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OPENING TOURNAMENT : 5 games and 5 draw but lots of hope !
1st game against Germans,
We had difficulties to start (we arrived very late at Tianma and our bodies were not warmed yet). Minute after minute, we played better
and finally had a tremendous chance to win the match. Just before the referee whistles the end of the game : Greg alone in front of their goalkeeper shoots but not powerfully enough and it is bounced. Max and Olivier rushed on the ball, looks like they shoot it together; apparently it was only Max but the goalkeeper just touched it with 2mm of his last finger and finally deviated out.
What a chance to put us on the right rack at first game !! Anyway, still 4 to go.
Final score : 0-0
2nd game against Belgians,
We have played most of the time in their half pitch because the Belgians proceeded by counter attack. It means there was no space. Because they often kicked
the ball out as defensive style, there was a lot of injury times. With 15 minutes by game, I think we didn't succeed to play calmly enough. We rushed and crushed on them like "direct frontal blue waves" on a Belgian rocky fortress.
The Belgians were 0% dangerous, even wonder if they have been once near Willy. But on our side, we don't have the striker super killer, and missed several good chances (Olivier's head + a few shots by other players).
Final score 0-0
3rd game against Shooters,
Well, with them the pace of a game is always high. We were responding well to their english style and correct agressiveness by our fighting spirit.
Then they showed us one of their strong skills: free kicks. On one of them, a head from a shooter deviating to his partner resulted to a goal !
1 goal behind against the shooters in a 15 mn game, could have been a mission impossible. But sometimes, you can feel like a harmony of spirit when everybody is motivated and continue to fight. Then the reward arrived : as a similar way we got a free kick and a deviating ball. Olivier at 50 cm of the goalkeeper, fighted like a wild Lion with all his rage. He kicked the ball and equalized. At this magic moment, everybody was running after him and screaming like Les Bleus won the World Cup !!! Then time was almost over.
Final score 1-1.
4th game against Azurri,
We know that this game is the main ticket to quarter finals. We put pressure by camping on their side and logically scored an early goal thanks again to Olivier with a calm shoot.
But there were still lots of time to go : les Bleus created many opportunites with a good attacking football.
So many missed chances to kill the game (post hit by Christophe, superb action Greg-Olivier-Max but then crushed on goalkeeper, other hot actions I forgot).
Azurri didn't do anything yet, and what was so unconsciously feared finally happened ...
Just before the end: a foul, a free kick, a goal from Azzuris who didn't produce any danger before !!
What a pity, what a disappointment, what an anger !!!
So why ??????
Lack of concentration, lack of rigorousness, lack of fighting spirit, lack of efficiency in killing the game,
lack of confidence ??
Anybody has his own points of views. Maybe a compilation of many little details, but those details often make the difference between
a victory, a draw and a defeat.
Final score 1-1
5th game against Orange,
For the first time, we have the wind against us and we can feel the disadvantage because it is a long way to reach our opponents' side !
The disappointment of the previous game is probably still in our minds and we cannot qualify any more even if we win this game.
That brings us a lower level of motivation and fighting spirit. Les Bleus don't play very well but Orange neither.
Though all that, we had the best chances to win the game (Olivier and Vincent on 2 very good chances)
because the Orange have never been really dangerous.
Final score 0-0
This tournament should be considered as a warm up of the season, allowing us to discover the others teams and also ours. It has showed us the new libero and the old libero-new striker :)) who will unfortunately leave us. It has showed us some lessons to learn (Azurri game). It has showed us we are still the Draw Masters :) ! But actually in almost every game, we've created many chances to score and opponents were never dangerous except on free kicks. In the way it happened, 80 mn games against same opponents, could result of 4 victories and 1 defeat. Well, it is just "basic extrapolation" because the truth is out (on the pitch of the day).
A GOOD SEASON 2004-2005 FOR LES BLEUS !!!
WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL, LET'S JUST DO IT !
Summer Tournament 2004 Final Results
10 games : 6 won and 4 lost
Les Bleus can be quite satisfied by the way the team performs, it was a good training for the season. However, there are lessons to learn from the lost games,
showing us where we could be better :
1/ individual control of the ball and collective pass : Dragons & Lions rarely loose the ball and make us run, run and run.
2/ fighting spirit & motivation : sleeply starting against China1, we've punished by immediate goals !
