After the exciting win (again) at Bayern with both Gourcuff AND Chamakh scoring (<--love), I think it's time we take a good break and relax with some pretty calendar photos. Martha (once of the Nice blog) managed to dig up some lovely photos of the new calendar which I am ...

Foto: South American Threesome

(click to enlarge)

For those of you are brave enough to describe the above picture with words, it's caption time!

Bonus points if you can find Lisandro in this picture.

Well fought despite loss

Monaco played their heart out in the top match against Bordeaux. But the game still ended with a 1-0 loss.

Lyon vs. Liverpool: Battle of the Hospital Patients

Don’t be surprised if you walk into your favorite footie pub tomorrow and see fans of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Everton wearing OL kits. The match-up between Lyon and Liverpool, while important for Lyon in terms of pride and security, is absolutely crucial for Liverpool. Unfortunately for Rafa’s Bunch of (un)Merry Men, they are nearly paralyzed with injuries and on the verge of elimination from the Champions League. Lyon players are smelling blood and want to go in for the kill, but like any wounded animal, Liverpool could present even more danger in their handicapped state.

November 4th, 2009
Stade de Gerland, Lyon
2:45 PM ET (20:45 CET, 19:45 GMT)

Match Preview: OM vs. Zurich (Game 4, Champion's League)

A little inspiration-- the celebration after Heinze's winning goal in game 3.
I can't believe we are already at game 4 in Europe-- it seems like just yesterday I was in shock at our group competition.  Given our first few performances, I gather OM was shocked as well (1-2 thus far in the group stage...and the one game we won was far from a stellar performance).

Sochaux 1-4 PSG: Top Half of the Table!

(unfortunately the first three goals of the match are unavailable for free on the internet)

A few quick thoughts while you enjoy that beautiful Luyindula goal and lament the fact that you can't watch Chantome's perfect lob over and over again.

Chantome needs to be starting every game, even if that means ...

Ben Arfa as Niang-- The Proof!

Watch the video below the jump!

Govou Drunk (Again), ♥♥Player Love♥♥, LOTS of Stadium Photos, Etc.

Just some random odds and ends for you to read as you bide your time waiting for Lyon's Champions League clash with Liverpool.

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<--- Sid's Serious Captain-y Face.
If you're wondering why the captain's armband showed up on Cris last Saturday, despite Sidney Govou also being on the pitch, it's because our dear (former?) captain was seen drunk in public only two nights before the derby. He was at the Grand Prix de tennis de Lyon (part of the ATP World Tour, for you tennis junkies) with Remy Vercoutre, Florent Laville, and Sylvain Wiltord, another ex-Lyon bad boy. Sadly, pictures of a wasted Govou have yet to circulate on the internet (damn French media - in England they have no scruples about this sort of thing), but video tapes have made their way to Claude Puel's desk.
Puel wasn't very happy and took away Govou's armband, though no word yet on whether this is a permanent change. Puel was pragmatic enough to realize that captain or not, Govou was needed on the pitch, which is why he was in the starting XI against St. Etienne. For Puel, it seems the matter is closed, but Jean-Mimi naturally had more to say. While he did say that Govou is willing to make amends, Aulas also called his leadership abilities into question and said that he'd consider Govou's punishment carefully. Aulas met with him on Sunday to discuss the situation with him.
I guess this probably seems like an overreaction from Lyon, but given Govou's hard partying history - and don't forget that he was arrested for drunk driving less than a year ago - it's no surprise that the club is so concerned.

OM-Toulouse: Match Review

First, thanks to Thomas for setting up the live blog during the game (as well as the later Lyon vs. St. Etienne game) and for the fans who were able to join us.  I hope the rest of you can make it in the future.
Let's start with the pre-game festivities.  The game, which played on Halloween,  allowed the fans to show some of their festive spirit.

Before the match, both teams were given time to warm-up on the field-- giving the press the opportunity to catch Gignac showing us what happens when he is caught thinking too hard. 

Matchday 12: Sochaux vs. PSG or "Can it possibly get worse?"

As I'm sure you all know, last weeks Classico was postponed because Mamadou Sakho, Ludovic Giuly, Jeremy Clement, and Loris Arnaud contracted swine flu. The new date is November 20th and all four of them have gotten over it, although the entire squad is on Tamaflu as a precaution. Anyway, we're traveling to Montbelliard today still searching for those three points that have eluded us since August. We're in 13th place, however we have played two fewer games than everyone else, so we could theoretically be in 6th. Positives exist. Other positives include the return of Zoumana Camara and Mevlut Erding, who are both likely to feature, and the news that the four players who had swine flu will be able to play in the match.