Coupe De France: Reims Reach Semis for the First Time in 37 Years!
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Stade de Reims advanced past Angers SCO in a penalty shootout (5-3) after a 1-1 draw in their Coupe de France quarterfinal on Tuesday night at Stade Raymond Kopa.
The first 45 minutes saw Reims record seven total shots while Angers countered with three. After a scoreless first half, the final 45 minutes saw the excitement levels increase with the late drama that this contest provided.
Reims broke the scoreless deadlock late in the second half as Hiroki Sekine's cross from the right found Keito Nakamura wide open in the box. Nakamura headed the ball into the back of the net, leaving Melvin Zinga caught off guard as the visitors opened the scoring in the 79th minute.
Samba Diawara and his team did their best to hold onto this advantage, but Angers found the back of the net right as the match was nearing its end with Bamba Dieng scoring in the second half stoppage time.
In the box, Lilian Raolisoa’s header hit the crossbar. The ball bounced back into the Reims area, where Bamba Dieng pulled off an acrobatic right-footed volley and beat Yehvann Diouf.
Despite conceding a late goal, Reims held firm when the match went to a penalty shootout. Nakamura, Gabriel Moscardo, Nhoa Sangui, Junya Ito, and Oumar Diakité all converted their penalties, with Diouf making a crucial stop on Ibrahima Niane’s right-footed shot.
With the win over Angers, Reims advanced to the Coupe de France semifinal for the first time since 1988. After the contest, Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot spoke about what it means for the club to be at this stage of the competition.
"The Coupe de France is mainly about making the people of Reims proud in a season that is challenging for clubs like ours. Shining a little in a Coupe de France run. And everyone who follows Stade de Reims knows that since I became president—more than 20 years ago—I’ve had just one dream: for us to one day reach the final."
In the other match, National 2 side AS Cannes defeated Ligue 2’s En Avant de Guingamp (3-1) to advance to the semifinals.
The final round of matches will be played Wednesday night with Stade Brestois hosting Dunkerque, while underdog Stade Briochin are looking to pull off an upset against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Stat: 3
Reims made history as the first Ligue 1 McDonald's club to win three consecutive penalty shootouts in a single Coupe de France tournament.
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