Four goals in the first half. Fifteen seconds in the second. Faced with the torrential rain that poured down on the Allianz Riviera last night, Freddy Fautrel, the match referee, had no choice but to call off the game at the very start of the second half. The match will thus be replayed in full on a yet-to-be-determined date. Frustrating for a certain Valère Germain.
He had just scored a magnificent brace in 45 minutes. Especially since it was his first in his career. Unfortunately for him, Valère Germain will have to kiss goodbye to his two goals. Nice – Nantes postponed, all the events of the match are cast into oblivion. Yet, the first half had been very lively under the Nice rain.
In an open match where both teams found plenty of space, Nantes stood out first. As early as the eighth minute, Boscagli’s good recovery on a left-side run by Rongier still benefited Iloki, who found himself alone in the box. The Nantes offensive midfielder coolly slotted past Hassen, putting his team on the right track.
Not panicking by this early lead (so often conceded), the Nice team gradually took control of the ball to push back a Nantes team determined to fully exploit counterattacks. The possession by the Eaglets even allowed Germain to quickly equalize with a superb volley. After a cross from Jeremy Pied, the ball came back to his left foot, and without controlling it, his perfect technique found the top corner of Riou’s net. 21st minute, 1-1.
Level at the break
The slight relaxation from Nice after the equalizer didn’t last long as Ben Arfa attempted a few accelerations (31st and 33rd) without finding the same effectiveness as in Gym’s recent outings. Finally, it was Germain who took on the responsibility of putting his team ahead. In the 37th minute, the forward, on loan from Monaco, tried to combine with Wallyson. The Brazilian midfielder was blocked by Touré, but Germain’s run allowed him to recover the ball in the box and beat Riou with a perfect finish at the near post.
Once again, the Nice goal was followed by a relaxation. But this time, Nantes took advantage; during a strange traffic jam where Hassen was the ultimate barrier for the Eaglets. After a cross from the right, Bedoya gave the ball back to the center, but hindered by his teammate Sigthorson, Thomasson didn’t put enough power in his header. Hassen made a good save but spilled the ball. Thomasson only had to push it into the net. Just 3 minutes after Germain’s second goal, Nantes drew level again.
One half and that’s it
Just before the break, the huge rumble of the storm in the azure sky sounded like a premonition for the continuation of the match. The halftime deluge made any non-aquatic sport impossible on the “Allianz Riviera” pitch. For formality’s sake, the man in yellow asked the players to return to the field. A few seconds and four or five passes stopped by puddles sufficed to make everyone understand that the match could not continue.
“From the first ball, we realized that the spectacle and the players’ integrity were threatened. It was therefore pointless to continue.” Simple arguments, but quite acceptable from Freddy Fautrel. “In any case, it was unplayable,” declared Michel Der Zakarian. To disrupt Nice for ninety minutes, the Canaries will have to try again, and it’s really not their fault.
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