3/ overconfidence? : same opponents (China2) one week later but different ending, proves that anything can happen in a game and reminds what is called "the truth of the pitch on that day ..."
|
Bulls |
5-1 |
won |
Yes! |
|
Shaolin |
2-1 |
won |
Yes! |
|
Dragons |
0-3 |
lost |
can't catch the ball ? |
|
Lions |
0-3 |
lost |
can't keep the ball ? |
|
China1 |
1-2 |
lost |
where is the fighting spirit ? |
|
Olympique Camembert |
4-1 |
won |
Yes! |
|
China2 |
3-1 |
won |
Yes! |
|
China2 |
0-5 |
lost |
overconfident ? |
|
Bulls |
3-0 |
won |
Yes! |
|
Shaolin |
5-0 |
won |
Yes! |
Saturday, February 7th 2004. Tianma soccer pitch.
Second game of the return matches, and for this one Les Bleus wear their white outfit for the first time. Well, splendid! And they have another revenge to get from Latino's. Everybody's motivation is high! First half however was not the best game ever played by Les Bleus. We mainly controlled the ball, putting a lot of pressure in the midfield. But lots of last passes were missed, and we had only a few opportunities, even if we dominated the game. But what usually happened in this case happened to les Bleus: a quick counter and the long ball ahead arrived to the forward who shot a nice lob! Les Bleus were 0-1 down at half-time.
But again, Les Bleus came back with power. In the first minute, a cross from the right nearly found David header. The ball came back to Oumarou who shot it from 30 meters... directly on the right post of the keeper. The pressure was really high on Latino's. And Les Bleus had a lot of opportunities, hitting this right two other times!! Fortunately Gregory shot a corner directly into the net for the equalizer. Maybe lucky, but surely well-deserved. But we couldn't reach the goal despite other opportunities, and Latinos even had a good one at the last minute. Final score: 1-1
Comments: I think we're even more disapointed than last week. We had lots of opportunities, three posts... But it seems that this season we are condemned to draw. Next game will be Shooters, let's see if our progress can allow us to give them their first defeat!
Next Game: February 28th Les Bleus - Latinos FC.
Saturday, January 31st 2004. Tianma soccer pitch.
No need to mention that for that game the most motivated guy was the coach! He still felt guilty about the first lost game of the season. Les Bleus were using their beautiful white jerseys (thank you Jerome!), and conditions were much better than the previous game. The game started clearly with an advantage for Les Bleus. They were pressing hard on the Japanese and got control of the ball. Opportunities however were not that clear. One good far shot from Oumarou, but also an incursion from Damien into the Japanese area (oh yes, we're gonna miss those) who seemed to have been tripped by the defender. It was not clear and the referee did not whistle. On the other side, Japan played on the speed of their forward. On one of those quick counter attacks, they got a corner. The ball was floating in the defense, and nobody seemed to be able to kick it away. It finally ended in front of the box, and a Japan midfield sent a strong shoot. Edu was masked by the defense... first goal of the game. Les Bleus were one down at half time, but it was not really deserved.
Les Bleus started the second half with as much spirit as the first one. They were first on the ball and had possession, but it seemed that something was always missing in the last touch. They did not give up however and got their reward: combination on the right side between Damien and Christophe. Christophe quickly gave the ball to Olivier who was five meters away from the box, and shooted instantly. The ball floated, and with a nice curve ended right in the left upper goal corner... splendid! Les Bleus were then even more motivated and pushed. But the Japanese were still dangerous in counter attacks due to the speed of the attackers, and Edu had to be attentive and go out of his box several times. But a good combination between Oumarou, David and Damien allowed the latter to shoot a well placed ball. The japanese keeper pushed the ball back, but David had followed and scored, 2-1 Les Bleus. (He was so happy he vomited on the pitch!). Les Bleus still had opportunities, and the ball was now going from one side to the other. Unfortunately, in the last minute, a through ball lobed the defense and Edu was a little shorter than the other times... Japan's forward pushed the ball slowly in. Despite a last attempt in the box for Olivier and Oumarou, the score did not change: 2-2
Comments: well, we're a little disappointed. The good part was that we never gave up, and came back in the lead in the second half. We could have scored more, but a small mstake at the end cost us the victory.
Next Game: February 7th Les Bleus - Latinos FC.
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