Kojo, Morillon, Ruusu, Boivin, Stolyarov, Da Costa: if hockey were played with six outfield players, these names would form a damn good first line. It is in fact the 6 Spartans who did not set foot, this Tuesday, on the ice of a Pomge with the stands also sparse (3,500 spectators all the same). So obviously, “it was difficult, even if we had a good match“, assured coach Luc Tardif after the meeting. For having crushed these same Niçois a few weeks ago at home, and for being ahead of them in the Ligue Magnus ranking (5th/8th), the Marseillais started – a little – favorites of this 8th final of the French Cup which should allow them to reach a historic quarter-final for the club.
Yohan Coulaud, with authority, and Paul Joubert, taking advantage of a lot of traffic in front of Conrad Molder's cage in numerical superiority, nevertheless put their colors in front.
But these joys were short-lived since the Nice Eagles equalized with a long shot that seemed innocuous, before reversing the course of the match in the 2nd third.
A goalless 3rd third
And then? Not much in the third third, goalless, despite an attempt by Flavian Dair (57th) and the decision to bring Flo Gourdin out of his cage to win a field player in the money-time. “At the moment the ball is not falling into our net, notes Tardif, who will quickly look into the possible recruitment of a defender. There are cycles, that's normal, but when it turns, it's going to hurt.”
From Friday, again at home, against the Bordeaux Boxers?
