VA-Pau (3-0): a trompe l’oeil festival
Like last year, Olivier Guégan’s men are opposed to a promoted opening. Beaten a year earlier in Chambly (1-0), VA is this time upholding its rank in a stadium in Hainaut which is back with its team for the first time since March. After a preparation completed on an impression of rise in power this first is eagerly awaited by the supporters, perked up by a good last season (7th). Guillaume (4th) and Chevalier (12th) from the penalty spot quickly put VA in charge and Cabral ends the festival after the break (57th). The perfect evening? From an accounting point of view, without a doubt. But Pau’s adversity encourages us to put these debuts into perspective with fanfare and VA will quickly have the opportunity to realize this in the face of opponents of another caliber. Especially, Malek Chergui is injured very seriously that evening. Victim of a ruptured Achilles tendon, he will be absent for at least six months. His teammates brandish his jersey after the third goal but this hard blow tinged with bitterness this opening victory.
VA-Sochaux (0-0): a controversy and a turning point
Except for the very first tenure of young Ismaël Doukoure (17 years old) in defense, this match did not have much to his credit for it to be remembered: never really exciting, technically poor enough and concluded with a 0-0. But this VA-Sochaux comes alive in the immediate post-match with a general tussle from which Jérôme Prior will come out bitten in the face, image in support, by the Sochalien Thioune. The next day, the Senegalese justifies his gesture with racist insults allegedly uttered by the VA keeper. The case takes place on the legal ground while the Valenciennes are surprised at the timing of these accusations and defend their teammate. Thioune will finally be suspended for four games and Prior released. This match also marks a turning point in the season: unbeaten at home (3v) and still beaten away (3d) so far, the VAFC sees this dynamic being reversed. Since then, VA has still not won in Hainaut but always brought back at least one point of his trips, some of which are with sacred customers (Troyes, Auxerre)
Toulouse – VA (4-5): at the frontiers of reality
Beaten for the first time this season in Hainaut (Clermont 3-1), the week before, VA travels to Haute-Garonne for Matchday 10 stuck in an ongoing streak of four games without a win. And we say to ourselves that there is better than a former Ligue 1 resident who regains form after a missed start to the season to stop the bleeding. But since nothing ever goes as planned, the meeting will give birth to a surreal scenario punctuated by a victory (4-5) and a quadruple from Joffrey Cuffaut, including two similar goals from a free kick. An extraordinary performance which earned the defender the extremely rare score of 10 in La Voix des Sports. Crazy, crazy, incredible: this match deserves many superlatives but does not hide the Valencian paradox of these first months. VA has no shortage of offensive assets – even if for once it’s a defender who has done most of the work – but is no longer as strong as last season. On the lawn of the Stadium, Jérôme Prior, not delighted to have taken four goals, two of which were largely avoidable, will not hide his dissatisfaction while the Valenciennes savor this success that will be remembered.
VA-Amiens (0-2): the missed opportunity
The victory in Toulouse marks the start of the best Valencienne series this season: six matches without defeat with a victory in Chambly (1-2) and four draws between the 10th and 15th day. Ten points taken out of eighteen possible, that does not yet allow you to extricate yourself from the soft belly but VA nibbles and at least does not lose sight of the places of barrage. Even if Olivier Guegan regularly repeats that his team “ progress and must capitalize », This interesting series does not quite erase the feeling of standing still in the middle of the table. The arrival of Amiens, for the last match of the year in Hainaut has everything a great opportunity to finish on a good note against a big piece of the division. Jostled in the first half, VA had a golden opportunity to take the advantage on the penalty spot after the break, Opoku being excluded in stride. But Chevalier (54th) misses his attempt, a miss that presages the rest: Amiens scores twice at the end of the match and wins (2-0) giving this last outing a taste of frustration, like this first part of the season.
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