highlights – MyVideo

Every International break I am reminded how few of our players represent their countries. In fact, often those playing at an Under 21 level are the standout performers.

Malta U-21 0-2 France U-21
Both Mamadou Sakho and Younousse Sankhare started the match, Sakho wearing the captains armband and Sankhare the number ten shirt. Sankhare was replaced in the 58th minute by Steven Nzonzi.

Belgium U-21 0-0 France U-21
Sakho and Sankhare again started and in the same fashion, but although Sakho helped preserve the clean sheet, Sankhare’s best efforts could not provide the spark for a goal.

Benin 1-0 Ghana
Stephane Sessegnon’s Benin side beat a heavily favored Ghana in Group D after an 89th minute strike from Mohamed Aoudou. This win does little but salvage some pride for Benin as they are effectively out of contention for World Cup 2010 qualification. Sessegnon played the full match for his 23rd senior cap.

The Latest Products of the Rumor Mill:

• The management wants David Trezeguet. Good luck with that guys. Why would we need him anyway? A Trezeguet-Hoarau partnership would fail, they each need to play alongside a creative striker.
• Roma defensive midfielder Ricardo Faty ‘dreams of playing for the club’.  That’s nice Ricardo. Makelele replacement?
• Jerome Alonzo wants to come back to PSG. Somehow I don’t see this one happening, unless he pays the club and Willy Grondin (the latter just so he’ll leave).

In terms of interviews, Stephane Sessegnon talks to the press about his temper…

Stéphane, do you think you should perhaps take a little tranquiliser before you play to help you calm down on the pitch?
“(Smiles) I don’t need any medication! I’ve always given it everything when I play football. The only thing is… it’s that you have to use that energy intelligently, control it and also control my attitude.”

Guillaume (Hoarau) recently suggested installing a punching ball in the changing rooms…
“I really hate losing and I hate injustice. That goes for on and off the football pitch, by the way. To feel good within myself, I have to reach my goals. Otherwise I really struggle to contain my frustration. Guillaume might be right, I need to take it out on something when things don’t work out because in the end, I just penalise myself and the whole team.”

Is it only football that’s gets you so excited?
“I’m like that in everything I do. When I do something, I don’t ever want to have regrets so I give it 100 per cent. However, if I’m not good at something, then I can accept it. But I always want to give it my best, because that’s how I was brought up. Obviously it’s most noticeable for me, when I’m on the football pitch. You can’t give me a nasty reputation though or start calling me a nasty player. I have character, but I cop more knocks than I deal out.”
Do you think your opponents are trying to provoke you a little more this season?
“I’ve got a reputation for being a bit of a hot head and obviously they try and exploit my weaknesses. I lot try and get me to explode and I can feel it. Sometimes it’s insults, repetitive fouls, leaving the studs in a challenge, without the referee picking up on it. It’s unfair, but I just have to learn to channel my energy to rise above it.”
You still have a one-match ban hanging over your head with another yellow card in your next ten games. Be careful not to miss out on the Olympique de Marseille match!
“I don’t even want to think about it. You can get a yellow card for next to nothing so I’m not going to start worrying about. And if I start picking and choosing my matches, then that won’t help anything either and I’ll start playing worse. Every Ligue 1 match is important, whether it be Marseille or anyone else, a win is a win and it’s worth three points.”

And another ‘We’re getting stronger’ interview from Kombou.

Other Random Tidbits:

• “The conseil national de l’Ethique ruled that Antoine Kombouaré and Christian Gourcuff were to “ participate in a ‘educational role with children to promote the values of football, most importantly respect amongst the participants.’ The participation will take place in the respective club’s local league.” This is about the whole Maka argument–it’s their punishment.
• PSG have their traditional luncheon with the mayor of Paris.  Go here if you’re interested in pictures. I feel like they do a lot of these meetings with the mayor. Didn’t he visit training a couple weeks back?
• Injured players include Traore (hamstring), Hoarau (hamstring), Bourillon (lombago), Camara (deep vein thrombosis), and Erding (shoulder)

That’s all from PSG this week, as the club did not arrange a friendly for the break.

Pretty nice looking.  Anyway, tomorrow we take on Nancy at the Parc, but more on that later when the preview gets up.  Some new while you wait…

• Kombouare is “Looking for revenge”:

“We’re looking for revenge. The players know they didn’t play well against Lorient. We had a disastrous first half. The second half was only marginally better, but we still could have won. Apparently we didn’t do enough though. So we’re feeling like we want a bit of revenge and we want to start with a win against Nancy.  I’m often pretty hard on my players, so I can’t really have any regrets. When I looked again at the first half, I felt that Lorient could have had more than one goal and somehow we managed to equalise at 1-1. Obviously the second half was a lot better and we created a few clearcut chances but we were up against an excellent Fabien Audard. We didn’t deserve any better, but now we have to bounce back and play well against Nancy, but above all, we need the three points.  When you watch our last three matches, obviously we need to win. We’ve taken two points from three games and that’s not enough. Two points from nine is very average. Now we need points, as of Saturday. There will be a good team against us but PSG is PSG and has to be ready for that. We’ll need to play well to get the win.”

