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Ligue 2 Guingamp Shock Stade Rennais In Coupe de France Final

Guingamp won the Coupe de France, coming from behind to defeat much fancied Rennes at the Stade de France.

May 9, 2009 10:39:54 PM

Coupe de France : Moussa Sow (Rennes) vs Yves Deroff (Guingamp)

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Coupe de France : Moussa Sow (Rennes) vs Yves Deroff (Guingamp)

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EA Guingamp 2-1 Stade Rennais

Second-flight Guingamp caused a sensation by recovering from a one-goal deficit to claim the Coupe de France over Stade Rennais. After a goalless first half, Rennes hit the front as Carlos Bocanegra glanced them ahead from a free-kick, but their opponents’ response was swift as Eduardo rattled home the first of a match-winning double. It took the Brazilian only a further 11 minutes to send a drive into the corner of the net, a shot that proved to be the defining moment of the match.

Perhaps understandably, Guingamp made something of a nervy looking start to the game. Rod Fanni provided the main source of jot for Rennes in the opening minutes, pushing forward well from full-back; however, his endeavours failed to pierce the Ligue 2 outfit. Possession and territory in the early stages was very much Rennes’, but aside from a couple of speculators from Romain Danze that both flew over, no real opening was created.

Instead, it was Guingamp, growing into the game, who created the first real moment of panic as Eduardo attempted to latch onto a ball over the top. He was just beaten to the ball by Nicolas Douchez, whose slip as he began to make his way from his goalmouth made the race far tighter than he might have hoped. A similar move involving the same player only a handful of minutes later saw the Brazilian steam through down the left channel; however, the angle was too tight for him to beat Douchez, although the goalkeeper was forced to dive left to repel the drive.

Eduardo’s pace and mobility were really causing Rennes problems on the break, but les Rouge et Noir continued their now marginal dominance of the game. Guingamp’s defence was proving somewhat stubborn and a mishit cross from Olivier Thomert that narrowly cleared the bar and landed on the roof of the net was the closest Guy Lacombe’s side came before an effort from Moussa Sow, the most lively attacker in red in the early stages, squirted narrowly wide.

But Guingamp’s more experienced players were starting to drive their side on. Wilson Oruma snapped a shot comfortably wide of the Rennes goal before a driving run from Richard Soumah yielded a free-kick from which Christian Bassila headed over from close range. These strikes proved precursors to the best moment of the opening half-hour as a powerful run through the middle culminated in an accurate cross to Soumah. The midfielder made a positive contact at the back post but Douchez had positioned himself in an exemplary manner and reacted superbly to make a decisive block.

Jerome Leroy, who had said prior to the game that he felt he was a key player in the Rennes side due to his experience, failed to exert any real influence on the game until the closing minutes of the first half. His first real contribution was to crash a fine volley off the top of the crossbar with the first real moment of offensive class of the half.

Only moments later it would take a moment of defensive class from 21-year-old defender Bakary Kone to keep the sides level as he brilliantly timed a sliding tackle to sweep the ball away from the otherwise free Sow.

A subtle change of formation by Lacombe during half-time nearly paid immediate dividends as Sow, now positioned in attack with Thomert on the left, burned away from his marker before flicking the ball to Leroy. The two-time Coupe de France winner drove a low effort at goal from 20-yards but Guillaume Gauclin was smartly down to save.

The same two players would link more profoundly moments later as a delightful round-the-corner flick from Leroy picked out the on-rushing Sow, whose searing pace had taken him clear of the defence. But with only the goalkeeper to beat, subtlety was exchanged for power and again les Rouge et Noir tested the framework of Gauclin’s goal.

Spurred on by their players’ efforts, the supporters only increased their already impressive voices in the tribunes, leading to a response from the players, particularly those in red, who seemed to have upped their tempo in the second period.

Guingamp responded by defending more deeply and stemmed the flow of chances on the whole. Thomert did manage to negotiate some space just after the hour mark, with his cross eventually falling to Leroy, who half-volleyed well over the bar.

Ultimately, with Guingamp dropping deeper and deeper, it was proving increasingly tough for Rennes to find openings. A free-kick wide on the right would prove their key to unlocking a stubborn rearguard as Bruno Cheyrou’s dangerously in-swinging ball was glanced home from close range by Bocanegra.

A prompt change was made by Victor Zvunka and an equally quick leveller was found as a speculative ball into the Rennes box broke kindly to Eduardo, whose finish from 12-yards brought the second flight outfit level less than 120 seconds after falling behind.

Incredibly, Guingamp’s comeback was completed on 82 minutes as the Rennes defence uncharacteristically all got sucked towards the ball as the white-clad side broke down the left. Lionel Mathis, drawing upon his great experience, simply poked the ball right from the edge of the ‘D’ to the unmarked Eduardo. Having already flexed his finishing muscle, the striker drilled a terrific angled finish across Douchez and into the very corner of the net.

Lacombe’s men were forced to adopt a gung-ho approach to the game but Guingamp nevertheless looked the more dangerous side as they broke repeatedly with great pace. Soumah had the chance to wrap the game up in stoppage-time but Douchez athletically turned his powerful 18-yard drive over the bar.

Pushing players forward with little regard for their defence, Rennes were always likely to create one chance, and they did as a loose ball in the box dropped invitingly to Jires Ekoko, who fired an effort narrowly wide via a deflection off a Guingamp defender.

Having withstood a tension-packed two minutes of stoppage-time, the final whistle blew, signalling incredible scenes of celebration as Guingamp claimed their first ever major trophy.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

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