Match Review: Gaulois Sports Club vs FC Nippon

• GK Fauzi Johari
• DF Victor Papin
• DF Jean Vincent Vaury
• DF Maxence Ribalet
• MD Francois Bazin
• MD Irfan Muhammad
• ST Antoine Le Meitour
• ST Rodrigo Agundez
• ST Dani Pardon
• ST Eric Clermont
• ST Anatole Rousseau

• DF Thomas Vacher
• DF Raphael Froberger

Merry Christmas Nippon FC!!!

1pm TKO between GSC and Nippon with only 3pts separating them on the league table. Important game for both teams to keep the pace. The first 25 min saw a very even game with both teams creating few chances but missing on the final pass & transition. After the water break, GSC decided to offer the first gift to nippon. A misunderstanding offered a golden opportunity to the Japanese striker to open the mark 1-0. In the last 15 min of the first half, GSC, was less precise on the transitions and left nippon taking control over the game. On a very nice collective action, Nippon scored the 2nd one with a beautiful shot outside the box landing into GSC net. 2-0 at half time!!! Few changes operated on GSC side. With more aggressivity and better ball transitions, GSC attacked the second half with a different mindset. GSC started to create better football and be more dangerous. Few free kicks and a golden opportunity from Victor then Anatole deflected collectively by the Nippon defense and the keeper left GSC frustrated. ON a random game phase, Maxence decided to offer the 2nd Santa gift to Nippon offering a perfect assist to the Japanese team. 3-0 Shortly after, GSC managed to come back through a corner nicely delivered by Victor and converted by Anatole. 3-1 GSC kept pushing hard to come back to 3-2, but all opportunities ended closely outside. In the last minute of the game, GSC defense decided that 2 gifts were not enough and offered a last to the nippon team: 4-1 FINAL SCORE Merry Christmas Nippon and best of the for the season.

• Takaki NAKAMURA GK
• Gautam Butalia DF
• Yuki Ichikawa DF
• Katsumi Oku DF
• Ryuhei IKEDA MD
• Jaume Ferrer MD
• Seiji TACHIBANA MD
• Kodai Ochi ST
• Takuya Hagino ST
• Hiroki Saito ST
• Daichi Okamoto ST

• Osamu Akao DF
• Tomo Fujimura MD
• Kengo Sawada MD

Out of the tunnel...

FC NIPPON secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Gaulois FC in a tactical and well-fought match. Despite initial discussions about a 3-5-2 formation, the team reverted to the more familiar 4-5-1 to ensure defensive stability. First Half The defensive lineup featured Saito, Ichi, Katsumi, and G, with Ike and Jaume as central midfielders. Daichi and Pig played wide, while Hagi supported Ochi upfront. This setup allowed for a structured yet flexible approach against Gaulois FC's identical 4-5-1 formation. Gaulois FC struggled with limited movement and straightforward attacking patterns, with their French No. 20 in midfield providing some moments of composure. FC NIPPON capitalized on a goalkeeping error early in the first half, with Saito netting the opener. Shortly after, Daichi doubled the lead with a stunning cut-in and long-range strike, leaving FC NIPPON comfortably ahead at halftime. Second Half The second half saw few changes in the game's dynamics. The relentless heat slowed both teams, but FC NIPPON maintained control, leveraging their superior possession game. Shoya made a long-awaited return on the left flank, exploiting spaces left by the fatigued opposition. Despite some missed chances, Shoya’s persistence helped create pressure. Eventually, a defensive error by Gaulois FC allowed Shoya to break through for a 1v1 with the goalkeeper, calmly finishing to make it 3-0. Gaulois FC pulled one back midway through the half from a corner, heading in to make it 3-1. However, any hopes of a comeback were dashed in the dying moments. A fortunate mis-kick by Nakamura found Hagi, who exchanged a quick pass with Akao before slotting the ball home to seal a convincing 4-1 victory.