My Coupe runneth over: The Lyon sleeps tonight, Bordeaux wins the Cup

By: Sam | March 31st, 2007

It’s become somewhat of a tradition since Lyon started their Ligue 1 dominance all those years ago. That of Lyon not being able to win a Cup, regardless of their brilliance in the league. I’ll hand it to them, they came pretty damn close this time, but no cigar. It’ll be FC Girondins de Bordeaux that’ll take it home this year, in a contest that went right down to the last minutes. Man, that’s got to be the most clichéd paragraph I’ve ever written. Video is below.

Anyway.

The match went like this. Not a single speck of danger showed its head in the first fifteen minutes, but on seventeen, Toulalan got control of the ball after Planus blocked a shot and cracked it towards the net, but no dice as Ramé punched away. A few bookings and a near goal by Juninho finished off the half in suspensful fashion. On sixy minutes, things got a little more interesting. Bordeaux got their first real chance when Faubert’s fairly long-range shot was not far from breaking the deadlock, but it went just wide. Another pair of yellow cards preceded a pair of changes for both sides. Like I said, barely any drama was present, and we had to wait until the 88th minute for Bordeaux to get a corner kick. With all the big fellas up there, Henrique, who hadn’t scored all season, rose above everyone and placed a textbook header into the back of Vercoutre’s wide-open net. Golazooooooooo! Wouldn’t you know it, that would be it. Bordeaux win their second league cup after winning it in 2002 over Lorient, and obtain an automatic qualification to next year’s UEFA Cup. Don’t count on them graciously accepting it just yet though- they’re still very much in the running for a Champions League spot.

Of note: A record 79 072 spectators assisted the match.

Said Gérard Houllier, Lyon’s manager (translated from French): I see this loss as a cruel injustice for my players. They took risks and they weren’t rewarded for them. Bordeaux was a very good winner, we have lost, but this feels like a hold-up. I know you’ll write that down.

Hell yes I will.

Said Ricardo, Bordeaux’s manager (translated from French, after the reporter told him that Lyon were accusing them of having turned the game rotten): They say the same thing, for the second time. In the championnat, we got a player with a fractured leg and another with four stitches. I don’t understand them. That team doesn’t need that, they’re a good side. But I think we deserve their congratulations. If we don’t get them, that’s too bad. There were many fouls, but it’s a final match! There were as many in the World Cup final.

NOW: Try to find the more mature coach.