French Cup (1/8) : Goodbye, with great pride !

By Philippe Serve

Olympique de Marseille féminin leaves the French Cup in 1/8 F, eliminated by AS Saint-Étienne,  a team from D1 (0-2). But with honors, and proud of a remarkable journey.

They won’t go further this season. Beaten at L’Étrat (Loire) by Saint-Étienne, a team playing one division above (D1), the Olympians said goodbye to the 2015 edition of the French Cup. Not goodbye to the competition itself of course. Because we bet they will return next season with more experience and ambition, ready to break their historical record again. This record with which they came back home to Marseilles last night, a legitimate pride printed on  their foreheads and engraved in their hearts: a participation in an 1/8 F. And above all, a remarkable resistance to a club from the elite.

To bridge the gap

As we know, between D1 and D2 is a real gap, an abyss, who explains the incessant up-and-downs: in most cases, a team is promoted only to be relegated at the end of the next season. But Saint-Étienne belongs to the "long-term" teams, participating in its eighth consecutive season in the top flight, winner of the Cup in 2011 and finalist in 2013. In other words, a "big one" compared to this OM’s very young women’s section, created only three and a half years ago. We noticed it in a pre-season friendly match when the Olympians had not existed, crushed 0-5. Alicia Pourquies told us in the middle of last week: this game would serve as a reference test to judge the progress of the team. Had Christophe Parra’s group evolved enough in six months to crop a minimum of this enormous difference in level ? The answer is yes. Even better: for 45 minutes, that is a whole half, OM made a par with its opponent. Very well positioned, developing its collective game based on passing and movement, aggressive in the best sense, the team suffered no point of comparison. It could have even opened the scoring very quickly if Cécilia Vignal, assisted by Caroline Pizzala, had not stumbled on the goalie Julie Perrodin, very well out in her feet. A perfectly balanced first half during which the Olympians bridged the  D1-D2 gap, although scoring opportunities were hardly numerous from both sides. With Captain Léa Rubio repositioned in central defense and a very active and sharp midfield Pizzala-Marcilly-Anigo, OM left an excellent impression.

To resist…

No doubt that during the half-time Didier Hervé, coach of the ASSE, admonished his players. From his own confession, he spurred their pride: where was the D1 team, where was the D2 one ? In an always heavier rain, les Vertes set foot on the ball and the game. The Olympians, without Alicia Pourquies, suffered and set themselves in a resistance mode. The hope to reach the end of the 90 minutes with a goalless draw and to pull a penalty shoot-out, kept alive thanks to a great Anaïs Hachi, swelled among OM’s supporters, some having traveled from Marseilles, many following the Live report provided by OLYMPIENNES ET MARSEILLAISES’ tweeter account (@BlogOMFeminines). By the way, thank you as usual to Guillaume, our on-site relay.

Christophe Parra strengthened his defensive wall by sending Laure Roffe-Vidal on the pitch, a central defender taking the place of a forward (Éloise Vallet) past the hour... Less than fifteen minutes were to go when the team gave way. Following a free-kick from the right at the edge of the box and taking the direction of the opposite corner, Hachi cleared the ball with her right hand thanks to an impressive jump. Alas, Candice Gherbi who had only just entered the game, outran Tess Laplacette and headed the ball into the net (76’, 1-0)...

Although largely dominated now, everything was still possible for the Olympians with just one goal down and fifteen minutes to play. But as soon as the game restarted after the goal, Sarah Palacin, the dreaded green scorer, was found in depth and about to run alone to the goal. Léa Rubio stopped her in an illegal way at the 18 meters and as a last defender. The incontestable sentence fell: red card (77’)... Therefore, the mission was becoming impossible. 10 against 11, deprived of their captain, with a goal down and little time to play under a deluge, the Olympians cracked... Anaïs Hachi, she again, delayed the fatal moment by winning her duel with Palacin who had escaped Roffe-Vidal... But at the 81’ the Green’s center-forward spun again in the back of the defense of the girls in white and, this time, subtly slipped the ball out of reach of the Olympian goalie (2-0). The die was cast. ASSE could have even worsened the scoring late in the game, but Hachi opposed it, denying this pleasure to Palacin.

Disappointment, but pride !

The Olympians’ inevitable disappointment – tears may have run into the locker room – will quickly leave way to a legitimate pride. OM’s women's section keeps going on since 2012: 1st Regional round, then Federal, 1/32, and 1/8 this season, holding the candle to a dedicated member of D1, the adventure in Cup is the equal of the League’s. This team, so endearing both in terms of staff and the players themselves, continues to plot its course without ever denying its philosophy of the game and life. The players are learning game after game, they grow up. Now, they must use the experience of these live-or-die games, this familiarity with the highest level, to advance even stronger, irresistibly, on the way to D1.

The defeat of Le Puy yesterday in a late match (2-3 at home against Claix, who certainly comes from the dead !) is maybe a good sign sent to the Olympians. But they will draw the strength to climb the nine peaks that are still ahead, from themselves alone. The peaks behind which the Grail is awaiting. Let them remember it next Sunday, at the time to play their late game in Aurillac. They will have left the Cup behind them and enter the Cantal head high. And strong of the unwavering and increasingly massive support of their fans who congratulate and thank them...

P.S.

© Philippe Serve / olympiennesetmarseillaises.com

Complexe sportif des Ollières, Saint-Étienne beat OM 2 - 0. Half-time : 0-0.
Referee : Ms Emilie Mougeot, assisted by Mrs Gérard Mitai and Michaël Balestra.
Fourth official : Mr Alain Rodriguez.
Goals - Saint-Étienne : Gherbi (76), Palacin (81).
Yellow cards - Saint-Étienne : Lavaud (40), Gherbi (86). OM : Pizzala (54).
Red card - OM : Rubio (77).
Saint-Étienne : Perrodin - Audemar, Viguier, Courteille (cap), Soulard - Cirri - Lorgère, Blanc-Gonnet (Gherbi, 77) - Lavaud (Benoit, 82), Chaumette (Coton-Pélagie, 61), Palacin.
Coach : Hervé Didier.
OM : Hatchi - Laplacette, Rubio (cap), M’Bassidje, Montagna - Marcilly - Pizzala, Anigo (Ben Abdelghani, 58) - Cousin - Vallet (Roffe-Vidal, 62), Vignal (C. Abou-Deraa, 80).
Coach : Christophe Parra.

Photos : © Meryll Vian / OM.Net

Vidéo : Kévin Marcou © OM.Net