) beyond her unfortunate failure of Thursday.

An inspired change since the meeting turned into a duel at seven meters.

But the Russians had more cartridges (9/9), often provided by Anna Vyakhireva, the right-back, number one danger to contain on the Russian side.

"After having moved it away from our goal for forty minutes, we let it approach, regrets the coach. It passes in a pocket handkerchief and once it's goal (5 in total, editor's note), another is a penalty (four obtained, editor's note). "

Against the Brazilians who held in check these same Russians (24-24), he can only imagine a success: "Me, I think we will beat Brazil, I tell you."

His captain Coralie Lassource is not considering anything else: "We don't want to leave like that, we will have too many regrets ... We don't want to."

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