Attendance : 100. Referee : M. Capron, assistants M. Antonio & M. Ichaye.
Goals : Perron (89) - Adebayor (82)
Bookings : Signorino (53), Ramirez (87) – Soumaré (80)
RED STAR 93 : Bruneau, Pendola, F. Mary, Guidali, Perron, Guérin, Soumaré, Busuttil, Gomes Varela, Saïti (Doumbya 70), A. Gomis. Subs Le Pape & N'Goma. Coach : J.L. Girard.
METZ : Suzanne, Liotte, Signorino, Guthlider, Walter, Tondele (Agouazzi 83), Ramirez, Yildiz, Sega (Obraniak 65), Cantonnet, Aderbayor (Zavarov 87). Coach : F. De Taddéo.
BORING BORING METZ
IF ever there was a good reason to have a separate championship for the reserve teams of the pro clubs, then this match would have been it. Somehow, the spirit of reserve sides - which after all should be a "testing ground" for young players on the way up and for first-teamers getting back to match fitness after injury or a dip in form - went missing on a damn cold evening in November.
Metz were boring. They strung five across the back in a bid to stifle Red Stars' attack (which is pretty limited anyway). As often as not, Big Arthur Gomis and Soumaré came up against a wall of yellow whirts. Red Star weren't entirely blamless - only the creativity of Vincent Guérin, making his first team debut offered any hope to his team. Some wonderful passing and vision brightened up an otherwise dull encounter - but for every inch-perfect pass out to the wings, there were at lease two occasions when he was caught in posession. One slip almost led to conceding a goal - only the vigilance of the excellent Perron saved the day.
Tactically Red Star were limited, having no bright ideas how to open up a stubborn defence. Saïti was invisible, and Pendola laboured without really creating anything.
As the game appeared to be petering out into a draw, Metz took a leaf out of the "Typical National Club" manual and scored - a corner needlessly conceded, a loose ball only half cleared and Bruneau beaten.
To Red Stars' credit, heads didn't drop, and a sense of urgency was injected into the play. As seconds ticked away, and the supporters drifting out of the ground, a corner was won on the far side. To his credit Arthur Gomis held up play long enough for Fabrice Bruneau to charge forwards à la Schmeichel. This had the desired effect of destabilising the Metz defence, and from point-blank range Rudy Perron equalized with a powerful header.
So, a point snatched from the jaws of defeat - last week it was Mulhouse, this time it's our turn. But a victory is desperately needed.