OM 1-1 AJA: Such a shame
01/05/11 - OM 1-1 AJA
OM stupidly dropped two points at home, by only managing a draw against Auxerre after having dominated proceedings for over an hour.
OM 1-1 AUXERRE
1-0: Valbuena (55')
1-1: Jo-Gook (75')
It was a demonstration that everybody would have done well without. It is not ensuring the show or having the monopoly of the ball which wins matches, the Olympians have often repeated. By getting more opportunities this Wednesday, OM only scored one goal this time, were not able to put themselves out of harm’s way and was "paid" in return with an equalizer from Auxerre on one of their rare forays into the OM half of the field just 15 minutes before the final whistle. The paradox is cruel and reinforces a home record which has penalized them in the title race.
Didier Deschamps had compared Auxerre to a wall. Without knocking it down, OM seriously shook it throughout the first half, a Marseille side who showed a seductive style of play, and where Jordan Ayew, in the starting line-up at the front of the attack, quickly found his feet. Hitting the post (14’), a precise shot saved by the fingertip of a, not exactly, serene Sorin, and a volley into the side netting in the first forty-five minutes justified the confidence shown him by Deschamps after his exciting performance on Wednesday.
The play was not bad either, the young Ayew revealing himself to be a very interesting fixation point for his teammates, before igniting the stadium on a brilliant action early in the second period concluded by Cheyrou but saved by the keeper (60’). This was not the only achievement of the last rampart of the Auxerre defence. His reflex save following a volley by Lucho (28’) had already stunned the audience. But he could not do anything in the 55th minute against a cold-blooded Mathieu Valbuena who converted a cross from André Ayew which was flicked on to the far post (1-0).
The Vélodrome delighted and could even smile upon hearing the woes of Lyon at Toulouse (2-0 defeat and sending off of Cissokho and Bastos and who therefore miss the match against OM on Sunday). But they would become disillusioned. After the exit of Cheyrou (groin) and that of Lucho (ankle) all disintegrated in the space of 20-25 minutes.
A window sufficiently large for Auxerre to take advantage, notably Jo-Gook, who broke forward behind the OM defence following a long pass (1-1, 76’).
This was only the second dangerous situation for Auxerre, after Sammaritano came up just too short to cut the trajectory of an impeccable cross from Birsa in the first half. There would be a third through Jelen on a counter attack, but, even counting large, not more.
Taken aback when he had imagined to have a sufficient mastery, OM threw all their remaining strength to try and avoid dropping points. And the end of the game could have been less tense in stoppage time. But the referee turned a blind eye to a clear foul on Ayew by Coulibaly in the box, before the Ghanaian grazed the post with a last chance shot. Lille can rub their hands. The Dogues return to the top spot with one point more than OM. But the changes at the top of the table have happened so quickly over the past two weeks that no one can be sure of anything. Not even that this point, won with difficulty, will not make a difference, ultimately.
Laurent Oreggia
Photos : Yannick Parienti (et S. Nadin)
- By conceding the draw, OM now total 18 points dropped at the Vélodrome in 2010-2011.
- Mathieu Valbuena opened up his scoring counter in 2011, putting away his fourth goal of the season.
- Next game and not the least, at the Stade Gerland on Sunday night against OL (21h00). Loïc Remy will finally make his return from suspension.
Credit: Olympique de Marseille (www.om.net)
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