A large part of the city of Nice was tuned into Eurosport last night and suffered for 120 long minutes before seeing their eaglets soar towards a Coupe de France semi-final, which Eric Roy’s men managed to defend with courage and selflessness, if not with brilliance and conquest.
With Mounier and Bellion on the bench, this quarter-final took place in a packed Auguste Delaune stadium, urging their heroes onward during a Tuesday night cup match like no other. It was the Reims team that made the first move with a fine attempt by Amalfitano, who found Letizi in his way. Well supported by Fortes, the attacking duo from Champagne gave the Gace/Coulibaly pair a hard time, but the defense stood firm. The first attempt from Nice came from Mouloungui, but his shot only found the side netting.
The game settled, and the Niçois ventured more freely from their half of the field. It was on one of these counters that Ben Saada launched Ljuboja, who cleverly lobbed Agassa after an equally skillful control. Although slightly against the run of play, the eaglets took the lead and nearly increased the score in the following moments through Sablé, who was thwarted by the Reims keeper. Following this chance, the Reims team attacked again, and this time Amalfitano left Letizi no chance, igniting Auguste Delaune stadium, briefly cooled by Nice opening the score. All square, everything had to be built again! Ultimately, it was the Niçois who created the final chances before the break, but Mouloungui’s efforts only found the post and the crossbar’s top.
Game instructions from both coaches led to the restart in an ever-festive atmosphere in the stands. And you didn’t want to be late returning from the refreshment stand to witness the new Nice goal, courtesy of Mouloungui, surprisingly alone in the box, sending the ball to the back of Agassa’s net. It couldn’t have started better for the eaglets. Far from being down and out, the Reims team launched another assault on Letizi’s goal but showed less precision near the penalty area, much to the relief of the Nice defense. But happiness is fleeting, and Fortes once again leveled the score with a fantastic strike after a burst down the left.
A repeat scenario and a new draw meant extra time and potentially penalties. After various substitutions, Ben Saada for Mounier and Ljuboja for Bellion, the match continued at a much slower pace, with both teams playing cautiously to avoid dangerous situations in their penalty area. The minutes ticked by, neither team daring further, and after two minutes of added time, referee Stéphane Bré blew the whistle on regular time, forcing both teams into extra time.
Two sets of fifteen minutes to convince: this was the mission for the Niçois and the Reims team, who took pride in besieging the Nice camp, relegating the eaglets to constant defense. Fauré and Gamboa tried repeatedly, but the Nice reed didn’t bend in the Champagne storm, and the first half of extra time ended without new goals scored. After a brief respite on the sideline, the referee blew the whistle to start the final half of extra time. Reims pressure resumed, and Civelli nearly betrayed his keeper, watching the ball drift right of Letizi’s post. A scare for Nice’s guardian angel, who couldn’t be let down by his own on this night. The Niçois grew bolder and attempted to advance the ball into the opponent’s half, and on one of their first incursions, it was Mouloungui who played the liberator by pushing one of Gym’s rare extra-time chances into the net. Cruel for the Reims team, stunned as they saw the seconds on the clock expire without further threatening the Nice keeper.
Stéphane Bré blew the final whistle, and the journey therefore continued for Nice, on April 18th or 20th, for a Coupe de France semi-final, which might hold even more allure if Eric Roy’s men can maintain the same success in their next two home matches against Lens and Auxerre…
