EDITORIAL. So what conclusions can be drawn from Saturday nights' fiasco ? Well, the main thing is that there wasn't in reality a three goal difference between Saint-Leu and Red Star. The visitors had at the most five attacks, from three of which they scored. The second goal should have been ruled out for offside, and the third goal came as a result of Red Star throwing everything forwards in search of a goal. TO BE REPLAYED. The match Lusitanos - Versailles will be replayed on January 9th 2005 kick off 3pm CET. BON COURAGE. Red Star supporter Gilles Cutulic, Secretary of the Collectif des Amis du Red Star, has just undergone surgery. AllezRedStar.com send him our best regards and get well soon, Gilles.
Once again Red Star got well and truly stiffed by a DH team. The sort who defend in numbers then try and hit back on the break. In the DH virtaully all the teams play this game with varying degrees of success. Apart from Aubervilliers against Red Star, it is relatively rare that a team in the DH comes from behind to win. Thats to say that the first goal usually in a game in the most important.
Saint-Leu were well organised, that's all. Nothing special going forwards. Concentration was 100% in the back lines, which is more than can be said for one or two of Red Stars' defenders. That's the bedrock on which a good DH outfit is based on. We saw that so often last season - Villemomble the best example, and Armènienne to a lesser degree. The pure footballing sides, PSG reserves and Paris FC reserves ended up being relegated, which speaks volumes for lower level French football.
I would say that Red Star are the best footballing side in the division, they have the most talented players (Abdallah, Ouattara, Fourneuf among others..) but on crap pitches against uncompromising defences intent on stifling the play, that just isn't enough. Red Star missed Greg Sinobad on Saturday, Nabile while being one of the best defenders at Red Star isn't really cut out for the midfield role he was given. Bilal Hammami was missed at right back, Dao and Diomande were absent for the first two goals. Whilst a finger could be pointed at Yann Bell for his hesitation on the second goal, he really shouldn't have been left in that position anyway, had the defensive cover been there.
Up front, had Red Star converted one of their early chances, then they might have buried the game earlier on. Aboubacar Tandia is arguably the best goal poacher that Red Star have had for a good few years - his ratio of goals to games proves that, but on Saturday far too often he was left alone, or tracking back too deep to look for the ball. Some of the crosses were wayward, from the midfield, but then again with Tandia out of place there just wasn't anyone to profit from the plentiful supply of crosses. One had the feeling that Azzedine Benmesmoudi was never going to get on the end of a cross. Perhaps a wider or a deeper role would be more suitable for him. One of the best hopes of a goal was from Bourama Ouattara, good to see him back in the first XI, he looks stronger and more suitable for DH football than he did earlier in the season against Le Mée.
After the games the players looked really pissed off, they took the defeat as badly as the supporters, which goes to prove that they really do care. A message posted onto the AllezRedStar.com forum from an anonymous player apologises for the performance, and thanks the fans for their support. This is a great bunch of lads, they give their best every week, and quite honestly they deserve more than they get in the championship. The fans are right behind them, we'll encourage the green shirts to the bitter end.
Depsite the result, things aren't over yet, there are still lots of games to play. Sundays' trip to Versailles is a critical game, a must-win match or else Red Star risk to be dragged into the relegation struggle, something they do not deserve, given the wealth of talent they have in the side. There are three games remaining before the Winter break, two of which must be won (Versailles away and the awful Brétigny at home) as well as a trip to Saint-Maur to play Lusitanos, a game which could be won as well. Not one side is really running away with the title as Villemomble did last season, so there's a lot to play for yet.
AllezRedStar !
DH ROUND UP.< br>
SANNOIS SAINT-GRATIEN - COSMO : 1-1 (1-1). Goals : Alo’o Efoulou (37) - Montadour (36)
ARMENIENNE - AUBERVILLIERS : 1-1 (1-1). Goals : Doucouré (21) - Mete (6)
MEAUX - VERSAILLES : 1-1 (0-0). Goals : Bahri (66) - Pilicer (89)
MORANGIS-CHILLY - ORLY : 3-1 (2-0). Goals : Dia (18, 69), Dolius (36) - S. Diawara (66)
EVRY - LUSITANOS : 0-0
LE MEE - BRETIGNY : 1-1 (0-0). Goals : Daoud (89) - Colombel (71)
Jean-Luc Girard passes on the message to Taïeb Abdallah
SACI BACK ?. Hakim Saci, former Red Star player during the National days and currently out of work, was spotted trainign with Jean-Luc Girards' men last Wednesday.
WEEKEND SCORES. LIGUE DE PARIS
Under 18s (DHR) : Saint-Ouen l’Aumône - Red Star 1-2
Under 15s (Coupe Ligue) : Lusitanos - Red Star 5-4
Under 13s (Coupe de Ligue) : Levallois - Red Star 1-3
Under 13s (Coupe de Ligue) : Red Star 2 - Montrouge 0-6
DISTRICT
Under 13s (Coupe) : Red Star 3 - Noisy-le-Grand 0-1
Benjamins : Red Star - Rueil-Malmaison FC 5-5
Poussins A (Coupe) : Red Star - Gervasienne 4-0
Poussins B (Coupe) : Red Star - Stade de l’Est 4-2
Poussins Espoirs : Le Blanc-Mesnil - Red Star 3 : 6-2
Poussins Espoirs : Solitaires - Red Star 4 : 0-2
TOMMIE SMITH. The American athlete, famous for his Black Power raised fist salute during the medal ceremony at the Mexico 1968 Olymics will be in town next Saturday morning. Saint-Ouen will honour the 200m winner by officially naming a gymnasium after him. Respect Tommie Smith - a great gesture also by Saint-Ouen Council.
Tommie Smith, August 2003 in Saint-Denis
