Pete Kiehart for The New York Times
PARIS — In almost every observable way, on every patch of the turf and in every minute of the opening match of the Women’s World Cup on Friday night, the French were too much for the South Koreans.
They were more skilled, more purposeful, more poised, carving squiggly lines through the defense with cadenced passing and braiding movement. They jumped higher and ran faster around the wet, windswept field at the Parc des Princes.
And in the end, they had far more fun, laughing and dancing as a group after each of their goals on the way to a comprehensive 4-0 victory in front of a festive crowd of 45,261.