FC Saint-Lô scorer at the end of the suspense in 7e round (1-1, 4-5 on penalties), SU Dives Cabourg will host the US Dragon, a Tahitian team which created a surprise by defeating the US Avranches (2-2, 4-3 tab), on Saturday December 21. For him, the opportunity will be great to rally the 32es final and thus equal the club’s best performance (defeat against Lille in 1999).
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Lover of the Coupe de France, Philippe Clément is delighted to welcome a Tahitian team. But calms the ardor of the divided supporters.
Phillippe, where and how did you welcome the elimination of Avranches by AS Dragon last night?
We were at the clubhouse, in the middle of 3e half-time (laughs) and we followed the evolution of the score. We saw that Avranches was down 2-0, we said to ourselves that experience would make the difference when they came back to 2-2. And then the magic of the cup worked. I am unhappy for Avranches, especially for the late Gilbert Guérin. I know how much he loved the cut, like me. Was I surprised? Obviously. Logic would have dictated that a National 2 team would have won in Tahiti. So, nothing is ever written in the Coupe de France.
A few days before Christmas, on Saturday December 21, you will welcome AS Dragon to Heurtematte…
There too, that’s all the charm of the Coupe de France. It makes a little difference and a lot of sunshine to receive Tahitians in Heurtematte. It’s great. Since this morning, I have received a lot of messages from people telling me that the 32e of finals is at your fingertips. That everything is in place for us to go there. They are wrong. The whole danger lies in thinking that it is a foregone conclusion. Everything can be reversed in this ordeal. I have a lot of respect for this AS Dragon team, as I had for Mortagne or Ifs.
The opportunity to rally the 32es final is still beautiful, Philippe?
Everything looks good to go to the end. But they also have a chance. There must not be many Tahitian teams having reached 32es final (as ASCS Papeete on three occasions, in 1979, 1980 and 1982). They will have the opportunity to enter into the history of their island, of their country. I say their country because I often talk about Dives as our country. They are going to give their lives in a match and we have no right to think that it will be easy. To respect the hierarchy, if there is one, you will have to want as much as they do. I know a few people in Avranches, I’m going to contact people to get some feedback. The context will be different. Avranches played at 2 p.m. in the middle of the day. It could have seemed like a trap. We won’t have any excuses. I had the chance to compete in two 32es of final. One with Vire against Le Havre (0-3 in 1992), and it was that day that I fell in love with the Coupe de France. The second with Dives against Lille at Ornano (0-2 in 1999). My players can match this course and I even wish them to surpass us because the photos from 99 are starting to turn yellow. They are capable of that.
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