Matchday 3: C’est le beaucoup goals, oui?

By: Sam | August 16th, 2007

Okay. Before the season started, whom out of all of you would have thought that the top three spots after three games would be held by Le Mans, Nancy and Lorient? If you say “me”, you’re lying. But lo and behold, the three said clubs have not lost yet, and the two formers haven’t even been held. What the Sam Hill is going on? We’ll never know, I guess. But either way, here are all the recaps from Week 3 of your favourite league. Also, it’s to be noted that in only eight games, twenty-one goals were scored. Woo!

(4) Bordeaux 1-2 Le Mans (1)
Seriously, Le Mans? Why? I’m not complaining though: The surprising current leaders deserve everything they’ve got right now. The match started fast, with Bordeaux getting a chance in the first few minutes, and Le Mans scoring a goal called back for a foul. Bordeaux were the first to get going, with David Bellion who pulled an impressive and difficult lob over Pelé from just outside the area. Things got sticky afterwards, when on 23 minutes Ulrich Ramé was sent off for a foul on Samassa outside his area. Jody Valverde came on in his stead, making a good save on the ensuing free kick. Just three minutes into the second half, the comeback was on, and it was Tulio De Melo, grabbing his fourth in two games, on a half-volley, up close and personal with Valverde. It was a wonder no goals were scored up until Grafite got Le Mans’ second, on a sliding finish from Gervinho’s cross. Bordeaux still had life, and had a goal called back for offside near the end, but they couldn’t find the seam. Still, they remain in fourth place, and Le Mans is on top with a perfect three out of three.

(2) Nancy 2-1 Nice (14)
Again, why Nancy, I ask you? I think the Ligue 1 gods are on crack. But I like it that way, believe me. This match got off to a timid start, before the players got into it about fifteen minutes in, and the opportunities came flying left and right, but no one could find a way past Lloris and Bracigliano. The start of the second half, however, was anything but timid. Ederson nearly scored for Nice on a free kick, and Nancy hit the bar one minute later. On the ensuing corner, Hadji got a header that found its way onto Stéphane Puygrenier’s foot and went right in, one-nil. Ten minutes later, Ederson was brought down in the area by Bracigliano, and up stepped Habib Bamogo and sent the keeper the wrong way. But no dice: Five minutes later, Pascal Berenguer dove and blasted home a header from the Malonga cross. End of story. Nancy are now three for three and are in second place on goal differential to Le Mans. Nice seem to be used to being in such a place as fourteenth.

(10) Rennes 1-0 Saint-Étienne (8)
Bam! No time for an introductory sentence! Peter Hansson scores for Rennes after two minutes, converting from a tight angle after breaking away from the pack on a swinging free-kick! That was Rennes’ first goal of the season. Saint-Étienne stormed back in the rest of the first-half, looking for a goal, but couldn’t muster more than a snubbed penalty appeal, a great save from Pouplin and one hell of a post-skimmer, as well as a brilliant defensive effort from Hansson. And it would be the goalkeeper show again in the second half, with Pouplin and Janot showing their skillz up against many a decent strike. But in the end it would be Rennes picking up their first win and ASSE picking up their first loss.

(17) PSG 1-3 Lorient (3)
Paris doesn’t like to play Lorient. Especially at home, as it would have it. This year, PSG looked fit to do something about it, when Pauleta scored his first of the season on a toe-punt near the end of the first half. But Lorient didn’t like the prospect of not embarassing the hosts. So, in merlu fashion, they decided to come back. With twenty minutes left, Marama Vahirua scored his first in a Lorient kit after a sequence that spent just about ten minutes in PSG’s penalty area. Vahirua added a second five minutes later, the conclusion of a great team goal. Rafik Saïfi killed the match when he converted a penalty in injury time after a blatant foul from Clément on Abriel. PSG, like their rivals OM, have yet to win. Lorient, on the other hand, occupies a pleasant little third place in the table.

(5) Valenciennes 2-1 Marseille (15)
There is justice, as far as VA fans are concerned. They’ve waited a decade and a half for this game to end the way it did. The players did look eager early on, but while they limited OM to very few chances, they could only find a masterful Carrasso instead of the back of the net. Then, on the hour mark, a collective “phew” escaped Marseille fans as Karim Ziani opened the scoring after some great work from Matthieu Valbuena and Benoît Cheyrou. Not for too long, however, because captain Habib Beye messed up shortly thereafter and left the ball for Roudet, who crossed for Steve Savidan, who leveled on a perfect header. And on 87 minutes, the same Savidan broke blue and white hearts on an indirect free kick, an absolutely blistering one that he zipped into the top corner to win the match. Marseille, still looking for a win, are in fifteenth place, as Valenciennes are in fifth.

(6) Lille 1-1 Sochaux (16)
I’ll get straight to the point: This match belonged to goalkeepers Teddy Richert and Tony Sylva. If Joe Lunchpail had been in net, the score could have been 7-7. Sylva made two saves on Birsa in quick succession on the ten-minute mark. On 27 minutes, Stéphane Dumont scored what I declare the ugliest goal of the decade, on a total accident of a play that included a backwards header from the Sochaux defense, a save from Richert and finally Dumont’s leg being the last body part to touch the ball before it dribbled in. Richert made up for it by making three super saves just before half-time. And hey-hey whadda ya say, in injury time, Stéphane Dalmat equalized on a splendid left-footed strike from the top of the box without rhyme nor reason. Sylva and Richert exchanged saves throughout the entire 45 minutes, although Sène did hit the bar for Sochaux. All in all, however, hats off to the two gents.

(7) Strasbourg 3-0 Auxerre (20)
What the hell is up with Auxerre? Does anyone know? If you’re just starting to follow Ligue 1, you should know they’re not usually this bad. Regardless, after three games, they’ve got no goals and no points, as well as seven goals conceded. Strasbourg got their first of the match and of the season through prize striker Renteria, via an unstoppable header on an impeccable cross from Abdessadki. To Auxerre’s credit, they didn’t suck that much, but man, they just couldn’t find the net on numerous occasions. On 56 minutes, Thomas Kalenberg had a gaping net to shoot at, but Strasbourg’s Egyptian Abou saved it miraculously off the line. Not one minute later, Renteria hit the crossbar on what would have been a stunner. Ten minutes later, Renteria did get his second, from a closed off-angle that Sorin will have wanted back. Just as the game was winding to a close, youngster Kevin Gameiro added a third, on a sensational 60-yard run that ended with a cute little chip over the keeper. Auxerre is kind of in a bad spot right now.

(8) Monaco 2-0 Metz (19)
Besides Auxerre, Metz has also yet to pick up a point in the three matches so far. The chance was there on four minutes but Flavio Roma picked up the pieces for the first time, and did so again ten minutes later in the air. On the half-hour mark, Plasil took a free kick that was ever-so-slightly headed by François-Joseph Modesto for the opener. Lots happened in the second half, including injuries to Roma and Modesto in the same minute, and many chances for both sides. But no goals until the 84th minute, where Frédéric Piquionne did just what he had to do and converted Cufré’s cross past a hapless Marichez. Metz is not on the bottom only on goal difference now, and Monaco picks up their first win and lies in eighth place.

Note: For Champions League and UEFA Cup conflicts, Lyon-Lens has been moved to 29 September, and Caen-Toulouse to another date as well.