Handball: for Usam, not the same bet

Against his former team, PSG, Yoann Gibelin finished the match at 2/3 shooting and 3 assists. USAM NÎMES – LISA CASTRES

A week after its defeat against PSG, Nîmes (11th, 0 points) returns to Ile-de-France, Friday September 13 (8:30 p.m., 2nd day of Starligue), to face Ivry (15th, 0 points). Already more affordable.

On Friday evening, Usam Nîmes will be plunged into the bubbling bath of Auguste-Delaune, a slightly outdated stadium with 1,500 seats and home of US Ivry. It is here, in this historic hall, built in 1953, that Julien Rebichon's teammates will have to build the first success of their season, a week after the ‘’green house’’ only cracked at the end of the match, against PSG (33-36).
''Playing Ivry at Auguste-Delaune is never easy, warns Gard technician David Degouy, a privileged witness of the evening after his years (2012-2018) spent as assistant on the bench of the Ivry training.I know very, very well how we will be received, how it goes. It is always a special atmosphere, with combat. We're going to have to be there.''

Remember the winter of 2023…

For this, the Usamistes will have to be more active in their match than during their last visit to the same place, one evening in November 2023, where they lost, surprised 28-24. ''We prepared well for the week by being positive about the Paris match and also being focused on Ivry, explains Degouy. It will be a particular context but I know what we are capable of doing.''
With one Nîmes player being worth two, we can easily imagine the Green team not tripping over themselves a second time in a row against an opponent who started their season the wrong way, being left behind by 11 goals at the promoted team, Istres (25-36).

Values ​​shared by both teams

''In this very competitive championship, it is increasingly difficult to win away, notes Nîmes left-back Yoann Gibelin, trained at the neighbouring team, Créteil (distant from 12 km). Ivry is very hard to handle at home, plays with a lot of energy. After their disappointment in Istres, which was important in terms of their objective (remaining), we know that with the support of their public, they will fight and not give up.''
Values ​​similar to those of the people of Nîmes, in their ‘’infernal’’ Parnassus. ''We share a common identity with Ivry, continues the neo-usamist. At home, we will want to show our aggressiveness, impose our defensive will on the match, control the tempo and then take the advantage.'' ''The important thing is to win'', summarizes Degouy.

Yoann Gibelin : ''The important thing is to create momentum by winning a first time, Ivry''

Against PSG, Usam came close to winning, still at – 1 (31-32) in the 55th minute. ''We want to capitalize on the good things we did in Paris, progress as a team and try to validate all of that with a victory, explains Gibelin.The important thing is to create momentum by winning the first time, in Ivry, and then follow up with a series of victories.''
With the return of right-back Luc Tobie, coach David Degouy will now have almost his entire professional squad. 17 players out of 18 – only Sissoko (cruciate ligaments) is absent – for 16 on the match sheet. ''These are complicated choices to make but they are good choices'', smiles the coach, satisfied.

A group of 17 Usamistes

Coach David Degouy has delivered a group of seventeen players before the departure for Ivry, Thursday at midday. Only sixteen will be written on the sheet.

The group: Pardin, Be (l.). Rebichon, Vincent, Gibelin, Acquevillo, Costa, Tobie, Abdelhak, Derisbourg, Konradsson, Gibernon, Sanad, Peyre, Kamtchop-Baril, Poyet, Kaczor.

I subscribe to read the rest