Three years and a pandemic later, the Coupe de France final finally returns to Paris and is sold out: 13,877 spectators, exactly as Rouen-Amiens in 2020. The poster is an unpublished Dauphiné derby. Beaten in overtime by Angers last year in Cergy, the Gapençais return to this Accor Arena where they lost their first final against Lyon in 2018. But they find themselves facing a very big piece, the favorite and leader of the Grenoble championship.
In a match, anything is possible and that’s the magic of the cup. Gap had inflicted on the Burners of Wolves their first defeat in the league at the end of September (2-1 in overtime). But since then, the Raptors have been clearly beaten twice at the South Pole. They also seem much less dashing lately and remain on three consecutive defeats in the Magnus League, including a scathing 2-8 at home on Tuesday against the other cador Rouen. Present in the stands that day, Eeto Pasovaara (arrived from Nice) was formalized Thursday as joker of Gap to compensate for the absence of Paul Joubert.
Gap enters fully into its final. The first rapid counter-attacks already demonstrate this. The first goal arrives quickly, and it should be noted that it is the fourth Gapençais trio which brings it by its great effort in the boards to carry the possession in offensive zone, even if it is the first line which finishes the work. Romain Gutierrez passes from the corner behind for Fabien Bourgeois – protected by a grid today – who advances at half distance and places a cross shot under the plate of Jakub Stepanek (1-0).
After nine minutes of play, Louis Cirgues releases a puck over the plexi. During this first numerical inferiority, Julian Junca must make an important save with the left boot on a slap from the blue line of Kyle Hardy. But faced with the increasingly imposing presence of Poukkula in the slot, he also ends up moving his cage off its hinges. A new penalty therefore begins when the other ended, but Gap blocks all the pucks there and is never in danger.
The Grenoble favorite did not stop there and followed up with a highlight at 5 against 5. The best action came at the quarter-hour mark when a low shot from Sacha Treille was narrowly deflected under Junca’s boots and passed nothing next to the post. But Kyle Hardy takes a penalty in the offensive zone on the action (hang). On the power play, Julien Correia and his colleagues spend a few hot moments in front of the white cage. Gap passes a quieter end of third and joins the locker room in advance.
We expect a big reaction from the Burners of Wolves after the break, but it’s Gap who scores again. Eetu Paasovaara takes over a center from Julien Correia and suddenly realizes like all the public that the cage is no longer in its place! Goalkeeper Jakub Stepanek moved it by leaning on the post during the pass. But the referees will consult the video which shows that the puck has crossed the normal goal line: they therefore automatically validate the goal (2-0).
A minute later, Dylan Fabre was perfectly served two meters in front of the goal by Damien Fleury, but his low shot was repelled with the right boot by Julian Junca. Veteran Damien Fleury didn’t lose his speed and escaped past defender Chad Langlais, who dove and against the puck but went to jail for tripping the forward. Without consequence. Like Correia who arises to counter a pass in front of Fabre, the Gapençais boxplay dominates his subject for the moment.
It is nevertheless dangerous to accumulate faults against the offensive talent of the Burners of Wolves. If the penalties are simultaneous for Cirgues and Aubin after an exchange of harshness in the corner, the referees whistle a sting on the goalkeeper. This time the white powerplay develops and Aurélien Dair victoriously deflects the puck in front of the goal (2-1, picture above). The Grenoble grandstand, very silent, is starting to wake up.
The striker Dair will unfortunately have to leave the ice, injured two and a half minutes from the break: while he is still physically imposing himself in the slot, it is he who knocks down Faure… who lands on his left leg and bends it. This injury does not stop the pressure from Grenoble, very strong at this time of the match. But Julian Junca, in particular by deflecting a powerful cross throw from Sacha Treille from the glove, allows his team to still lead in the score at the break. Gap still suffered significantly from the game since mid-game.
Grenoble’s momentum at the start of the third period was quickly broken by a penalty from Maxim Lamarche (hang). Dimitri Thillet gets the two best chances on this numerical advantage: a well-seen mid-range shot captured by Stepanek’s mitt, then a deflection at close range, blocked with the same assurance by the Czech goalkeeper.
