France’s win at home Monday night over the Canadian women’s national team will go as one of the most comprehensive 1-0 wins we’ve ever seen.

Maybe now, it’s time to believe in the work coach John Herdman and the women have put into this push for the podium. A gritty 1-0 quarter-final win over France wasn’t always pretty, there were some scares, but we know this — Canada can be called not just a medal threat, but a gold-medal threat.

But, even though Canada didn’t look overmatched by the world’s No. 3-ranked women’s soccer nation, a series of key mistakes allowed the French to claim a 1-0 win.

Fifteen years ago, Allan Zebie was a boy, playing soccer in the playgrounds and on the streets of Paris with his friends and cousins.

Montreal is an event town. And that was shown to be true during the Women’s World Cup, where attendances were small for early games not involving the likes of Canada or the United States. But, when the games grew in importance, so did the crowds at Olympic Stadium

“France offered us this game, and I think it’s for a reason,” said Herdman. “I think it’s because we’re a bogey team for them.”

The most interesting subplot of a Canada-Australia match is the presence of Holger Osieck in the Aussies’ coaching box. Osieck led Canada to one of its most prestigious soccer titles, the capture of the Gold Cup trophy in 2000.

This is the thing. Your leagues — Serie A, La Liga and, yes, even the English Championship — they’re the hot girl who treated you like crap in high school but you kept trying to talk to her anyway. You’d fall over yourself to watch those games, even though those leagues sold their Canadian rights to a broadcaster that didn’t have a Canadian licence.

The Canadian national women’s team is beginning to get a knack for stunning the French with late goals. In 2012, it was Diana Matheson’s late shocker in the Olympic bronze medal match that gave Canada a 1-0 win over the French. Even though the stakes weren’t nearly as high on Thursday, this time it was Kaylyn Kyle’s turn to play …

But, despite what he’s seen from Buchanan and Lawrence, Herdman is concerned that there simply aren’t enough Canadian youngsters who will be technically able to keep up with the improving standards of play in the international game.