Handball: and suddenly, Usam no longer responds…

Si Abdelhak et ses coéquipiers volent en attaque, ce n’est parfois plus la même histoire dans le repli défensif. MIDI LIBRE – MIKAËL ANISSET

Thursday April 18, at 8 p.m., Usam Nîmes (7th, 26 points) travels to Dunkirk (11th, 19 points) as part of the 25th day of Starligue. An exercise where the Gardois are often on alternating current in the same match. Problematic.

In its results this season, Usam Nîmes remains quite difficult to grasp. Capable of stringing together five victories in a row to begin his exercise before losing five times in a row. Or, recently, signing three successes in a row – before the setback in Chambéry, last Friday – victories which had themselves been preceded by two heavy setbacks, against MHB and Toulouse.
At the statistical level, too, it is difficult to read the Green team in this Starligue. Penultimate attack – the only one, with Saran (16th), with less than 700 goals (696) scored – but also… 4th defense (721) behind the Nantes trio – PSG – MHB.

For a few minutes, total emptiness…

If Quentin Dupuy and his team manage to be airtight during the hour of play, when they forget themselves in defense, they do not only do so ;half. ''In Chambéry, at the end of the match, we have the impression of being left behind when’we are only ’ ;ndash; 2 (30-32) in the 52nd, and we end up taking a 7-1 (31-39), laments coach Yann Balmossière. Same in Toulouse, at the end of the 1st period. We have six minutes of absence (2-8 score, from 12-14, 24th to 14-22, 30th). It's sometimes quite short times but, on the other hand, it's a total void.''

Balmossière: ''In difficult times, that's when a group is strong&# 39;'

A state of mind problem? ''We talked about it after the match about that, signaled, raised, the technician. We can talk about a lack of confidence but, above all, when we are in failure (ball losses, missed shots…hell), each player must concentrate on his personal performance before looking at what his partners are doing. . There are inevitably lower times in a match but the lack of desire to withdraw should not exist at this level. In tough times, that's when a group is strong.''
So, what face ‘’Balmo’’ should he expect from his troop in Dunkirk, facing the training of his former friend on the Nîmes bench, Franck Maurice ? : ''In any case, Dunkirk will not be an easy match. The goal, for us, is to pull ourselves together and offer something else in the state of mind to stay hanging on not far from this 5th place.''

Peyre replaces Antic, Demaille still absent

With one unit, it is the same group as against Chambéry which will be taken back to Dunkirk. Only Rémi Peyre, on the right wing, replaces Aleksandar Antic. At the goalkeeper position, Alexandre Demaille was still strong, Marius Del Blanco will continue to assist Baznik.

The group:  Baznik, Del Blanco (l.). Rebichon, Vincent, Tobie, Dupuy, Minel, Acquevillo, Zuzo, Konradsson, Gibernon, Abdelhak, Sanad, Peyre, Poyet, Gallego. 

Absent: Demaille (elbow), Kamtchop-Baril, Sissoko (knee), Derisbourg.

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