Shortly after the return to five, Grenoble rushes to attack and provokes a foul from Kevin Altidor (hanging) when crossing the blue line. The numerical disadvantage is doubled by a gap in game delay which tilts the match. At 5 against 3, Damien Fleury’s shot hits Sébastien Rohat who goes down but only deflects the puck which still enters the net (2-2). The double penalty because Rohat undoubtedly cracked his arm on the action! We re-engage at 5 against 4 and Markus Poukkula deflects Joël Champagne’s service in the open cage (2-3). More than 48 minutes of efforts from Gapença were destroyed in the space of 27 seconds!
In defensive configuration since the first goal, Gap has no choice but to put pressure in the offensive zone. The Raptors achieve this remarkably well. Less than seven minutes from the end, Bostjan Golicic has the goal wide open on his backhand but limply misses this ready-made equalizing puck! Sacha Treille is penalized (to trip) in the continuity of the action but Grenoble manages to defend this last penalty leaving only angled shots.
Éric Blais uses his time out 1’45 from the end and takes out his goalkeeper. Joël Champagne’s face-off efficiency is precious at this moment to deprive Gap of possession even if the Brûleurs de Loups never completely get out of the pressure. Behind them, their supporters tick off the seconds until deliverance: Grenoble wins the Coupe de France!
The scenario of the match undoubtedly makes it more beautiful because the favorites took time to establish their domination against the Gapençais with a well-applied game plan. Best team in the country in numerical inferiority, Gap ended up cracking with the accumulation of efforts. Inefficient at 5 against 5, Grenoble will therefore have built its success on its play in numerical superiority, however not dominant in the championship. This will only reinforce the discussions on refereeing after the match… Chad Langlais had to be held back by a teammate at the siren so that he did not storm the scorer’s table.
Designated MVP of the match: Nicolas Deschamps (Grenoble).
(photos by Emmanuel Giraudeaux)
Post-match commentary to follow…
Gap – Grenoble 2-3 (1-0, 1-1, 0-2)
Sunday January 29, 2023 at 3 p.m. at the Accor Arena in Paris-Bercy. 13877 spectators.
Arbitration by Pierre Dehaen and Geoffrey Barcelo assisted by Jérémie Douchy and Clément Goncalves.
Penalties: Gap 14′ (4′, 6′, 4′), Grenoble 10′ (2′, 4′, 4′)
Shots: Gap 13 (2, 4, 7), Grenoble 36 (14, 11, 11).
Score evolution:
1-0 at 05’34: Bourgeois assisted by Gutierrez and Pasovaara
2-0 at 23’13: Pasovaara
2-1 at 34’56: A. Dair assisted by Deschamps and Poukkula (num. sup.)
2-2 at 48’46: Fleury assisted by Deschamps (double digital sup.)
2-3 at 49’12: Poukkula assisted by Champagne and Deschamps (num. sup.)
Gap
Forwards:
77-82-27 Julien Correia – Romain Gutierrez (C) – Eetu Pasovaara
96-38-51 Olegs Sislannikovs – Bostjan Golicic (A) – Egor Gainetdinov
47-15-72 Dimitri Thillet – Axel Tarabusi – Loïc Coulaud
93-85-23 Kévin Altidor – Sébastien Rohat – Lucas Colombin
Defenders:
3-7 Valtteri Meisaari (2′) – Chad Langlais
6-74 Arnaud Faure – Fabien Bourgeois (A)
65-9 Yohan Coulaud – Louis Cirgues
Guardian :
33 Julian Junca [sorti à 58’15]
Substitute: Jimmy Darier (G). Absent: Paul Joubert.
Grenoble
Forwards:
77-64-3 Sacha Treille – Joel Champagne (C) – Aurélien Dair
78-17-10 Dylan Fabre – Nicolas Deschamps (A) – Damien Fleury (A)
63-92-11 Markus Poukkula – Quinton Howden – Brent Aubin
23-18-12 Flavian Dair – Adel Koudri – Julien Munoz
Defenders:
4-58 Kyle Hardy – Maxim Lamarche
21-50 Bobby Raymond – Jere Rouhiainen
72-5 Pierre Crinon – Lucien Onno
Guardian :
30 Jakub Stepanek
Replacements: Raphaël Garnier (G), Alexandre Pascal. Out: Janne Jalasvaara (knee).
