Handball: Usam Nîmes, the moment of truth

Dupuy, for his farewell to Parnassus, Poyet and Usam are ready to do battle. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

Starligue/29th and penultimate day. The Gardois have 60 minutes to beat Limoges by more than 3 goals and lock the 5th place synonymous with Europe, this Sunday, May 26 at 5 p.m. in a sold-out Parnasse. Otherwise, they could lose everything…

L’Usam is early. For those interested in astronomy, eclipses and other aurora borealis (the luckiest among us have seen them recently), the planets of the solar system will align at the beginning of June . Six will be visible from our Earth in the early morning, before daybreak. Mars, Saturn, Uranus or Jupiter, through a telescope or even with the naked eye, a rare phenomenon.

We know other phenomena: the Usamists! They are ahead because for them, the planets aligned at the end of May. Like a frenzied caterpillar to end an evening of feria in Pablo-Romero, last Sunday, by celebrating the feat achieved in the capital a few hours earlier…

Yann Balmossiere: "They saw us dead, but we always believed in it"

By winning against PSG in Paris (33-32), which no one had managed to do in the championship for three years, the Green team turned everything around  : the bodega table, the leader, and above all the ranking. The Nîmes returned to 5th position in Starligue, tied with Limoges. And a couple of weeks ago, the Gard club had confirmation, by email, that this place would be synonymous with wild card (invitation ) for the preliminary round of the European League. "They saw us dead, but we always believed in it", recalls Yann Balmossière, the& rsquo;coach.

Relive the madness of Csurgoi

Everything is there, this Sunday afternoon, to experience a great match. A big moment. A big party. To relive, in a hellish sold-out Parnassus (more than 3 500 supporters expected), "the same atmosphere as against Csurgoi" , hopes the coach.

That day, November 23, 2019, for the return of the European Cup to Nîmes after a quarter of a century of absence, the Greens had to come up three goals to the Hungarians (25-28 there) to qualify for the group stage. It was madness. After 11 minutes, they led 9-1, and the ground at Parnassus shook with fury and pleasure. They finally won 29-20.

Win by more than three lengths or three while conceding less than 29 goals

This is exactly what we are asking today of the teammates of Gallego and Dupuy, who will bid farewell to their training club on their favorite pitch. Beaten 32-29 in Limousin, they must win by more than three lengths, or by three while conceding less than 29 goals, to definitively pass their opponent of the day before the last day (in the event of a defeat). equality, direct confrontations decide).

Because next Friday for the closing, Nîmes will go to Nantes (2nd) while Limoges will receive the red lantern Dijon, already relegated. To see the stars or even touch them, for astronomy enthusiasts, it's now or never. It’s the moment of truth.

With the survivors of Paris and with Minel, back

The group. Baznik, Demaille (l.), Gallego, Dupuy and Minel (back from injury) for their farewell to Parnassus, Rebichon (c.), Vincent, Sanad, Peyre, Poyet, Acquevillo, Tobie, Abdelhak, Gibernon and Konradsson (the 2 operational ankles after Paris) and Zuzo.

The wounded. Kamtchop-Baril, Sissoko, Derisbourg, Antic.

A word from the captain. "I will say that this is one of four matches the most important of my career, says Julien Rebichon, because we can qualify for the European Cup and because these are farewells of Benji (Gallego) and Kent (Dupuy). With everything we went through, we doubted what we were going through. but we stayed united, because we are a group of friends. And this band wants to finish in the top 5."

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