Complicated Coupe Continues (Currently…)
Remember me? Remember the Coupe de France? Well I hope you’re sitting comfortably as it’s about to begin again in a new and unusual way for obvious reasons. The FFF decided they needed to sort out a last 32 to move forward from. Thus on the Thursday, the Ligue 1 and 2 sides will be in two draws. Yes two, I did suggest you sat down…
The Ligue 2 sides will be drawn against each other playing on Wednesday January 20th. The 10 winners join the 20 Ligue 1 sides in the next round meaning 15 sides will progress. Are you with me so far? So that’s 15 out of 32 I hear you cry.
Well not exactly, because overseas sides FC de M’Tsapere from Mayotte, who beat JS Saint-Pierroise from Reunion on pens, and Guyana’s US Sinnamary are already into the last 32 making it 17 of the 32.
The last 15 spots will be filled from the 245 sides who made it into the 6th Round back in the mists of time last year. This will require 4 sets of games between now and March… That’s going to be the complicated bit as 3 fixtures were delayed from the 5th Round. Is that clear? At no point should you have taken away the first number you thought of…
The last round saw postponements due to bad weather across France and the fifth was affected in some places by COVID-19. In fact the FFF have decided that New Caledonia and Tahiti will not be taking part this year, the former due to their problems and the latter due to the risks brought by a visiting team from mainland France.
One of the games delayed saw FC Challans (another of the sides featured last season) who got through a bruising encounter against SO Cholet of the National . The National 3 side took until the 88th minute to score the only goal of the game after Cholet’s Mannai in the 19th, Larbi in the 20th and Savane in the 53rd minute ALL received red cards! FC Bastia Borgo of the National lost out to FC Balagne on pens with the Regional 1 side winning 4:2 after neither side found the net in regulation time.
So let’s catch up to the 5th Round of the Coupe de France with a featured game. I drove north without much trepidation not knowing exactly what to expect at St Lazare for the Limoges – Aix-sur-Vienne game. What restrictions would there be? Would I be able to move around to get pictures? I’d seen LF put six past the visitors’ second eleven during the pre-season friendlies but knew their Regional 2 side would be a sterner test for the LF lads from two divisions below. The last time I’d been to this round at St Lazare – two seasons ago – Limoges FC had taken until extra time before National side Villefranche-Beaujolais beat them one-nil.
There were indeed restrictions in that fans could only access the stand and catering facilities. I however blagged a luminous tabard so I could wander around as I normally do, camera and notepad in hand. Limoges lined up in white Coupe de France kits meaning the visitors wore blue instead of their usual purple and white ensemble.
An early LF corner saw a shot scuffed at the keeper then in the 4th good play lead to Buonocore seeing a shot blocked… It fell to him again but Yannick put the second attempt wide – it was a good opportunity. Continuing to press, Ducharlet’s in-swinging free-kick was palmed over.
On the quarter hour Aix had their first opportunity, pace wide saw a low cross which their number nine missed in the middle of the box. This was followed by a shot from 28 yards that went over. A free-kick was headed back by the visitors, whose keeper was alert again.
Midway through the half no flag was raised and a chance went begging but the ball went over for a corner. The visitors’ number three went in very late on Alex Pasquet unpunished. A good ball through needed Cornet in the home goal to be alert and scamper out to clear. The blues’ number seven was causing problems wide right and his colleague, number nine, scooped a chance over. In the 39th minute the visiting number two got yellow for being very, very late on Amolou. Cornet saved just before the half, which ended after another foul from the blue number six.
The visitors made two changes at the break and there was one from LFC, Alex shifting from central midfield to wingback. No doubt after a stern word or two there was an early flurry from visitors, and a succession of corners saw Cornet dive to tip a low shot from number seven wide – a great save.
On the hour mark Cantelou angled in a free kick from 27 yards that dipped but not quite enough hitting the top of the bar. Another visitor was booked after pulling back Ducharlet. It remained tight as time ticked by, in the 85th the blue nine had a shot blocked and skied the second attempt.
In the 87th minute Aix got a free kick wide. The ball in was high and to the far post where Cornet jumped with two blue shirts and claimed the ball easily with both hands. There was contact on him as the landed and the ball came loose. One of the blue shirts knocked it to a colleague Desmaretz who put it into the net. That’s when the whistle blew – indicating a free kick for the foul on the keeper? No! The whistle blew but the ref indicated not that he was penalising the challenges on the custodian but a goal!!!
As fans, players and management looked on in disbelief, the Aix players celebrated and someone replaced the zero on the scoreboard with a one… Deflated, the Limoges lads saw the number nine shoot and unhindered this time Cornet saved. A change saw Alex moving to one of the three centre-back slots – his third role of the night – as LF pushed for a deserved equaliser. However Aix took advantage when a slack cross field pass was intercepted and the short-handed defence couldn’t stop a 93rd minute second from Fougeras.
So ended the Coupe de France for Limoges Foot in their first season. Not too many District sides reach the 5th Round and the new side put in some good performances, winning in rain, wind and sunshine. The manner of the loss left a sour taste in the mouth but overall, as the old adage goes, the boys done good.