Handball: Usam Nîmes, almost as if nothing had happened…

Le gaucher polyvalent Damien Gibernon répond présent à chacune de ses entrées en jeu. MIDI LIBRE – ALEXIS BETHUNE

At the heart of a yet average exercise, Usam Nîmes (8th, 22 points), who plays at Saran (14th, 10 points), Friday March 29 at 8 p.m. in the framework of the 22nd day of Starligue, remains in the hunt for the Top 5.

Like it or not, in a season, certain matches count more than others. For Usam Nîmes, the one concluded victoriously against Saint-Raphaël (39-37), last Saturday at Parnasse, is undoubtedly one of them. And it's not coach Yann Balmossière who will say the opposite: ''The fact of winning allowed us to get away from the pursuers, who are trying to get away from us. integrate into this group of five teams, and, above all, this allowed us to stay in contact with this group for 5th place. Otherwise, we were five points behind 5th place and it would have become more complicated.'' Almost as if nothing had happened, Nîmes, with its 10 defeats, is still alive in this Starligue where the 4th, Toulouse, has already lost six times!

Balmossière, coach: ''The key will be to impose our game and not to thwart them&# 39;'

At the promoted Saran, Usam, in the event of victory, will continue to put pressure, from a distance, on its direct competitors. ''At home, Saran is a team that is difficult to play and beat Chambéry and Dunkerque (- 1 against Limoges), tempers the technician. We will have to be very attentive but here, really, we focused on ourselves. The key to the match will be to impose our game and not to thwart them.'' Favorite in the Loiret, a Usam at her level should not tremble. ''Yes, we are favorites even if Saran is a team looking for points at home, but we are not going there with a gun'' , note ‘’Balmo’’.

Already beaten at Ivry and Cesson this season…

In previous seasons, against less well ranked players, Nîmes knew how to do quite well. Surprised twice by the 12th, Cesson (24-30; 26-35) and Ivry (13th) – 24-28 – during this exercise, doubt is allowed. With Dijon, Chartres, Ivry at home and Dunkirk away, interspersed with a perilous trip to Chambéry, the upcoming schedule seems rather lenient for the Green team:   ;#39;'It’is more favorable than playing in Paris (28th day) or Nantes (30th) but we will really have to concentrate on that and not let any more points slip away.&# 39;'

I subscribe to read more