Handball: for Usam, the comeback must start from Cesson

Quentin Minel and the Nîmes will have to remain in balance during the return phase. FREE MIDI – MIKAËL ANISSET

Usam Nîmes (8th, 16 points) begins the return phase of Starligue, this Thursday, February 8 (16th day, 8:30 p.m.) on the floor of Cesson (13th, 8 points). With the top 5 as the goal at the end, the Gardois must no longer waste time or leave too many points on the way.

Last Sunday, against PSG in Coubertin, Usam Nîmes lost more than one match and a qualification for the Coupe de France semi-finals (30-22). Two days after its center half Boiba Sissoko, who had ruptured the ligaments in his right knee, Friday morning in training, the Green team saw its other experienced center half, the Swede Jesper Konradsson, twisting his ankle.

In Cesson without a professional half-center

''We are going to Cesson without a professional center half, observes, inevitably upset by these adventures, the Gard coach Yann Balmossière. This forces us to rethink a lot of things, but we are still in the group where we wanted to be (in the ranking), still within our objectives. And despite all that, we must move forward.''
At the start of the return phase, the Usamists no longer have much of a choice if they want to keep their chances of seeing the top 5 intact (one point behind Saint-Raphaël). ''This match in Cesson, we must take it as the start of the second part of the season where we are in the shoes of the hunters, continues the Nîmes technician. You must first win and recover points from the other teams and, afterward, watch what the others are doing. Then, we will have to try to regain points when we play against our direct competitors.''

Surprise defeat on the way to Parnassus

Cesson, for his part, is looking more down than up, counting a point ahead of Saran, first relegation. However, during the first leg at Parnasse, the teammates of former Usamist Mathieu Salou had looked into the eyes of the Gardois then caught in the whirlwind of five defeats in a row, even glaring at them at the end leaving them with six goals. at Parnase (30-24).
''We haven’not particularly looked back on the defeat of the first leg, even if it will perhaps play a little role and the boys will be revengeful'& #39;, observes Balmossière, whose team will however have the label of favorite in this match: ''Favorite if you look at the ranking, but less in terms of ;staff (eleven able-bodied pros + four young people). And then, with him, we know that Cesson is never easy to play.''

The 15 Usamists for Cesson

The group: Baznik, Demaille (l.). Poyet, Guironnet, Rebichon, Zuzo, Varlet, Dupuy, Vincent, Tobie, Acqueillo, Antic, Minel, Abdelhak, Sanad.

Absent: Kamtchop-Baril, Sissoko, Gibernon, Derisbourg (knee injuries), Konradsson (ankle).

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