Shanghai Lions FC

The epic starts around 6:00pm on this 12th December at Pudong airport. The first miracle of the week-end is that nobody is late, even Manue, Jerome and Edu are on time. And here we go to Guangzhou, with the first disappointment of the week-end: no beers in the plane. Fortunately, as soon as we arrive, our dried throats are relieved thanks to the organization that had some beers waiting for us in the arrival hall. What a warm welcome!!
After a quick stop at the hotel, we head straight to the now famous Elephant & Castle. We nearly lose David on the way, as he’s been irresistibly attracted by the nearby Mc Donald crying out in hunger. (NDR: if I ate as much as this guy, I would not be able to run anymore on the pitch… he is a stomach![Note that if he drunk as much beer as me, maybe he couldn’t run either!] ). We meet our future adversaries of the tournament around beers, and the night quickly reaches full pace. Drinks are flowing, and we move to another place (I think I’ll never be able to remember that name… well, just another bar, with more… hum! people for the satisfaction of some [most?] of the team members). More and more action and we finally end up in Babyface. Noisy, crowded… a late night finish for everybody, or even early morning for some. One question remaining: did Olivier drink enough beer to score goals the next day?

In the morning, Michel has some trouble to gather the troops (NDR: I wonder why?). But everybody is ready on time, even if we have to pull David out of his favorite place, the next door Mc Donald. We arrive on the pitch early enough to see the Beijing team make a good come back in the first semi-final against Guangzhou, final score 2-2, the penalty shoot-outs will decide the winner. The level of the game was quite good. Our next day game will be tough.
We face Chengdu and our starting line-up is: Edu, Bernard, Max, Seb, Mark, Manue, Adrien, Damien, Christophe, Olivier, David. Everybody seems ready for the game, even if an aura of alcohol is floating over the team. Everybody? The mist around Christophe seems thicker, and no sign of Greg, but he would arrive before the end of the game. Michel is coaching on the side, and our supporter Jerome waits in anxiety for the whistle. The game starts slowly (well, not a surprise), but Les Bleus easily create the first opportunities of the game, missed by David… well, lamentably missed, especially when he is 1.5 meters from the empty goal and throws the ball over the post! Fortunately, Damien, over motivated by the possible prospect to meet his ex-Guangzhou teammates in the finals, controls the ball on the left side as Zidane would do in his best days, completely deceiving the defender, juggles on the line like a tightrope walker, and delivers the perfect cross… Olivier, who did not want to miss that one, put everything in the header… nice header, nice goal, 1-0. But the rhythm is still slow, and our Belgians demons reappear, as Max points out. And as Chengdu enters our penalty area, to everybody’s surprise, the referee whistles: penalty! (NDR: Chengdu team members even asked me why…). They score and it’s 1-1 at half-time. During the unhappy coach speech (well, given our level of play, he had to be unhappy!), Guangzhou wins the penalty shoot out and qualifies for the final.
The second half begins as a nightmare. Les Bleus doubt, and cannot make two good consecutive passes. Time goes by quickly and the penalty shoot out are coming closer. There is no good football, but there still is will. Ten minutes before the end, Damien gives a good through pass to Olivier, who forces his way pass his defender and strikes a subtle right footer to the opposite angle to score for the lead: 2-1. We got an answer; there was enough beer yesterday for two goals! From there, victory is ours, and we raised our level of play again. At last, David scores on a penalty (NDR: was that compensation for the first one?), and Bernard with all rage and power adds his goal. Final score is 4-1; we’ll play the final, that’s a call for party!

After a deserved rest, no need to say the Brazilian steak house is warmly welcome by David: buffet and loads of meat. The free flowing beer is also warmly welcome by all players. We then move the Elephant & Castle again, to play the semi-final of the… beer drinkers contest. Despite a good effort from the eight involved players (but hey, where was Max at that time?), and an impressive finish by Edu, we lose. But there were strong competitors in Chengdu's team. We discuss with an over confident Guangzhou team, they seem to think our team is not a match for them… it’s true they only saw the first part of our semi finals… After finishing the beer kegs, or drinking some Tequila shots for the young guys David and Adrien, we move together to the Gipsy Kings. And oh la la, that was some kind of party. We completely warm up the place; it is ours for the night!!! All the team put fire on the dance floor. They’ll surely remember Les Bleus. We left satisfied and confident…

Sunday 14th December, morning is a little bit easier than the previous day (NDR: well, I should say “less difficult”). The same team is ready to start, except for David, replaced by Greg. And then, history is en route. Gathered on the pitch like never before, Les Bleus shout their rallying call “Tous Ensemble”, showing their will for the win.
The pace and level of the game are much higher than the previous day. Guangzhou team starts a little better, giving Edu some opportunities to show off all his talent, looking like Zubizaretta in his best days. But Les Bleus quickly caught up with the rhythm, giving everything they have, being everywhere on the pitch. A high ball bounces over the last defender. Adrien controls the ball swiftly at full speed, and he is in front of the goal. He remembers the words from Bernard, “Don’t think, just shoot with all you have”, and BOUM, a missile goes straight to the back of the net. 1-0, the stadium goes crazy! (NDR: Well, at least, Jerome is waving his crutches all around!)
Then David comes back on the pitch. Our best assist, Damien, delivers one of his secret cross from the right. The ball goes to the second post where the young guy jumps in front of his defender and smashes a header to the opposite post. The keeper can only slightly touch the ball, which bounces on the post and goes in. 2-0, we let our joy explode. Max is here again to let us keep our concentration: “Remember the Belgians guys, it’s still 0-0”.
After the break, Guangzhou team is coming back and pushes forward, but our defense is like a bolt. The game is getting tenser and tenser, even with some bad gestures on the pitch from both sides. Edu watches his goal closely, and nothing can pass. Slowly, Les Bleus regain control of the game, they are everywhere, and their opponents seem helpless. A few minutes before the end, Adrien fights for the ball on the right side and steals it from the defender. He delivers a nice cross on the ground that beats the entire defense and the keeper. David watches the ball coming, he’s in front of the goal, he knows he cannot miss… 3-0, enough for David to finally become the best scorer of the team. And what a game for Adrien who was unanimously elected best player of the game (NDR: well, by the team…)! Nothing could happen to Les Bleus from there: that is an overwhelming victory.

Proud, Damien and Olivier got the cup from the disappointed Guangzhou captain! That was an enormous game: full of spirit, intensity, talent… we were the best! (NDR: A special thank to Jerome too, who accompanied us all the week-end despite his injury, and supported us during the games.) We are the first winner of Guangzhou's tournament and proud to be! The outcome of the tournament is amazing, two wins, 7 goals against 1 (on penalty), and a brand new team spirit! What a wonderful week-end, with a first trophy for Les Bleus. And I’m sure it will not be the last one!

Go on Les Bleus!!