“This draw is a lesser evil… Our team was weakened, we can’t do without Rool, Koné, Apam, and Ederson in a match of this type…” The island coach is satisfied with this result, which could have been less favorable for the eaglets if the young Rennes goalkeeper hadn’t gifted the equalization following a clumsily negotiated save.
Regarding the Tahitian rower, Antonetti states, “I’m happy for him… In the life of a group, there are always conflicts… the life of a coach, of a player, it’s not a smooth river. You have to know how to distinguish the essentials. Some images may have shocked, but I prefer that to the dance of the hypocrites.” There’s still no sugar-coating from the Nice technician who has steered through the recent storms within the club with a firm hand.
Indeed, the point earned should still be celebrated given that the match program was missing nearly 40% of its starters, and it only took the Breton visitors one quarter-hour to unlock the Nice defense with a stroke of brilliance from Jimmy Briand, aptly named, who gets on the end of a good center from Utaka to beat an advancing Hugo Lloris in search of the ball. 0-1, the situation even seemed to worsen, and the Nice supporters also felt the near miss while continuing to vigorously support their eagles.
The first half was just as worrying as it was lackluster. No great Rennes and a Nice team incapable of finding solutions, resorting ultimately to “lob” long balls towards Laslandes, who must hold the record for takeoffs during a league match. The formerly platinum-blond now turned neo-bald wasn’t exactly lucky on Saturday, and the Rennes defense had certainly analyzed the aerial deviation play of the tall Lilian.
Fortunately, the second half started as well as the first had poorly ended, with a gift from heaven, or rather from the young goalkeeper Pouplin who fails to handle a relatively tame shot from Vahirua and sees the ball end up in his net, equalizing for both teams. Two fine performances by the goalkeepers from each team (Lloris against Utaka and Pouplin on a free kick from Vahirua) were the only truly notable actions of a second half whose excitement faded as quickly as it had risen.
A pleasant surprise nonetheless with the entry of a spirited and tenacious Veigneau bringing a freshness that was sorely lacking among his teammates. Now, it remains to prepare for two major matchups with six points on the line for two impressive performances to achieve. The first at Stade Vélodrome for the exciting and passionate Mediterranean derby against Olympique de Marseille and then hosting the Monegasque neighbors for a new derby with princely flavors. 16th with 31 points, they will have to make do with that, and the critical threshold of 45 to 48 points needed for survival in Ligue 1 is still a few good results away.
Troyes and Paris St Germain have lost, and it will ultimately be a small consolation to have scraped this little point in a ranking where there are only 6 points between the first non-relegable and twelfth Lorient. Antonetti’s commando team, aside from looking impressive, seems to have found its rhythm and even if the upcoming mission might seem impossible, there will be no regrets at the end of the season when you play with heart and sweat your shirt out on the field.
The end of the tunnel for Nice is no longer very far, and there is no doubt that the fans, who still came in large numbers to the Stade du Ray despite the calls of the snow-capped peaks, know that a wounded bird of prey is no more dangerous than usual.
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