The amazing journey for our senior women’s team, Thonon-Evian Grand Genève FC (TEGG), in the French Cup came to an end against Paris Saint-Germain on March 18th, 2023.

After defeating four teams in the Cup, including a dramatic victory over Olympique de Marseille in the quarter-final at home, TEGG recorded a historic campaign this season. For the first time in its history, the women’s team reached the semi-finals of the prestigious national competition. Far from being an accident, this achievement was the result of hard work, excellent preparation, and fantastic execution on the day of the matches.

Being drawn against a Division 1 club in the semi-final stage was inevitable, and the team was prepared to face Paris Saint-Germain in a high-stakes match. Accompanied by club President Serge Garcia and President of Strive Football Group Ravy Truchot, the team traveled to Paris for what would be the biggest match in the club’s history.

Once they arrived at their hotel, staff and players shared team meals, united for pre-match meetings, and went for a walk along the Seine River. Each coach and both presidents prepared speeches to motivate the players before their departure to the stadium. Everyone felt the grandeur of this match and the privilege of playing against a world-renowned team such as Paris Saint-Germain in a semi-final.

Boosted by the support of hundreds of traveling fans from Grand Genève, TEGG stuck to their game plan. The coaches insisted on cutting off the supply of dangerous passes from the opposition midfield, which proved to be effective. Goalkeeper Blandine Joly intervened with several high-quality saves, but the first half was an even affair. After the break, Paris Saint-Germain turned up the intensity and broke the deadlock 15 minutes into the second half, with France International player Kheira Hamraoui scoring what would be the decisive goal.

The rest of the second half was tight, and TEGG came close to threatening Paris Saint-Germain on a couple of occasions but could never breach their defense. At the final whistle, players and staff immediately ran to the away fans to thank them for their support during this match and throughout the journey in the cup. A 1-0 defeat is the slimmest of margins in football, and the team was congratulated by Ravy Truchot for their defensive display, as well as for having made each of their fans and families proud.

Now it’s back to the Championship for TEGG, where the team has objectives of finishing amongst the top teams in their division.