First success for the Crocos in a pleasant and open match during this 3rd day of Ligue 2, Saturday August 13. Promising.
«It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Nîmes offer games like this to the Costières!” Word of Patrick Champ, former player and coach croco, now a wise spectator and president of the association of former NO, just before half-time.
We agree with him: we attended a good Ligue 2 match on Saturday evening at Costières, pleasant and open. There were twelve goal opportunities for the Gardois, against eight for the Aveyronnais, in a meeting which should have ended more on a 3-2 than on a 1-0.
Benrahou misses the penalty but Omarsson follows
But the ball struggled to enter. Even on penalties. He had to come back on Omarsson’s right foot, after Benrahou’s attempt hit the post, to finally shake Cibois’ net (1-0, 62nd).
The Icelandic loves Rodez: after his double in April against Raf (3-2), he offered Nîmes his first success of the season. He had however missed everything so far (5th, 25th, 28th), and he also left just after his goal. Nicolas Usaï had planned to replace him with Koné. He did, and so Omarsson scored on his last ball.
Because the Crocodiles coach had made strong choices in his composition: Eliasson, Benrahou and the top scorer of the last two seasons were on the bench. For different reasons: if the first two are those who most want elsewhere and therefore perhaps the least desire to play, the third was rather preserved after two first complicated performances and a bereavement this week.
Thomasen comes out injured
This had the effect of giving more verticality to the Nîmes game, one of Nicolas Usaï’s favorite words in the repertoire. The coach had asked his men “verticality, support game and one-two», explained Sadzoute after the game. We saw all that on the lawn, with in particular an inspired Tchokounté in delivery, a creative N’Guessan and two elements in all the good offensive moves: Vargas with three lungs and Thomasen with two brains. These two, but not only them, are interesting.
Unfortunately, the Danish rookie was broken in his tracks on the hour mark on a foul by Mouyokolo. The shock was fatal to him: he went directly to the locker room. The Scandinavian midfielder, who could still have scored (35th), as in Saint-Étienne, would suffer from an acromioclavicular sprain. “It’s the black point of the evening“, regretted Usaï.
Premier “clean sheet” pour Dias
The white point is that friend Lucas Dias has finally achieved a first clean sheet in Ligue 2, on his thirteenth attempt, preserving his cage on the end, not without a few scares (65th, 80th, 90th + 2). Thirteen, like Usai’s birthplace. A lucky sign, perhaps… And a reward: “I said before the match that this group deserved a victory. That’s it, it’s done, and it’s deserved“, could savor the coach.
Faced with a Rodez who never let go, who fought back by getting chances every time NO was dangerous, it was never easy. The Ruthénois, with only one former Crocodile out of four, Valério (Malanda left for Charlotte in the United States, Buades affected in the adductors and Depres on the bench, entered at the end of the game), could even (should?) have opened the scoring after 20 seconds of play if Mendes had not taken the wrong foot when receiving a cross from Valerio, precisely. On the action (1st), it was not great Mendes, as on this head stung next (30th)…
With only one indisputable holder from last season lined up at kick-off (Fomba, not far from being the best) and six recruits, Nîmes is advancing and progressing. Defeat, draw, victory, we are on the right track.
#football ⚽️#ligue2 #NORAF@nimesolympique ?⚪️ snatch victory against @OfficielRAF ??by Omarsson who followed a missed penalty from Benrahou. First victory for Nîmes, still no goal scored for Rodez.
A match to relive here ⤵️https://t.co/fViVVV7Fa2 pic.twitter.com/sOgnUVK9dn— Midi Libre Sports (@MidiLibreSports) August 13, 2022
The reactions
Nicolas Usaï (Nîmes coach):
« When a season begins, we always look forward to the first victory. It comes to validate the good point taken in Saint-Étienne. We lacked realism in the first half. It’s good that it’s an attacker who scores. And it’s good not to have taken a goal. We were a bit sluggish at the end, but we are constantly looking for improvements. »
Laurent Peyrelade (Rodez coach):
« it could have swung one way or the other, but the referee decided which way it was going to swung. There may be a penalty for Nîmes, but there is the same situation in our favor afterwards… I am disappointed for my players, for my kids who were very courageous and for my few executives who were admirable and accompanied them . We are very, very young. This brings enthusiasm, but it also causes big mistakes… Loris (Mouyokolo, who has just arrived, editor’s note), he doesn’t know where his goalkeeper lives, or if his teammates are right-handed or left-handed! Our reinforcements arrive late, but it’s club policy… We went after what we had to give, but it wasn’t enough. It would have been necessary to be fairer to concretize our situations. You have to hang on, persevere, improve. »
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