The French national team started their 2017 FIFA U17 World Cup Group E campaign in bositerous fashion by dismantling their Francophone cousins New Caledonia 1-7 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.
There were two own goals that didn't help New Caledonia's cause and the first of them, five minutes into the game, kicked the game off and soon the goals started to flow. Gouiri (20, 33), Gomes (30), Caqueret (40) and Isidor (90+1) got on the scoresheet as the French proved to be too good for New Caledonia. Wadenges came up with a consolation goal for the World Cup debutants in the 90th minute.
World Cup debutants New Caledonia lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation but all systems went out of the window as France put the foot on the gas right from the word go. Five minutes into the game, Bernard Iwa sent the ball straight into his net from Yacine Adli's shot inside the box.
With that, the floodgates opened for good. Paris Saint Germain's Adli and Olympique Lyon duo of Amine Gouiri and Maxence Caqueret tormented Dominique Wacalie's boys for whatever time and whenever referee Hamada Nampiandraza did not signal the ball to be dead.
The next French wonderkid Amine Gouiri scored the first real goal for Les Bleuets and skipper Claudio Gomes, touted to be Marco Verratti's successor at the Paris Saint Germain Academy added in the third in clinical fashion.
As Oumar Solet initiated play from a high defensive line for France, New Caledonia were pushed in deep into their own half. Gouiri brought up his brace with a skilful display of one-touch tactics with the help of Adli and Caqueret soon after.
Caqueret himself added his name to the scoresheet with five minutes for the half-time whistle but Kiam Wanesse's misfortune meant France were already half a dozen goals up by the first forty-five minutes.
New Caledonia showed far better resilience when the game resumed after the lemon break. Ten minutes in, goalkeeper Une Kecine turned out to be somewhat a national hero when he blocked off Caqueret's penalty after substitue Raoul Wenisso brought down Adli inside the box.
Lionel Rouxel deemed it was enough on the day for the pair of Gouiri and Adli; Wilson Isidor and Lenny Pintor were brought onto the pitch just before the hour mark. The attacks seemed a little bit less threatening thereafter as Willem Geubbels alone was unable to replicate his benched teammates and Caqueret's morale too seemed a bit down after his missed penalty.
The crowd took the side of the underdogs as it bore fruit when Sidri Wadenges scored a left footed shot to the centre of the goal; assisted by Cyril Nyipie who had a stint with Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais earlier this year.
However, WIlson Isidor made sure the half a dozen difference was maintained a minute later, scoring into a practically empty net after a swift counter.
The curtains were drawn in what was a historic encounter given the relation between the two nations. With the Independence referendum slated only until next year, mainland France emerged the winner on the night, till now.
There were two own goals that didn't help New Caledonia's cause and the first of them, five minutes into the game, kicked the game off and soon the goals started to flow. Gouiri (20, 33), Gomes (30), Caqueret (40) and Isidor (90+1) got on the scoresheet as the French proved to be too good for New Caledonia. Wadenges came up with a consolation goal for the World Cup debutants in the 90th minute.
World Cup debutants New Caledonia lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation but all systems went out of the window as France put the foot on the gas right from the word go. Five minutes into the game, Bernard Iwa sent the ball straight into his net from Yacine Adli's shot inside the box.
With that, the floodgates opened for good. Paris Saint Germain's Adli and Olympique Lyon duo of Amine Gouiri and Maxence Caqueret tormented Dominique Wacalie's boys for whatever time and whenever referee Hamada Nampiandraza did not signal the ball to be dead.
The next French wonderkid Amine Gouiri scored the first real goal for Les Bleuets and skipper Claudio Gomes, touted to be Marco Verratti's successor at the Paris Saint Germain Academy added in the third in clinical fashion.
As Oumar Solet initiated play from a high defensive line for France, New Caledonia were pushed in deep into their own half. Gouiri brought up his brace with a skilful display of one-touch tactics with the help of Adli and Caqueret soon after.
Caqueret himself added his name to the scoresheet with five minutes for the half-time whistle but Kiam Wanesse's misfortune meant France were already half a dozen goals up by the first forty-five minutes.
New Caledonia showed far better resilience when the game resumed after the lemon break. Ten minutes in, goalkeeper Une Kecine turned out to be somewhat a national hero when he blocked off Caqueret's penalty after substitue Raoul Wenisso brought down Adli inside the box.
Lionel Rouxel deemed it was enough on the day for the pair of Gouiri and Adli; Wilson Isidor and Lenny Pintor were brought onto the pitch just before the hour mark. The attacks seemed a little bit less threatening thereafter as Willem Geubbels alone was unable to replicate his benched teammates and Caqueret's morale too seemed a bit down after his missed penalty.
The crowd took the side of the underdogs as it bore fruit when Sidri Wadenges scored a left footed shot to the centre of the goal; assisted by Cyril Nyipie who had a stint with Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais earlier this year.
However, WIlson Isidor made sure the half a dozen difference was maintained a minute later, scoring into a practically empty net after a swift counter.
The curtains were drawn in what was a historic encounter given the relation between the two nations. With the Independence referendum slated only until next year, mainland France emerged the winner on the night, till now.