World Footy News

 

As the current football season in France heads into its winter break, teams can take stock of what has happened and what faces them when matches are scheduled to resume on 21st February.  Some fascinating results have littered the first half of the season, and many more are sure to occur before the finals are reached. Here is a team by team account of the season to date.

 

 

Cergy-Pontoise Coyotes – Currently sit on top of the ladder with three wins from three starts. Tough, close games against Lions and Firesharks show they have the ability to rise, but yet to meet fellow finals aspirants – Hawks, Cockerels, Bombers – so will have to work very hard after the break to stay ahead of the field. Their next match, the first in February after the break, is against the Bordeaux Bombers and could be a deciding factor in where the Coyotes go from here.

 

Bordeaux Bombers – Sitting in second place with two wins from three matches. Impressive in victory, but their loss to Toulouse says they have to get better against the stronger teams to `challenge for the grand-final.  Their clash with Coyotes immediately after the break will have a big say in where their season goes next.  Another win will set them up well for a finals tilt, but a loss could place them too far behind the leaders. The season is currently in their own hands.

 

Paris Cockerels – Their third placing does not accurately reflect their position. Two wins from two games, though one of those was from a forfeit. Their only actual match to date was a 100 point win over Strasbourg, which says they have firepower but doesn’t tell us if that firepower will be enough to challenge the other top teams. Their next match is against Toulouse, then they play the Coyotes, so many questions will be answered in those clashes.

 

Toulouse Hawks – Through the vagaries of a numeric system, the Hawks sit in fourth place with two wins. Yet those wins were massive, including a 109 point drubbing of fellow finals hopeful Bordeaux Bombers. A clash with Paris awaits after the break and will go a long way to determining whether Toulouse become outright favourites again for the championship. However, should they lose to Paris all other clubs in the finals race will grow a foot taller.

 

Strasbourg Kangourous – Currently sit in fifth place, with one good win against the Tigers. Way too early to be talking finals, but an impressive improvement so far on previous seasons. Still, their defeats have been heavy so there is still much room to improve. If they can gather wins against the Lions and maybe Firesharks they could still be hanging just out of the finals race at year’s end which would be a good season’s work.

 

Perpignan Tigers – Their bold win/loss ration says three losses from three starts, yet it isn’t that simple. The Tigers have been competitive in all matches, kicking 5 or more goals in each match. Not bad for a team which only returned to the fold this season. As they gather confidence and experience, the Tigers could improve further as the season goes. Their next match is against the Lions, and whilst it is no guarantee as a win, the Tigers would certainly grow extra legs if they do.

 

ALFA Lions – Whilst the Lions fell heavily to Toulouse earlier in the season, their only other match was an incredible one point loss to the Coyotes.  This suggests that with a full strength team the Lions can be very, very competitive. With winnable games to come against both Perpignan and Strasbourg, the Lions could yet have a big say in the fortunes of all teams this season, and potentially still enjoy their best season yet.

 

Montpellier Fire Sharks – Very difficult to get a read on this team.  Their only match to date was a gutsy 15 point loss to the Coyotes. Their other games have had to be rescheduled due to the forces of nature amongst other things. Apart from the rescheduled games, Montpellier play all of the lower sides – Tigers, Lions, Kangourous – and if they win these, and spring an odd surprise, they could yet have a say come finals time. Their next scheduled match is not until March against the Tigers, so a while to wait for a clearer picture.

 

 

Certainly the stage is set for a run home which could see a number of teams vying for a shot at the championship, and others still in the finals fight.  It is sure to be an exciting 2015 part of the season for all teams.