Paris: Hosts France laid down a marker in the opening game of the women’s World Cup as towering defender Wendie Renard scored twice in a rampant 4-0 win over South Korea to kick off the tournament in style in Paris last night.
A sell-out crowd of 45,261 filled the Parc des Princes to watch the start of what is billed as the biggest women’s World Cup yet, but there was no sign of the pressure getting to the French on the big occasion.
Les Bleues are among the favourites to win the trophy on home soil and they showed no mercy to the Koreans, with the prolific Eugenie Le Sommer giving them an early lead and Renard twice heading home before the interval. Captain Amandine Henry, impressive throughout, wrapped up the win late on in this Group A encounter.
This was certainly a fine start, despite the unseasonably cold Parisian evening, with the French showing their credentials having been set the target by their own federation of going all the way to the final in Lyon on July 7.
TODAY’S FIXTURES
Group A: Norway v Nigeria (10pm)
Group B: Germany v China (4pm)
Spain v South Africa (7pm)