By winning (2-0) against their neighbors Albi-Marssac (D3), Saturday December 14, the Ruthénoises not only qualified for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, but they also signed their first home success of the season.
A new step forward. Saturday December 14, Rodez ticked off two of his objectives during his last outing of 2024: the sang et or (Second League) won their ticket to the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, beating 2-0 the Tarnaises d’Albi-Marssac (D3), and at the same time they signed their first home success of the season. A result which allows Karima Taieb’s protégés to take a deep breath and go on break on a good note after a mixed start to the season.
“In controlling the ball, we got into difficulty on our own”
Especially since, even against this formation one level below, the black and gold having been relegated at the end of last season, Sophie Vaysse’s gang did not impose its law. “I didn’t see what I wanted to see in the game, but the finality, yes. The objective was to win at home, but also to win the derby, since Raf has not lost against Albi since 2015”, specified the Ruthenian coach. She added: “In our collective control of the ball, we got into difficulty on our own. Sometimes we rushed, or we forced passes. And we made good progress on that, but we didn’t have it there, especially demonstrated against an Albi team which was pressing, which was waiting for the slightest mistake to create chances.”
And the Albigensians tried throughout the game. Not all of their offensives were clear and dangerous, and they were very poor at finishing, but the visitors made the last Ruthenian line and its goalkeeper Laurie Libourel work. And both sides shared the ball with a constant desire to move forward. This even after Aveyron’s opening score when Ninon Barnoin, launched in depth on a counterattack, won her race with the central defenders before lobbing the Albigensian goalkeeper (1-0, 15th minute).
A second goal as a final blow
The neck-and-neck battle continued in the second half, under increasingly heavy rain. And as the clock reached the hour and a half mark and Albi-Marssac pushed again and again against a blood and gold defense which resisted, Taieb’s protégés gave the visitors the final blow. In the 90th minute, from an Albigensian corner, Maëlle Saltel headed the ball away. A Tarnaise caught it before Louan Guérin took it from her feet to send it deep to Adama Tamba, who dribbled the opposing goalkeeper at the entrance to her area, then accompanied, alone, the ball behind the line. Albi-Marssac even had the opportunity to reduce the score in the 90th + 2, after a mix-up around the Rafettes area, but Eloïse Sévenne stopped the final Tarn strike with her head, on the line.
Rodez now has an appointment in the round of 16, the weekend of January 11 and 12, which will see the entry into contention of the Premier League teams.
2024-12-15 10:37:00