The Olympians move forward again

By Philippe Serve

Winning without a blow at the ranking last’s, Blanzy, on Sunday (0-3), Olympique de Marseille féminin rebooted the machine, and remain in contact with the leader Nimes.

We wrote it down here, while respecting the opponent of the day : it would not have been understood that the Olympians do not win in Burgundy on the field of a team with 8 defeats on the clock in as many games. Although Christophe Parra refused to mention Blanzy’s last place in the ranking — logically, his role being to prevent the group’s demotivation or overconfidence — the fact remains that when you show yourself at the second place, unbeaten since the first day, and that you aim at the accession to D1, you simply have a moral obligation to hold to your rank… Now, the team had not always done it recently, each time against a lower ranking opponent. The privilege to play decisive games against big teams like Nimes, Toulouse, Monteux or the surprising Le Puy, is granted to you only if points have been not dropped on the way in the other games.

A quickly folded case

On a poor quality ground, because very bumpy, the Marseillaises found a habit of early season again : knock out the opponent without delay. A first goal before the end of the first quarter of an hour, and 3-0 at halftime. No matter the opponent, to achieve a delicacy tirelessly requires the same ingredients : concentration, determination, enjoy playing. Well, some will add "and the presence on the field of Léa Rubio" ...

Christophe Parra chose Émilie Pelloux in central defense right from the start. Having recovered from her fracture of the radius, she played alongside Laure Roffe-Vidal, Camille Perrin taking place on the bench.

After a first opportunity for Eloise Vallet, following a deep pass from Alicia Pourquies, OM unblocked the situation in the 13'... Hadia Ben Abdelghani — who had the difficult task of supplying Caroline Pizzala (suspended) — showed her talent. She picked up the ball in her own half, and threw it to "Popo" Cousin in a superb and decisive way. The quicksilver striker speeded between two defenders hanging on her heels and, from the edge of the box, shot up the goalie. By opening the score, she also netted her seventh league goal (1-0)...

A few minutes later, came a second opportunity for Vallet, assisted by Pourquies again, but the young Olympian’s volley flew above the cross-bar... Following a threw-in on the left side, Pourquiès gave back to Charline Marcilly, whose perfect cross into the box was deflected from the head by Cousin. Ben Abdelghani saved the ball just before it came out, but her very closed angle shoot did not find the open-hole...

OM was dominating the game and was inevitably going to double the lead. A too long a cross from Ben Abdelghani, after a little solo number on the right, was recovered on the opposite wing by Anaïs M'Bassidjé. The left back passed behind her to Léa Rubio, who tried her luck with a 16 yards lob. The GK, troubled by the presence of Cousin, did not ensure her grip and relaxed the ball into her net (31', 2-0)

After another long-distance try from her that bordered the post, the OM captain was seen again less than five minutes before the half-time. In charge of a corner kicked from the left, she sent the ball on the head of Laure Roffe-Vidal who did not miss the top corner (41', 3-0).

In control

The second half saw OM controlling the game with confidence. Skirmishes without danger on both sides, with the exception of a furious rush by Anaïs M'Bassidjé who set fire to the defense of Blanzy... Christophe Parra rotated his workforce, with the entries of the Abou-Deraa twin sisters (for Pourquiès and Ben Abdelghani) and Camille Perrin for Rubio.

A week after their unsuccessful match against the FAMF, the Olympians are therefore back on track. We can only congratulate them. A final challenge awaits them next Sunday before the end of the first phase. They will welcome Le Puy, which follows them in the ranking. An eighth victory would increase the gap with a direct competitor, and would reflect the good taste of the Olympians, not far away from Christmas...

P.S.