Hearts of Foot was present for the match between Saint-Etienne and Rodez, one of the posters expected of this first day. Last season, ASSE finished one point behind the RAF in the "race" in fifth place. Two ambitious teams this season and who had the opportunity to gauge themselves against an opponent of comparable level. In the end, a draw 1-1 logical but inevitably frustrating on both sides.

In Saint-Etienne, the Leon Nautin stadium hosted the first match of the season of Stephanoises. A provisional enclosure for ASSE players who are waiting to use the old rugby pitch, a few dozen meters away in the sports park of L'Etivallière occupied until recently by CA Saint-Étienne Rugby. A field currently under preparation and expected to be available in October for the rest of the championship. An enclosure that will accommodate a larger audience, but that would not protect the players from the heat in the Forez on Sunday afternoon.

The best start for Rodez
On the field, it is Rodez who takes the best start. More aggressive in the midfield, the players of Rodez also manage to deceive the vigilance of the Etienne defense on deep passes or long play. In the first half-hour, Marine De Souza twice managed to appear in front of the opposing goal (3rd and 28th), attempts that will each time come up against a solid Mylène Chavas, especially on her second intervention where the Saint Etienne keeper wins his face-to-face while the number 7 was able to be alone in front of the goal.

 

Mylène Chavas, like her counterpart Julie Niphon, was decisive in her first half

This permeability to the long game of Rodez, the Stephanoises will reduce it as the first period thanks to a better placement on the opponents raises. A problem solved but Saint-Etienne still continues to be in trouble in the middle of the field, losses of balls and duels lost which also result in mistakes of the Green who fail to win in the midfield. Fortunately for the players of Hervé Didier, the free-kicks are multiplying but do not translate into new opportunities for frank Rodez.

On the contrary the best opportunity of the last quarter-hour is to the credit of the ASSE through Rose Lavaud in the 40th minute. The Saint Etienne striker shoots a shot on the right side of the 20 meters, an attempt diverted by Julie Niphon on his left post before the ball comes out for a corner. An action that illustrates the good end of period on the right side of the Vertes with Rose Lavaud but also by Charlotte Gauvin who has made great efforts in the hall to carry the ball in front of the goal of the RAF.

 

A strong heat in the Forez and therefore drink breaks at the "half-time" of each half

This good period Etienne will end when the locker room with the opening score in favor of Rodez (46th). A recovery in midfield and a fast counter with Chloé Noiran accelerating in the center and receives the balloon Marine De Souza in the depth. The young RAF attacker misleads Mylène Chavas with a clever balloon. Here she enters her first goal in D1.

The awakening of the Vertes in the last half hour
A blow to the Green who will take time to return to the game. The first alert takes place before the hour of play. Rose Lavaud faces a united defense manages to find Julie Peruzzetto in the surface but who fails to frame his attempt which fails close to the frame. Ten minutes later (67th), Julie Peruzzetto tries a shot in the corner but the ball goes to the left of the goal of Julie Niphon.

But more than the opportunities, what changes in the game Etienne, it is a feeling that the Vertes are mounted a notch in the aggressiveness. More duels, contacts, and a fighting spirit found in the midfield. A change of physiognomy that goes with the entrances of Namnata Traore instead of Lucie Pingeon (63), and Aude Moreau instead of Candice Gherbi (68), two players who brought more movement on the sides with Namnata Traore and more serenity and control in the midfield with Aude Moreau.

A more physical match but also where Saint-Étienne gives the impression to find his game by sequence to the image of this sequence left side between several players but which ends with a missed center of Namnata Traoré. A few minutes later, Sainté finally finds the key. On a center from Julie Peruzzetto coming from the right, the ball is extended by Maëlle Garbino in the area until Namnata Traoré who is alone at the far post. The Etienne attacker at the time to control and adjust a shot that deceives Julie Niphon and allows the ASSE to equalize (75th).

At the end of the match both teams will have their match balls. Rodez by Marine De Souza and Chloé Bornes, with two strikes that will pass close to the frame of Mylène Chavas. On the green side, it is first Julie Perruzetto who manages to get ahead of the Ruthenian defense on a cross from the right but she sees her attempt rejected by Julie Niphon. On the last action of the match, Namnata Traore could have become the heroine of the match, but she can not adjust her recovery while she was lonely at the far post on a cross from the left.

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Julie Peruzzetto, here next to Audrey Cugat, had the opportunity to give ASSE a definite advantage at the end of the match

A division of the points therefore, which at the end of the meeting seems logical, each team having managed by period to destabilize the opposing defense. However, the ASSE players also felt that they had not managed to develop their game and to be a step up from what they could have done during the preparation of the season. A frustration that betrays the ambitions in the game as in terms of the results of the team Etienne who will still have to progress and perhaps "let go" as post-match Hervé Didier said to be able to express its full potential.

The post-match reactions:
Hervé Didier (Saint-Etienne coach):
"We had the game we were waiting for, in front of a catchy Rodez team, who got into a fight, who did nothing. It's still tough matches against Rodez. (...) We expected it and we had proof once again that it was complicated. Finally, in the end, 1-1, that seems like a logical result.

[Early in the game] It was rough, actually (...) We had a hard time finding each other. (...) We had maybe a little pressure by saying that we had to start well. (...) Rodez pushed us too well, was good in the duels, countered us, put us big long balls and we mismanaged this depth in the first half, what we have a small little better done second. That's a pity is that we take this goal immediately to the resumption of the second half and it's damaging to win a match.

I think the two inputs brought a little more, so it was important, that's what we wanted to do, it's true that it brought a little more dynamism in the middle zone, a little more going offensively with Namnata. The reaction of the players, anyway, we knew they wanted to do well, to work, to work and it is true that we had a good reaction where we finally managed to win our duels, we were in the impact and unfortunately we fished offensively on two, three occasions that should have been put in the bottom

Maeva Clémaron (captain of Saint-Étienne)
"We showed a group that was still welded, we came back to the score so that's still positive (...) but to be even more fun, all, will have to happen to set up what We have been working for weeks and suddenly we will score goals and we will be more efficient and we can win, we will have more chances to win these matches.

Immediately when we have the impact, there's no secret. The player [in front] she can be stronger, if we annoy her and we are behind her, she will have more trouble playing as she wants. (...) That's what we did in the second half and it's a shame we did not know how to do it at the beginning of the match. That's it, that's what it will work and then get to put more play, our game project. "

Sébastien Joseph (Rodez coach):
"It's always balanced matches with Saint-Etienne. It can turn on one side or the other. We know it every time, there is not much difference, it is played on details (...) We certainly had, I think, the most frank opportunities especially in the first half to try maybe to be killing the match, we ran out of realism.

That's it, after our babysitter makes two / three beautiful parades and it could have once again turned on one side or the other. Even if the draw is frustrating, in the sense that we open the score, we are always a little frustrated when we are joined, but it is not totally undeserved on the face of the match. "

Dounia MESLI