Matchday 32- Who needs offense? Eight goals in ten games
By: Sam | April 15th, 2007
Sad, really. Eight goals in approximately 950 combined minutes. Lyon’s almost title-clinching win was overshadowed by the sheer boringitude of Matchday 32, which saw- get this- six goalless draws. High-flying offenses such as Marseille, Lens and Le Mans were held off the scoresheet, while the race at the top got (wouldn’t you know it) even more interesting.
Lyon have one hand, actually, make that nine fingers on the title, with their 1-0 win over Sedan on Sunday. Ben Arfa scored a dandy goal just before to give his side the win. Sedan, on the other hand, are in 19th place and are looking awful sore in the home stretch. More on this on Inara’s Lyon Offside.
Toulouse jumped into second place while playing with increasing talent. Two of their prime weapons, Emana and Mansaré scored in the first half-hour to give TFC the 2-0 win over Auxerre at the Stadium. It could have been four, but two of their goals, scored by Elmander and Dieuze were called back for offside and a foul, respectively.
Lille, on the slide in the last dozen matches, having won only one, got back on track at home against contenders Sochaux. Fauvergue and Mirallas, who, if put one on top of the other would measure about 34 feet and weigh 22 pounds, got the goals a quarter of an hour apart in the second half. They’re in sixth, with Sochaux a single point ahead in fourth.
Nice eased their going with regards to the relegation zone by beating the visiting Saint-Étienne, thanks to two David Bellion goals in the second half. Diatta got the first one for les Verts, but the win puts OGCN four points clear of the red and puts ASSE in eighth, but only two off Europe.
That’s it for the goals. Yeah, I know.
Other scores: Valenciennes 0-0 Marseille; Nantes 0-0 Lens; Troyes 0-0 Nancy; Lorient 0-0 Monaco; Le Mans 0-0 Rennes; Bordeaux 0-0 Paris-SG
Category: Auxerre (AJA), Bordeaux (FCGB), France Ligue 1, Le Mans (MUC 72), Lens (RCL), Lille (LOSCM), Lorient (FCLBS), Lyon (OL), Marseille (OM), Match Recaps, Monaco (ASMFC), Nancy (ASNL), Nice (OGCN), Paris (PSG), Rennes (SRFC), Saint-Étienne (ASSE), Sochaux (FCSM), Toulouse (TFC), Valenciennes (VAFC)
Comments
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Wow, this sounds like an all time low. Or was there ever a matchday in France that saw even less goals?
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When I saw the results on french tv I thought for a second those 6 games just weren’t played yet.
A record in goallessness, I imagine? -
The lack of offensive imagination in France saddens me, but I don’t see how it could have been any different, even with world class attackers. The table situation is too tight to take any risks on sending men forward. The priority for most teams is the prevent concession, unfortunately. Especially when they are away.
Even offensive teams like Lyon and Marseille are handicapped because they can’t attack a team that has ten defenders behind the ball.
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Yes, yes, it’s a new record.
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I was eagerly anticipating Mirallas’ first goal, and of course it came on the weekend when no goals were scored! He is a talent, big clubs will be in for him next year for sure.
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Paul Doyle over on the Guardian (he covers French football) had a piece on this. He said that it’s due to the adherence on the part of French managers (coaches) to Aimee Jacquet’s tactics that won them the world cup. But Jacquet had players like Zidane. Today France’s best players go abroad, few stay in France. French players are eagerly sought by teams outside France–the country definitely produces quality. The problem is the conservatism of French managers/coaches—and it’s prevalent throughout the league. Look at Houllier. He is essentially a conservative manager who doesn’t like taking risks. It’s an important reason why Wenger left France.
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[...] For the results of Ligue 1’s other weekend fixtures, Sam has more on the France Offside. [...]
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