• Zoumana Camara will be back in training by the end of the week.

• Mevlut Erding will be running again next week–he’s been out longer than expected.

• PSG.TV is up and running again, with a great new site which seems to be free.

• Nice interview with my favorite Brazilian right-back on the eve of his 100th official PSG game.

• And information on the Gourcuff-Kombouare media scuffle that I mentioned in the comments of this post can be found here, here, and here. That last one worries me–he better not be suspended.

That’s all for now folks, eagerly await the preview.

This match annoyed me so much (and the streams were bad) that I ended up not paying much attention to it and watching Valenciennes-Marseille, but I still have a few observations. Luyindula better get back into his groove fast or he might not see a single minute when Erding gets back. He was dreadful on Saturday. Missed tons of very easy chances, tried to dribble with his poor ball control, and clearly disappointed is strike partner throughout the evening. Hoarau is definitely improving, Giuly continues to be spectacular, Sessegnon needs to get back into form, and I want Zoumana Camara to come back soon.

To conclude, let’s have some interviews:

Antoine Kombouaré (PSG coach)

“Given the way match unfolded, I think we can be satisfied with the result. It’s a good away point. We didn’t impose our game plan and we suffered a lot in the first half. We made it to half-time 1-1 thanks to a fair slice of good fortune. Our second-half display was very good and we could have won it. We finished the match better than we started it.”

Mamadou Sakho (PSG defender)

“It’s a good point, but we can’t be happy with the way we played. Lorient caused us a lot of problems and we can’t let that happen again. But it’s still a positive result and as of Monday, we’ll be concentrating on next weekend’s visit of Nancy. On Sunday at midday I’ll be at the Jardin d’acclimatation in Paris for the Virades de l’Espoir, to raise awareness about the fight against mucoviscidose. I’d like to invite all our supporters to come and support the cause.”

Guillaume Hoarau (PSG forward)

“I think it’s a good result. But we’ve only got two points from our last three games and that isn’t good – we didn’t play well. There was too big a difference between our performance tonight and that of last weekend against Lyon. We need to claim all three points in this sort of match. We were up against a very good side and we couldn’t get into the game. We still have a long way to go. Lorient caused us big problems in the first half even though we managed to equalise. It’s good for the confidence to have scored, even if I would have preferred not to score and get all three points. We’ve got a bad taste in the mouth about how we played.”

What did you guys think of the match?

Subs:
Chantome: 6
Sankhare: N/A

Interviews:
Kombouare, more Kombouare, Clement, and Puel.

Photos:
A treasure trove of match photos can be found here.

News Nuggets:
1) Goal.com think PSG want Mascara from Catania. I have better things to do than watch Serie A, like build a scale model of the Eiffel Tower out of toothpicks, but isn’t this the guy who scored all those goals from about 50 yards?

2) The honorary match kickoff at the Parc on Sunday was given by Pauleta, the longest serving season ticket holder, and an academy player.

3) Apparently we’re playing US Boulogne Cote d’Opale tomorrow in the Coupe de la Ligue. Woohoo. I’m so excited I can’t even bother to preview it. It did take me a second to remember they’re in Ligue 1 though. Good thing about this: The match counts for Sessegnon’s suspension, meaning he’ll be back for Lorient. If you really do care about the match you can probably find something about it here.

Allez PSG!

Visit the Lyon Offside sometime before the match to get a better sense of the Les Gones state of affairs.

On our side of things, it’s looking grim. Stephane Sessegnon has been suspended for two games (still don’t know what he did), while Erding and Camara are still out. Who do we play on the left? I’ve seen Giuly slotted in there on a few sites, with Jallet getting the start on the right, but who knows. Do we change formation? I’m thinking we should try something like this:
Coupet
Ceara Traore Sakho Armand
Chantome Makelele Clement
Giuly Hoarau Luyindula

I think that’s our best option at the moment. Anyway, Gregory Coupet has a nice interview about playing against his old club:

Grégory, how do you feel on the eve of taking on your former club Lyon?
“When you spend 11 and a half years in one club, and when you experience such incredible things together, obviously that creates a strong bond. On Sunday, I’ll meet up with a family I know very well and respect and with whom I still have very good relations. It’ll be a special match. Honestly, it’s going to be great, a real pleasure. I’ve caught up with everyone, the players, the staff, the board… plenty of good memories and I can’t wait to see them all again.”

