Nimes leads Group C of National 2, after their 2-0 victory on Saturday against Goal FC, the Crocodiles have everything to go all the way.
The Crocodiles are in control. For seven matchdays, they have been on fire (19 points out of 21 possible) that no one can keep up with.
On the same period, Cannes and Rumilly have gained five and ten points less, respectively!
Thus, Nimes rises, having only been defeated once, after their 3-0 victory against Saint-Priest, the former leader of Group C.
The Crocodiles took the lead in the Championship after their thirteenth victory of the season, the seventh with a 2-0 score.
“We showed that we have character and that we are a top table team,” rejoices Othmane Benhamza. “We were not in danger, did not concede any chances, our goalkeeper had no saves to make.”
Mickael Gas: “Being good is first and foremost about winning!”
The midfielder from Nimes, who was substituted due to a hip injury, readily acknowledges: “In the game, we could have done better, especially in the first half. But when we enter the final stretch, the most important thing is the result.”
This is what Vincent Pirès had said before the match: “We are not here to be beautiful. Now is not the time to try to play like Barcelona. 1-0 wins, that suits me.”
That is what Mickael Gas reiterated: “Being good is not always having the ball, it is first and foremost about winning!”
Sting when needed and manage
Nimes won, so Nimes was good. Faced with a playful but imprecise team from Rhône, the Crocodiles, as appreciated by Benhamza, knew how to “sting and score at their peak moments” in their least controlled half, the first. “That’s why we are in the lead.”
Once ahead, Nimes practically only had to manage. “When we score first (12 wins, 1 loss, Editor’s note), we know that it will be difficult for our opponent to equalize,” emphasizes Vincent Pirès, who believes that his team, lately, is “almost better when they don’t have the ball.”
“Everyone is concerned about the defensive aspect,” adds Mickael Gas. “Playing well is not just about collective mastery, ball retention, it is also about knowing how to defend well.”
The voices of the Crocodiles
Scorers. Defender Evrald Loubacky scored his first goal of the season on Saturday, his seventh in his senior career. He is the thirteenth Crocodile to find the back of the net since the start of the Championship.
The other scorers: Depres (6), Orinel and Sylla (4), Celestin, Touré, and Bennour (3), Kubota (2), Pirès, Khasa, Doucouré, Dramé, and Benhamza (1).
2-0. Nimes has won seven matches by a score of 2-0, five at home and two away. An interesting fact: at home, both goals were always scored in the first half; away, it was in the second half.
In reserve. Not selected to face Goal FC, Sarr, Khalid, and Alberto played on Saturday night with the Nimes reserves, who won 1-0 against Saint-Clément-Montferrier. An important win in the context of maintenance.
Sharp NO in both areas
“Behind, Nimes is very, very strong,” compliments Pierre-Marie Thimonier, coach of Goal FC. The Crocodiles, five clean sheets in a row, a record for the season, have taken the lead in the ranking of best defenses (15 goals conceded).
“I didn’t see a big gap tonight between the two teams, but I saw a clinical, ‘killer,’ and sharp Nimes in both penalty areas,” continues the Rhône technician, who predicts “a neck and neck race to the end between Nimes and Cannes, who are more offensive.”
Maintain course without changing anything
The Crocodiles are thinking about going all the way but are not openly discussing it. “We should not dream,” insists Pirès. “We did check the standings when returning to the locker room, but since the loss against Rumilly (1-2, 16th matchday), we only focus on the upcoming match, and it works well for us,” reminds Benhamza.
“We will not change our approach and our way of doing things. We will keep our seriousness and our principles of play,” concludes Mickael Gas. “Because when you win, you can ease up a bit, we will especially focus on raising the level in training to be even more efficient in matches.”
The Crocodiles do not want to let go of the lead.
