Far, very far from displaying its level before the break, LOSC foiled on its lawn this Sunday, beaten by Orléans (1-2).
Despite the freezing cold of the Domaine de Luchin, the Lille youth team welcomed US Orléans with the pressure of the result and especially their honor on the line after their premature elimination in the Gambardella Cup against AFC Creil a week earlier. This motivation, however, was not enough and she appeared unrecognizable on the meadow: without ideas, without desire, overwhelmed and powerless. “We didn't have a good match today. I didn't recognize my team. We lacked rigor, discipline, intensity and offensive drive. It's difficult to win in these conditionseven if we opened the score »lamented Stéphane Noro at the final whistle.
It is true that his troops were leading the dance after the first thirty minutes. Technically superior, the young Mastiffs initially took the lead and scored without really raising their level. Antoine Livemont, one of the most experienced in the group, was found at the penalty spot and all he had to do was score the net from close range (26'). The Lille team, confident, remained at a cruising pace while opposite, like a good diesel, the Orléans team, which was initially purring, gradually woke up. Samy Merzouk was also forced to make a save a few minutes later (30'), when he was able to thank Adeagan Goffi, author of a save on his line, then his bar (34'). LOSC was thus warned when it returned to the locker room.
“We conceded two goals from set pieces. We lacked rigor in our marking and we paid for it in cash. It's not for lack of having said it during the break, because we had warned them. We make reminders, but we still concede two goals »the Lille technician was still annoyed. Back on the meadow, the Mastiffs were not completely happy and, while they were starting to be pushed around, they failed twice during set phases (52', 57'). The second was the most beautiful with a corner played by two, a return in the axis along the line delimiting the area then a heavy shot which ended in the small net of Samy Merzouk, abandoned by his defense. The Mastiffs then never knew how to put up a fight: “We had a lot of technical waste, a lot of difficulty coordinating our races. On the offensive side, we were not good. We lacked intensity and accuracy”recognized Stéphane Noro.
One of the only times they managed to get into the box, the Mastiffs were poorly paid. Ulrich Fokam had made a good breakthrough in the middle and seemed to have been irregularly stopped by two simultaneous tackles in the open area (64'). The referee, masked, however, did not budge and left the Lille youth without reward. Did she really deserve it? It's a good question, but what is certain is that destiny has made its choice with an inaugural setback at home in 2025 (1-2), already the second of the year.
How to explain this mismatch?
Asked about the causes of the difficulties encountered, Stéphane Noro mentioned, or was invited to mention, certain avenues: “Maybe it’s the period. We have just started again and we have to get the machine going again even though the boys are not all training together. Today it didn't work. […] I hope it's not elimination (in the Gambardella Cup against AFC Creil, resident of R1). We were waiting for a reaction, but we didn’t get it”concluded Stéphane Noro at our microphone at Domaine de Luchin.
-In terms of accounting, the LOSC U19 team is seventh in the standings with 23 points. US Orléans, its Sunday opponent, is fifth (26 pts).
LOSC 1-2 US Orléans (1-0)
But(s) : Livemont (26′) for LOSC, Keita (52′) and Nia (57′) for US Orléans
Warning(s): Imbondo (90′) for LOSC, Bahadou (78′) for US Orléans
LOSC: Merzouk – Goffi, Hallez, Hamidi (c), Mokhtari (Bayomog, 77′) – Hadiri (Dehaine, 73′), Imbondo – Diaoune (Malanda, 63′), Akalé, Livemont (Olufade, 77′), Fokam
Coach : Stéphane Noro
US Orléans : Ezzarhouni, Terrien, Moukilou, Keita, Diambomba Banzouzi, Nia, El Kihel, Bahadou, Becard, Gervais, Coulibaly
Coach : Jordan Palcy