Do you regret leaving Lyon?
“No. I needed to leave. They offered me a new deal, but I wanted to experience something different, live something different. It was also a family decision. I really don’t have any regrets. If it didn’t work out in a sporting sense at Atletico Madrid, it was still an incredible year. And it also helped me find all the motivation I have today.”

Are you worried after the 2-0 loss to Monaco?
“Not at all. It was disappointing because we’d worked well for two weeks, with a great atmosphere, in preparation. We played well against Monaco despite the terrible conditions. We got caught out on a counterattack but that also means that team was trying to attack and play football. We showed ambition, the desire to attack and not settle for the draw. We could have sat back, closed out the game. The coach pushes us to get forward, constantly. It’s not the type of defeat to leave you doubting.”

Is the match against Lyon even more important after the Monaco loss?
“I don’t think so. I play every game to win, especially at home. The Parc des Princes needs to be our impenetrable fortress. Whether we’re playing Lille or Lyon, we need to win. Lyon aren’t unbeatable. We have respect for everyone we play, but I Sunday, we’ll be looking for the three points. It’s an important match – a match to win.”

Mevlut Erding and Stéphane Sessegnon will be missing. Is that a big handicap?
“We’ll miss them both because they are both great players. But we can’t focus on that. These moments are all part of a season. It’s a shame for “Sess”. As for “Mev”, anyone can get injured. We have to cover these absentees with hard work and our excellent team spirit. Their replacements will fit-in in the best possible way and give the absolute maximum. We have to keep the faith and not start doubting.”

What do you think of Hugo Lloris, the man that replaced you in the Lyon goal?
“I think he’s an incredible player, remarkably consistent. He was solid and efficient Fiorentina in midweek. He’s more mature than I was at that age. He’s much better than I was at that age. His mentor, Joël Bats, will take him right to the top of the tree. He’s going to become a truly great goalkeeper.”

With all the hype surrounding the result I’ve go to make a prediction. 3-2 for Lyon.

Here’s the Liveblog i’ll be running tomorrow. I hope all of you will join in!

Allez PSG!

1)Match reports can be found here or here.

2) Match reactions and other interviews can be found here, here, here, and here.

3) Stephane Sessegnon is suspended.

4) Our loanees made their debuts.

And a video, to keep you optimistic:

Comment away!

EDIT: Join the Ligue 1 Offside Fantasy League here! I’ve already joined, along with many from the Lyon and Bordeaux Offsides. The code for the classic league is 52326-15352, and for the head to head league it’s 52326-16871. Thanks to Theo for the tip off!

Ah International week. First off, I am delighted to report that none of our three players on duty came back injured, which is completely spectacular. The reasons for the unusually small amount of PSG players representing their countries are:

1) Stephane Sessegnon was suspended from international duty.

2) Mevlut Erding is undergoing surgery for a shoulder problem, which also takes him out of the Monaco game.

3) In case you just came out from under your rock, Raymond Domenech coaches the French national team. That means no Hoarau in the squad.

Now, on to who actually did play. Our glorious Internationals (albeit U-21) are Mamadou Sakho, Granddi Ngoyi, and Younousse Sankharé.

France U-21 3-1 Slovenia U-21
Mamadou Sakho and Younousse Sankharé started, and Granddi Ngoyi came in for Etienne Capoue in the 72nd minute. Highlights here.

France U-21 2-2 Ukraine U-21
Mamadou Sakho was the only Parisian starter in this game, and he scored with his head in the 26th minute off a Bakary Sako corner. A Sako-Sakho linkup. Granddi Ngoyi was brought on in the 63rd for Djamel Bakar, and Sakho was taken off late to allow Gary Bocaly a few minutes. You can find the highlights for the first half here, and the second half here.

Transfer News:
Cameroonian 19 year old Lucien Owona N’Dong has signed for the club. More information here, thanks to an article from the Marseille blogger at the Offside..

Interviews:
The Old Guardien chats with the official website about life at the club, and last season’s top scorer discusses his injury and his progress so far. Finally, our captain talks about the upcoming Monaco game.

In more personal news, I am now a contributor over at Everything French Soccer, which is run by frequent commenter Dave Trotter. Come check it out!

“We want to advance the PSG steadily. We must be capable in the medium term to sustain €15-20 million of additional revenue from our current turnover. With a budget of €100-100m, we could have a team capable of sustained play in the Champions League.”

His expectations for Kombouare:

“This season, he will qualify for a European cup, but not necessarily the Champions League. The shareholders are always right to increase expectations. As Laurent Blanc said, ‘When one seeks Europe, we are not guaranteed to qualify for the Champions League.’”

And his reasons for not making Alain Roche the club sporting director:

“The relationship between Antoine and Alain is historically so close that we did not want to put a hierarchy between them. It would be awkward.”

