AS Dragon created the feat this Saturday, beating Avranches Mont-Saint-Michel, a club which dominated them 9-0 a few years ago. Timiona Asen's men this time showed themselves to be organized and opportunistic, enough in any case to dominate the first period 2 to 0. And too bad if the metropolitans came back to the score: in front of the Pater public, and thanks to Jonathan's gloves “Joe Keeper” Torohia, the penalty shootout turned in favor of the Tahitians. Head to 8e round of the Coupe de France, against another Norman club, Dives – Cabourg. It will be November 30, in a much less favorable climate.
The sky did not seem to be on AS Dragon's side this Saturday afternoon. The Titioro club, which had kept very fresh memories of its visit to Normandy in 2016, during a first Coupe de France meeting against US Avranches Mont-Saint-Michel, had asked to play the match at 2 p.m. to Pater. A way of making the Normandy team “suffer”, coach Timiona Asen admitted on Radio1. And to give it back, after the severe 9 – 0 eight years ago. The day's thick cloud cover seemed to work against these plans. But the very humid 30°C in the afternoon still seemed to have weighed on the Normans.
In red jerseys, the Dragon players, who had been reminded that they “represented all of Tahiti” in this 7th round of the national competition, showed themselves organized, disciplined, often more precise than their opponents, yet clearly more “ pro” on paper. The Polynesian team, led in attack by a strong Tamatoa Tetauira and who could count on a very effective Pothin Poma in defense, applied their coach's “offensive pressing” instructions to the letter. And was most realistic in front of the net, found by the captain then by Gervais Chan Kat in less than 10 minutes in the middle of the first period.
“Joe Keeper” saves the match
Returning to the locker room, the locals are in the lead with a two-goal lead, where they had already conceded four during the last confrontation. Unexpected given the difference in caliber of the two teams. We could have imagined that the coach would order to “park the bus in front of the cages” to last the remaining 45 minutes. That would be to know Timiona Asen badly. “We had to insist, they had to come to us, that means we were going to find ourselves facing just one defender,” he explained afterwards.
Tamatoa Tetauira will indeed find himself in a duel on several occasions. But fatigue is felt at Dragon, while Avranches, some of whose players have played in professional clubs, including in Ligue 1, finally enters its game, organizes itself, and monopolizes the ball. After several dangerous actions, the Blues broke free in the 70th minute and equalized just over 10 minutes later. For the Tahitians, holding the score until the penalties – called without extra time according to the new Coupe de France rules – was a feat. He was raised. The rest almost passed for a formality: in front of a well-filled and well-voiced covered stand – the popular stand, as often remained empty – the Titioro club did not miss a single shot. The Normans, for their part, came up against, from the first and last shot, an impeccable Jonathan “Joe Keeper” Torohia, the real hero of the match, warmly greeted by his captain at the end of the match.
After the Tahitian heat, the Norman cold
“They had a plan, and they implemented it well,” said Timioana Acen leaving the field, thanking the public and especially “the lord” for this “historic victory”. The president of the Dragon football section gives more credit to his coach, who imposed intense preparation on the players, “including at midday” to be able to “keep up physically”. “It wasn’t a foregone conclusion,” insists Robert Tanceau. And we are the first to be surprised by the results.”
The president recalls that this victory in the Coupe de France is not a first, neither for Tahiti, nor for the club, which according to him had defeated Rouen in 2006, already in a home match. Dragon definitely has a weakness for the Normans since it is Sport Union Dives – Cabourg, qualified a few hours earlier by beating Saint-Lô which stands on its way to the eighth round of the national competition. The climate should not play in favor of the Polynesians this time, since the match is scheduled for November 30 in mainland France. And even if Dives – Cabourg is a Nationale 3 team, the fifth French division, and therefore theoretically weaker than Avranches Mont-Saint-Michel, “it will inevitably be difficult” summarizes Timiona Asen. Departure planned for next weekend, before which it will be necessary to “manage all housekeeping problems, players' holidays, travel, everyone's obligations…”. Work that will only begin this Sunday: Dragon and the Tahitian Federation have invited the metropolitan team to a reception this Saturday evening. “We want to show them what it means to receive,” points out Timiona Asen, still not recovered from the “bad reception” of 2016, despite this revenge on the field.
