In the absence of a Christmas present, FCSM supporters still hope to console themselves with beautiful gifts. Set off at the truce on a new disillusionment at Bonal against Valenciennes (1-1), the Yellow and Blue intend to start the new year well with a performance on the field of Le Havre this Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. This clash between contenders for the climb opens the 20th day of Ligue 2, between Sochaliens, 5th, eager to leave des Havrais, 6th, only one point behind them in the standings, and even outrun them in case of victory. An uncertain time due to cases of Covid in the ranks of the oldest club of French football, the duel is finally maintained despite decimated numbers on both sides.
7 cases of COVID in Le Havre against only 1 in Sochaux, not an advantage according to Omar Daf
For Omar Daf, deprived of Maxime Do Couto, the only player tested positive of the Sochaux workforce, the FCSM is not for all that an advantaged “Le Havre has its concerns with these Covid cases, but its typical team, apart from the goalkeeper, should not budge, and we, we have 7 absent, important players like Prévot, Ndour, Pogba, Lopy, Ambri (the last two parties to CAN), so it balances out “ for the coach of the Yellow and Blue who preferred to no longer go to train at the Seloncourt training center “There are cases of Covid among young people, so we no longer train them with us” explains the Sochaux technician.
“We will have to mark the occasion against a direct opponent” – Aldo Kalulu
Despite these health hazards, “sooner or later, each team will be impacted, but for us, with a reduced workforce, we risk being less armed than others to compensate for these absences” Omar Daf advance, Sochaux will still have to live up to this first meeting of the year. If the FCSM coach likes to play down the stakes of the event “You have to take points whatever the opponent, and whatever the result against Le Havre, there will be a lot of games left after”, Aldo Kalulu, him, rather joined the coach of the HAC, Paul Le Guen, which speaks of a “important match” facing Sochaux “Of course you shouldn’t say to yourself after each match that the next one is just as important, because in the end, the matches, they pass, they pass and there are many more left, so obviously , he is a direct opponent against whom we will have to mark the occasion, and we are clearly going there to win, we are still just as ambitious “ loose the top scorer of the Yellow and Blue with 5 goals.
Le Havre less efficient at home
Aldo Kalulu would also be well inspired to take in default the 2nd best defense in the championship (13 goals conceded). Especially since the HAC took as many points at home as outside. He even lost only once on the road (Dunkirk) against twice at the Océane stadium (Paris FC and Ajaccio) … two TOP 5 formations, this could give ideas to Gaëtan Weissbeck’s teammates. , with New Year’s gifts behind the head! The Sochaux delegation takes up its quarters from Friday evening in Le Havre, with in its luggage, antigenic tests to detect any player likely to be affected by the coronavirus, and this until a few hours of the match, to preserve the health of the player and avoid a cluster within the workforce.
The Le Havre-Sochaux match is to be experienced live and in full from 2:45 p.m. this Saturday with comments from Hervé Blanchard from the Océane stadium (kick-off at 3 p.m.).