PSG's lost opportunity...sigh

Ok I have finally recovered...sort of....from a difficult sport watching weekend. France got trounced by England in the six nations tourney, the Bruins got mauled by the Penguins, and of course PSG lost to hated rival Marseilles. Well at least Arsenal won and Manchester United lost, then again that might too little too late...ok so lets try to revisit the PSG game.

The Good:

• Both teams looked to carry the game to the other, both teams allowed their offenses to attack. Guily and Hourau looked good as the up front tandem for PSG with Luyindula and Rothen roaming the flanks. The defense looked fairly solid, until they lost Camara to a red card. Marseilles' Zenden looked a completely different player and Brandao looked dangerous up front, the first goal being a great piece of work between both players.
• The fans appeared fairly restrained. This derby match usual leads to numerous arrests, violence, and overall fan mayhem. This match seemed to be much more tame, which is good for the security in Paris.
• The keepers, both Landreau and Mandanda are at the top of their games and both played well. Granted Landreau gave up 3 goals, but none were his fault they were all superbly taken chances by OM. Mandanda looked solid and showed more confidence in taking on the balls lobbed into the penalty area. What pains me, is that based on this showing, and more importantly his season so far, it is clear that Landreau should still be in the mix for France's #1 slot, too bad Domenech is a bit clueless when it comes to managing his keepers.

The Bad:

• Giving up 3 goals...ugh....how can that be anything but bad!!!
  
• Missed opportunity for PSG, with Lyon losing at home to Auxerre, Paris had a great opportunity to at least draw even with the leaders in France. With a win, PSG would have been 2 points clear of Lyon and leader of Ligue 1. What a lost opportunity. First of all, there was no need for additional motivation for PSG in this game, anytime PSG plays OM there is no need for either team to be motivated to play hard. But what really kills me is that PSG had a fantastic chance to take the lead of the title chase...this from a team that was battling relegation last season. Granted Marseilles was also highly motivated, with a win they would draw even with PSG in second place, and 1 point behind Lyon. Additionally they would want to avenge the 4-2 loss at the velodrome.

The Ugly:

• Missing Sessegnon, it was clear that the one element that Paris missed was their talented #10. Sessegnon has become the intrigal part of PSG, controlling the center of the park being supported by Makelele, Chantome and Clement with the above mentioned on the flanks. Without the Benin international, PSG was not able to control the middle of the pitch as well as the pace of the game well enough to slow down the Marseilles counters. For PSG to have a real chance to win the Ligue 1 title, Sessegnon will need to stay out of suspension trouble and stay on the pitch. The next few weeks will be crucial, leading up to the April 25th match at Gerland against Lyon. Sessegnon will be vital in allowing the PSG offense to continue to click.

This was not a devastating lose for PSG. They remain 1 point behind Lyon and still have a match against the leader. The upcoming stretch will be crucial - Toulouse, Nice, Lille, Le Havre and then Lyon. Other than Le Havre, all these teams are in the top half of the table. Marseilles and Lyon have an easier stretch but their final part of the season is brutal, including a head to head between OM and OL. If PSG can be in first place by the last month of the season, they stand a good chance to some how winning the title. Not bad for a team that seemed destined for Ligue 2 last season.

Some low lights of the game....from a PSG's fans perspective -