The disappointment of Andrézieux, the red of defeat, a derby for the Gard Lozère cup, and Julien Rebichon filling in as goalkeeper.
Nîmes Olympique
Andrézieux to cry over. It may be the defeat of too much for the Crocodiles who were beaten (4-1) on Saturday in Andrézieux, against a team that had nothing to play for anymore. Frustrating for the Nîmes team, especially since at the same time, AS Cannes and Saint-Maur didn’t hesitate to beat GOAL FC (2-1) and Saint-Priest (3-2). Nîmes Olympique (who dropped two places) has lost all the benefits of their good victory against Cannes (3-0) and no longer controls their destiny. To finish first in the group, and move up to Ligue 3, the team from Gard must gather maximum points (against Istres and Limonest) while hoping for slip-ups from Cannes who will visit Rousset against the last-place team already doomed for relegation, and from Saint-Maur who will host Hyères who have nothing left to play for. The final matchday will present a Cannes – Saint-Maur match that the Nîmes team might hope to end in a draw. It’s safe to say that claiming the first place will require a miracle and the second place is far from guaranteed.
National 2 standings (pool C): 1st Cannes 54 pts, 2nd Saint-Maur 54 pts, 3rd Nîmes Olympique 53 pts, 4th Rumilly 44 pts, 5th Istres 43 pts, 6th Hyères 41 pts, 7th Andrézieux-Bouthéon 41 pts, 8th Créteil 37 pts, 9th GOAL FC 36 pts, 10th Grasse 36 pts, 11th Limonest 34 pts, 12th Fréjus Saint-Raphaël 32 pts, 13th Saint-Priest 29 pts, 14th Toulon 29 pts, 15th Bobigny 28 pts, and 16th Rousset 12 pts.
Ismaël Dramé is the fourth Crocodile player to be sent off this season.
Photo: Anthony Maurin.
Four red cards and four defeats. In addition to the disastrous defeat suffered in Andrézieux on Saturday (4-1), the Crocodiles also received their fourth red card of the season. Even though at Envol Stadium this did not mean numerical inferiority, the Nîmes team suffered their biggest defeat since May 16, 2025, and a loss to Orléans (3-0, in National). This is the fourth time this season that a Crocodile player has been sent off, and each time Nîmes Olympique has been defeated. There was Djibril Sarr against Rumilly (3-1), Vincent Pires against Istres (2-0), Moussa Diallo at the Antonins Stadium against Rumilly (2-1), and now Ismaël Dramé in Andrézieux (4-1). The former defender from Herbiers, who had been a starter in the last nine matches, will automatically be suspended for the match against Istres, the last match of the season at the Antonins Stadium next Saturday.
A complaint against Saint-Maur. This weekend, the Saint-Maur club went through a range of emotions. Initially trailing against Saint-Priest, the Francilians found the resources to equalize and then win in the end (3-2). An essential reaction to stay in the race for promotion to Ligue 3, and the Lusitanos have overtaken the Crocodiles to share the top spot with Cannes. However, the joy of the Saint-Maurians was tempered by a complaint filed by the Saint-Priest club. The issue concerns the license of a player from Saint-Maur, who was on the substitutes’ bench. The start of the match was even postponed, and a new match sheet had to be filled out by hand. To be recorded, the complaint must be confirmed by the Saint-Priest club on Monday. This development could change the scenario at the top of the N2 standings, potentially benefiting the Crocodiles. To be continued…
USAM
Julien Rebichon steps in as goalkeeper.
Photo: Yannick Pons.
A goalkeeper named Rebichon. The USAM Nîmes Gard reserve team brilliantly won their match over Billere Pau (35-30), between contenders for the podium. In Béarn, the team led by Grégory Arrivet secured the victory that elevated them to third place in the pool, just one point behind the second-place team, Lyon Caluire. However, this victory was accompanied by an unusual event as the shortage of goalkeepers forced Julien Rebichon (37 years old) to take on the role of the last line of defense. The most incredible part is that the former left winger and captain of USAM delivered a remarkable performance with 17 saves, including two penalties (and a double save). “I had played 15 minutes in a friendly match three months ago because of injuries, and I liked it. It wasn’t planned for me to play an official match. With the injuries piling up, we had no choice. It’s a position I’ve always liked, and you shouldn’t fear the ball. We did things properly by watching videos of the opponent’s shooters. Every detail is crucial. If the opportunity arises again, it will be with pleasure, but we shouldn’t forget that there are real goalkeepers and especially young ones that need to be trained,” explained the interested party. Since retiring from professional sports, Julien Rebichon has been in charge of the girls under 13, boys under 15, and acts as a liaison between the professionals and the training center: “The N1 team is having a very successful season, showing the quality of our training center. I have the pleasure of working with the youth, and for a side note, at the start of the season, I was the one who handed out the match jerseys to the N1 team, and no one thought I would play a match with them.” The USAM Nîmes Gard reserve team still has to face the leader Montpellier away and host Nice to finish the season and aim for a second-place finish.
Gard-Lozère Cup
Aimargues, the titleholder, will pass on their trophy to Aigues-Mortes or Le Grau-du-Roi.
Photo: Corentin Corger.
A derby in the final. The semi-finals of the Gard Lozère cup have revealed their outcomes. After Aigues-Mortes (R1) eliminated Anduze (R3) 2-0, Le Grau-du-Roi (R1) managed to defeat Val de Cèze (D1) 1-0. The final match promises to be exciting with two teams from the top of the Regional 1 standings. The derby between USS Aigues-Mortes and ES Le Grau-du-Roi will be a quality showdown between two competition specialists as the Saliniers have seven victories (1981, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2023, and 2024) and the Graulens have won four times (1989, 1991, 1993, and 2000). The two clubs have reached 16 finals combined but have never faced each other at this competition level. Finally, on May 14, it will be the seventh time the final will be played in Aigues-Mortes after 1970, 1976, 1983, 1991, 2010, and 2018.
