This Friday, Cavigal Nice Handball suffered their first defeat against Pontault-Combault. A cruel setback, 27-28, at the Pasteur hall that leaves a bitter taste for Antonio Marcos’ team from Nice.
What cruelty! Life can seem cruel, and handball is no less so. The Nice team of Cavigal can harbor some regrets after this narrow home defeat against Pontault. Although, overall, not everything is so bleak, it felt as though victory was within reach.
Tense start for the first 25 minutes
Before this match, Antonio Marcos’ protégés were on a four-game winning streak and hadn’t yet been defeated in 2021. That evening, Niçois and Ponto-Combalusiens were very closely matched, especially during the first 20 minutes where the two teams neutralized each other (1-2; 5-5; 8-8). Cavigal recovered from those minor individual errors that had spoiled some opportunities. Fortunately, the locals could rely on their captain, Joan Amigo, and Jurgen Rooba, both of whom made crucial interceptions.
Things got complicated in the 23rd minute. It began with the two-minute expulsion of Nice’s pivot, Théo Gaspari. Pontault applied pressure and disrupted the defense of the locals, leaving too much space. Cavigal suffered a 5-0 hit in quick succession (10-9; 10-13). The halftime whistle blew with a score of 11-16 in favor of the visitors. Clearly, there’s still a long way to go for Nice.
Hope before disillusionment
After returning from the locker rooms, Nice changed tactics. Antonio Marcos’ men bet on speed and managed to find the gaps. Little by little, the Niçois closed the gap on the scoreboard (14-18). By the 40th minute, the score was 18-18, then 20-20 by the 45th minute. The match’s end was going to be very long for both teams. Solid in defense and aggressive in attack, Cavigal managed to turn the situation around, leading 24-21 with ten minutes left in the match.
Axel Oppedisano (Nice), who scored six goals in this match, will certainly regret missing some opportunities, notably a seven-meter throw that could have meant an equalizer for Cavigal. At 26-27, only three minutes remained to be played. Things worsened for Nice with Théo Gaspari’s second temporary expulsion. But Jérémi Pirani, with a new seven-meter throw, put his team back on track (27-27, 59′). The locals had to hold on for just a few more seconds to secure a draw.
But it wasn’t to be, as a man named Gustavo Rodrigues silenced the entire hall with a last-second goal, thus crucifying Cavigal at 59 minutes and 55 seconds of play. The final whistle blew. A cruel defeat for the Niçois, marking their first setback of the year. A narrow defeat, admittedly bitter, but one where the Eagles showed a positive side, especially in defense, with that fantastic comeback early in the second half.
Match Reactions
Regarding reactions, every player seemed to be on the same wavelength. The defeat spoiled the Niçois’ celebration tonight, but there are positives too. In essence, Cavigal delivered a strong performance against a fine Pontault-Combault team, which is in the top three of the Proligue standings this season.
Dylan Lopez: “We’re a bit disappointed. We held on throughout the match; we might even have won it. Pontault secured it towards the end, and this loss sticks in our throats. I hope this will serve us well for the next game.”
Axel Oppedisano: “I shouldn’t miss those three chances, especially the duel against the goalkeeper from seven meters. Overall, we lacked clarity in the middle of the first half. We couldn’t find the spaces, and some mistakes and turnovers were made. We corrected those flaws in the second half. Tonight, there’s frustration for sure, but we are on the right path.”
A lot of positives tonight, then, with only the victory missing. Cavigal Nice Handball, currently 8th in the standings, will try to bounce back next week when they host Dijon at the Pasteur hall.
