The 2011 Challenge de France final was the 10th final of France's female football cup competition. The final took place on 21 May 2011 at the Stade de la Pépinière in Poitiers and was contested between D1 Féminine clubs Saint-Étienne and Montpellier. This was the last final under the Challenge de France name as the competition will be renamed to the Coupe de France Feminine for the 2011–12 season and onwards.
In the match, Saint-Étienne recorded a historic upset defeating Montpellier 3–2 on penalties after the match ended 0–0 in both regular time and extra time. The title is Saint-Étienne's first Challenge de France in the club's history and its first major honour since joining the AS Saint-Étienne in 2008.
News
Team backgrounds
Saint-Étienne made its debut in the ultimate match of the competition. In its run-up to the final, the club faced only one first division club, Le Mans in the quarter-finals, and defeated the club 1–0. Saint-Étienne also did not concede a goal in the competition having shut out all of its opponents. Montpellier made its fifth appearance in the final of the Challenge de France, which is only second to Lyon, which has appeared in seven. Of its five appearances, Montpellier have won the Challenge de France three times; tied for the most titles ever won in the competition with Lyon. The club won its first titles in back-to-back seasons from 2006 to 2007 when it defeated Lyon two consecutive years on penalties. Montpellier won its last title in 2009. The club defeated Le Mans 3–1 in the final. The three-time champions only conceded one goal in the competition having outscored its opponents 22–1.
Road to the final
Saint-ÉtienneRoundMontpellierOpponentH/AResult2010–11 Challenge de FranceOpponentH/AResultCaluireA5–0Second RoundClubs competing in the Division 1 Féminine entered the competition in the second roundVilleneuve-lès-MagueloneA3–0Flacé MâconH2–0Round of 32ArpajonH9–0Saint-SimontA1–0 Round of 16ToulouseA1–0Le MansH1–0QuarterfinalsLa Roche-sur-YonH6–0 DijonA5–0Semi-finalsJuvisyA3–1
Match
Match details
SAINT-ÉTIENNE: GK 1 Méline GérardRB 2 Ludivine CoulombCB 4 Morgane Courteille CB 5 Astrid Chazal (c)LB 3 Ophélie BrevetCM 6 Aude MoreauCM 7 Charlotte Gauvin RM 10 Amélie Barbetta LM 9 Déborah Taghavi AM 11 Kheira Hamraoui FW 8 Camille Catala Substitutes:GK 16 Julie PerrodinFW 12 Maéva Clemaron DF 13 Juliette BenneDF 14 Amandine Soulard MF 15 Safia Bengueddoudj Manager: Hervé DidierMONTPELLIER: GK 1 Céline DevilleRB 9 Marion Torrent CB 4 Ophélie Meilleroux CB 3 Kelly GadéaLB 8 Cynthia Viana CM 6 Charlotte Bilbault CM 7 Rumi Utsugi RW11 Ludivine Diguelman LW 10 Viviane Asseyi FW 5 Hoda Lattaf (c) FW 2 Marie-Laure DelieSubstitutes:GK 16 Laëtitia PhilippeMF 12 Nora Hamou Maamar MF 13 Stéphanie De Revière DF 14 Marine Pervier FW 15 Elodie Ramos Manager: Sarah M'Barek
MATCH OFFICIALS Assistant referees: Lugdivine Cinquini (Méditerranée) Emilie Mougeot (Franche-Comté) Fourth official: Nathalie Le Breton (Centre-Ouest) Chief Observer: Jean-Luc Rouinsard Chief Delegate: Marc Giraud
MAN OF THE MATCHMATCH RULES 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Seven named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions.
References
External links Official site