Le Havre 1-0 Nice
Goal : Lesage (71è) for Le Havre

Le Havre: Revault (c) – Hénin, Sambou, Ba, Kana-Biyik (Tixier, 22è) – Youssouf (Alassane, 54è), Davidas, Dieuze, Ait Ben Idir – Fauré (Alla, 68è), Lesage

Nice: Letizi – Diakité, Hognon, Kanté, Jeunechamp – Echouafni (c), Faé, Hellebuyck – Traoré (Ben Saada, 70è), Rémy, Bamogo (Modeste, 69è)

* * *

Still haven’t seen the match, nor any highlights longer than a minute or two, and am more than a little irritated that the club decided to wait until the weekend the season started to overhaul the pay section of the website. Could they not have done this, I dunno, any time in the last three months?! A teaser video is a long, long way from the highlights and full matches that are usually there. ARG. If this keeps up I may resort to violence. (Or begging people for torrents. Anyone?)

I don’t feel comfortable analyzing something I’ve not seen in any depth, but from reading the various reports and forum posts, it sounds like Nice dominated play but were unable to really threaten the Le Havre goal. The home side’s goal — scored in the 72nd minute — came after Hognan dove in, and the shot went off Kanté’s back, leaving Letizi with no chance. A totally unlucky loss, but it counts nonetheless.

Everyone is understandably disappointed, but considering the match was played without two starting defenders and with brand new players in the lineup for the first time, there were reportedly several positives to be found, primarily in the performances of those new players. To a man, everyone who saw the match has great things to say about Rémy, who worked worked his tail off and was Nice’s most dangerous player by far. Faé, too, has been getting a lot of praise, as has late substitute Ben Saada, who only got about 20 minutes but could well start next week. (Plus, losing the opener to a promotion side is anything but a sign of disaster — maybe it’s good omen, after last year’s finish!)

The most commonly cited problems, meanwhile, are just what we expected: The keeper (Letizi wasn’t at fault for the goal, but he made several errors during the course of the match, and continues to inspire fear among supporters) and, in the absence of Ederson, the lack of a #10 to provide connection between the midfield and the attack. The solution to the first problem is sitting on the bench, it’s only a question of which Antontetti decides Ospina is ready, and feels comfortable using him. The second problem, however, is a whole lot more difficult to solve. Ben Saada, who is apparently quite a passer, might be an option, slotting in behind the striker(s), but other than that option I’m not sure who there is in the current squad would could make linking up easier. Ideally, of course, the solution is just time, and getting the new midfielders used to playing together, and used to Rémy.

The team are back in training today after a day off and, baring disaster, Cyril #1 will be back in the team for the home opener against Nancy. I, meanwhile, will be feverishly refreshing ogcnice.tv in the hope that it goes live sometimes between now and then.

And, for those of you who (like me) enjoy such things, there are match pictures under the cut.

Without much fanfare, the new kits were released on Friday, along with a slew of new sponsors. I love the home ones — narrow stripes are so classic and flattering, though I sort of doubt that was Lotto’s whole goal. And the away ones are nice, I guess, but it’s a bit hard to tell when an ad covers half the front of the damn shirt. For god’s sake, they look like F1 drivers or something. I mean, on the sleeves? Up the side of the shorts? Really? I hope the club are at least getting paid well for those.

Four more pictures for your evaluation under the cut.

4-0 against Nimes, buckets of great performances — forget the pessimism, Nice are going to win everything! Ahem. Sorry, just wanted to get that uncharacteristic burst of optimism out of my system. On to the details.

First half:

Letizi
Jeunechamp-Hognon-Cid-Diakité
Echouafni-Fae-Hellebuyck
Rémy (Traoré, 35è)-Modeste-Ben Saada

Second half:

Ospina
Faviana-Yahia-Apam-Gace
Coulibaly-Pastor-Traoré-Quansah
Ozokwo-Asamoah

Goals: Remy (3rd), Traore (60th, 80è pen) and Ozokwo (73rd)

Preseason debuts for most of the late-arrivals to camp, and also Antonetti’s first look at his team in a 4-4-2, a system in which that second group reportedly looked awfully good. No Cyril #1, Kanté or Bamogo because of minor knocks, but other than those short-term concerns, most everyone is healthy. Or, rather, was healthy, until Remy landed on his shoulder in the first half. His withdrawal, though, was apparently mostly precautionary, so hopefully he won’t be missing much.

In terms of positives, the individuals most frequently mentioned after the match have been three new arrivals: Ospina, who continues to be strong, Coulibaly (”an animal” who “is everywhere”) and 18-year-old Ghanian trialist Abeiku Quansah, who assisted on both the second-half goals from open play, was taken down for the PK, and is suddenly turning a lot of heads. It’s hard to find much information on him, but Quansah was in the Ghanian team at the U-17 World Cup in Korea last year, and was the driving force in their near-comeback against Germany in the group stages (he’s #7, beating the entire German team about halfway through this video). If he’s beating full-grown men — even half-fit ones on a team that was just promoted to L2 — like he beats the other teenagers in that video, someone needs to get this kid a contract, ASAP.*

Yeah, the same things that applied to the friendly loss and draw apply here: It’s just an early friendly, people are still working on fitness, coaches are working on systems and players, etc, etc, etc. But, even keeping those things in mind, there were a lot of good things going on yesterday. Not to mention, you know, some goals.

The team now head to Albertville for a week, where they’ll play friendlies against Grenoble and ASSE; pray the improvement continues.

*I saw a story from last December about Quansah and Kofi arriving at Nice on trial then, and also references to them being part of Nice’s U-17s last spring, but the official website still describes them as trialists. Anyone who can clarify, please do — was it a youth trial and loan last winter, and a trial with the senior team now?

[Pictures from the match after the jump.]

According to the Nice website, Antonetti played two totally different teams, starting with a lineup that could conceivably be close to what he’s left with during the Olympics, then putting out an entirely second-string side in the second half.

1st half:
Letizi
Jeunechamp-Hognon-Cid-Rool
Echouafni-Fae-Hellebuyck
Rémy-Modeste-Bamogo

2nd half:
Moreau
Faviana-Yahia-Gace-Berthommier
Coulibaly-Pastor-Asamoah
Ozokwo-Moussilou-Job

Fae’s only been at training for four days; interesting that he was thrown in with the first group. None of the trialists played (even though I’ve read a few good things about how Rodrigo Galante, the 19-year-old Argentine mid, is training), but all the non-keeper youth players — Favina, Berthommier and Pastor — played the whole second half.

As far as I’m concerned, there’s no point in lamenting or trying to analyze the result since we’ll never find out anything about what went on — obviously, the scoreline is sort of pathetic and sad, but what’re you gonna do? It’s preseason, so there’s a lot more going on — trying to get fit and fighting exhaustion, among other things — than trying to win matches. (She said hopefully.)

The team fly home tonight; all the missing players — including Baky, who confirmed today that he’ll show up — will join them on Monday morning.

For the purposes of good cheer, I’ll put a few pictures from this week in Vichy after the jump.

Antonetti wearing shorts is among the most awesome things ever.

Newbie v Newbie

Skillz.

(Galante, the Argie trialist.)

(Berthommier, who’s got a bunch of youth caps for France — what is he now, 18? 19?)

[The whole gallery is here.]