I like the sound of a highly ambitious president. I’m looking forward!

In other news, PSG played a friendly training match on Saturday against the UNFP, which ended 6-1 in our favor. Match lineups are unavailable, but the scorers were Jean-Eudes Maurice (2), Guillaume Hoarau, Peguy Luyindula, Albert Baning, Loris Arnaud, and Ouejdide for the UNFP. Here are some pictures from the match:

To conclude, a few more polls:

Who will be PSG’s top scorer this season?(survey software)
Who is your signing of the summer?(survey)

Vote away!

So, guess what folks? Someone just figured out how to post polls and is pretty excited. Here’s something to vote on:

Where will PSG finnish in Ligue 1 this season?(trends)

Vote away!

Player Ratings:
Coupet: Had a solid game, making difficult interceptions and catches when the need arose. He really is a world class keeper. 7.5.
Ceara: Wasn’t much of a presence today. Obviously didn’t make any huge mistakes but he didn’t get forward much either. A few crosses in the first half, but otherwise relatively quiet. 6.5.
Traore: Had a good game on defense and had a goal disallowed for no reason that I can fathom. 7.5.
Sakho: Same story as Ceara, except for the crosses. 6.5.
Armand: Is forming a good partnership with Sessegnon in attack and was involved in the play leading to both second half goals. Left something to be desired on defense, occasionally letting Hazard through, but it’s probably hard marking the Belgian wonderkid. 6.5.
Giuly: Wasn’t quite as spectacular as he has been, but still a good contribution in attack, causing problems for Emerson. Another 6.5.
Makelele: Had another decent game, not particularly outstanding. He can and should contribute more to the attack. 6.
Clement: Was very good. The volley for the first goal was spectacular and he continues to produce dangerous through balls and could be considered unlucky not to have had an assist. 9.
Sessegnon: Created the second and third goals and was the usual Stephane Sessegnon. That means fantastic. Another assist under his belt. 8.5
Luyindula: Another goal for Dula! Rama must be pleased. He had a good game and worked hard. 8.
Erding: Was good, having a good shot blocked after a through ball by Clement. He was taken off early in the second half for Hoarau. 6.5.

Substitutes:
Hoarau for Erding ‘61: Had some nice dribbles and played well with Luyindula. Think he’ll be starting next week? 6.
Jallet for Giuly ‘72: Did a fantastic job considering he played 18 minutes. A goal and an assist. He’s becoming a wonderful super-sub. 9.
Chantome for Luyindula ‘85: Incomplete.


Match Facts:
1) We are now tied on points for first with Lyon and Bordeaux, and are second to les Girondins on goal difference.
2) Christophe Jallet is now third in the Ligue 1 top scorers table, with 2 goals in 59 minutes.
3) We are still undefeated.
4) Our average home attendance in the Ligue is 32498.

Photos:

Breaking Transfer News:
PSG officials have broke the news that Mateja Kezman is set to join Zenit St. Petersburg on loan with an option to buy. Kezman has left Paris for St. Petersburg where the deal will be completed wen he passes his medical on Monday [AP]. Your thoughts?

Reactions to the Match:

Antoine Kombouaré (PSG coach)

“I didn’t think we were capable of winning 3-0 against Lille because the first half was very difficult. But we stuck together and we defended much better in the second half. We played well, created chances and scored two great goals. It’s a huge win, and hugely satisfying to score three goals and not concede any. We’re happy to be leading the league, but there’s still a very long way to go. Tonight, I’m a very happy coach and proud of what my players achieved – to have ten points from the first four games is fantastic.”

Péguy Luyindula (PSG forward)

“There were a lot of good things this evening, we played well and earned a big win. We wanted to string a few wins together, especially playing at home. We’re continuing on our merry way and we hope it will continue for as long as possible. On a personal note, two goals in two games is great. It was the least impressive of the three goals this evening, but important because it meant we got the break .”

Christophe Jallet (PSG defender)

“We can be very happy because we’ve got ten points out of 12 and have scored ten goals in four games. Now we can keep working over the next two weeks when we’ll have a very difficult match away to Monaco. We’re just taking the games one after another and I think that if we continue like this then we’ll do well this season. We’re in form, but we can’t get carried away. For my goal, Lady Luck was smiling on me. I tried it and it came off.”

Stéphane Sessegnon (PSG midfielder)

“That was a very important victory. It wasn’t easy and they made us suffer. But it’s a good result: we scored three and kept a cleansheet. Today we’re atop the table, but we need to keep our head on our shoulders. We took our chances up front and we were solid at the back. It’s great to be topping the table ahead of a two week gap. The next game will be a turning point and it’s only going to get tougher from here on in.”

Voila!