Footballin’ Vol. 1 - Olympique Lyonnais
part i, the setup: intro
There’s no reason I should have even ended up in Lyon.
More accurately, there are various reasons why I should not have traveled there.
And yet, I’m losing my voice here with 50,000 new friends as we’re a penalty away from turning a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 victory.
But how and why did I find myself at one of the most pulsating matches in Europe this year in person?
And exactly how did it feel to watch such a wild turn of events in person?
Stick around for a really long-winded answer that’s debatably worthwhile to read.
part i, the setup: me
I’m a big city guy.
I didn’t grow up in the city, I don’t live in one now, and it doesn’t look like I will anytime soon. But I tend to feel most alive and, indeed, at home where there’s plenty of people and a palpable sense of action.
I’m also a miser.
I tend to be as frugal as possible, even while traveling. I’m still under 25 and I’m a student with no full-time job.
So with both these characteristics in mind, I’ll give you a scenario and let you guess what I chose to do.
I’m in Paris, France, one of the world’s most active cities, on an off week from freelance work. I’m here with two friends for the weekend after spending the previous few days in England.
I’m about out of money. It’s Saturday and my friends leave Sunday morning, while my flight home is for Monday afternoon.
I have one more day to dedicate to Paris, perhaps the cultural center of the universe. How do I spend it?
On a high-speed train down the French countryside, as it turns out.
What I failed to mention was the trump card in my deck of personality traits.
I’m more than a city-lover, a travel geek, and a cheapskate.
I’m a football fanatic.
part i, the setup: football
Not that disgrace of a game they play in my home country, either. I’m talking about o joga bonito.
You know, the one a couple 6-year olds just showed up to play on the street in front of me as I write this on my Google Docs app on my phone.
And I don’t speak a lick of French, but I’m pretty sure they’re having a brotherly argument while they play. Multitasking at its finest.
It’s also the crux of what makes football uniquely appealing in my eyes. Something about it feels purely emotional, entirely human.
It’s not that other sports can’t evoke that same feeling, but it’s almost as if football can only be played in that fashion.
It can only be played with the heart.
Turns out I travel with my heart, too, and my heart chose football over money, city preferences, or conventional wisdom.
With no good match to watch on a Sunday in Paris (Buenos Aires could never), I spent three figures on a whirlwind 20 hours in Lyon.
part ii, the surroundings: lyon, france
Before we get to Olympique Lyonnais, the football club that will become the main attraction, let me try and capture its surroundings.
Lyon, a city I knew nothing about pre-arrival, is innately intimate and almost immediately elicits emotion and inspiration.
It doesn’t take long to see why. Lyon is perched on the edge of the Alps and right above where the Reine and Seine rivers unite. Unsurprisingly, the resulting backdrop holds a beauty that is difficult to describe.
Also easy to notice are the historical and multi-hued buildings. They don’t tower over you or wow you with elaborate designs, but the tight alleyways they create and their excellent preservation over centuries are awe-striking in their own right.
Walkways along the Reine are beautiful, and the bridges across it are even more so.
Even on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, people were packed into open squares, finding shade in expansive parks, or dipping into French bakeries for the best in baked goods worldwide.
The eastern side of the city serves as the old town, where attractions such as Roman ruins and a mural dating back to revolutionary times unite uniqueness and beauty.
West of the river is where a much larger proportion of the city sits, and it’s also where you’ll find malls, restaurants, both major train stations, and plenty of parks.
From any side of the city, the mountain backdrops are incredible. Every open street corner is a viewpoint.
Anywhere you go across town, a mix of tourists and townsfolk exist in much more harmony than they do in Paris. Maybe that’s why the Lyonnais seemed so much friendlier, or perhaps it’s just a regional specificity.
Third on France’s population list (500,000) but second among metro areas (>2 million), Lyon is best known for being the birthplace of cinema and the home of multiple major universities.
It isn’t surprising, then, that the middle and upper classes are out in full force here, especially not since the economic and gaming sectors are booming lately.
There’s certainly an affluence and comfort in Lyon that not too many major cities can call upon. But even aside from the economy, things just feel right in the world in Lyon.
The balance between nature, history, culture, art, gastronomy, and bustle feels utopian here.
And with the geographical stage having been set, it’s time to flip over to the football. It’s what I made the trip for, after all.
part ii, the surroundings: olympique lyonnais
I’d estimate I’ve watched a little over 500 in-person football matches across all levels. So suffice it to say I’m lucky to have lots of experience to call back on when it comes to a football experience.
That said, Groupama Stadium on the outskirts of Lyon is easily one of the largest stadiums I’ve ever gotten to catch a match in.
And it’s large for a reason; after all, it houses Olympique Lyonnais (commonly called Lyon or OL), the third most popular football club in the nation with perhaps the most infamous supporters in France.
Known as Les Gones, a regional French translation of “The Boys”, Lyon have been through good, bad, and altogether strange times.
The club had never won a first-division championship at the turn of the 21st century, only managing that feat for the first time in 2002.
But then, against the odds, they ran it back in 2003. Then again in 2004. And again in 2005… until they’d accrued a marvelous seven straight league titles by 2008.
Since ‘08, though? Not another title.
They finished second twice in 2014 and 2015 and picked up a Coupe de France (a secondary French competition separate from the league) in 2012.
But it’s fair to say Lyon haven’t won a meaningful piece of silverware in a decade and a half.
Zooming out a bit, the French top tier is called Ligue 1 (Un) and it’s generally considered the fifth wheel among the top five leagues in Europe. They’re in the conversation with the elite leagues in Spain, England, Germany, and Italy, but Ligue 1 is something of a half-step below the other four in quality and prestige.
Aside from oil-rich Paris Saint-Germain, a world-famous club owned by the Qatari government, French clubs are name brands continentally but not title contenders.
And sure, PSG and its stifling success have plenty to do with the title drought at Lyon. The Parisian giants have won nine of the past 11 Ligue 1 championships, after all. They’re cruising to another one this year as well to make it 10 from 12.
At the same time, though, Lyon went from coming up a little short to imploding as the 2020s arrived.
Between their last title in 2008 and the 2019 season, OL never finished below 5th place, and they only finished 5th once.
They posted a 7th-best mark in 2020, returned to fourth in 2021, and followed that up with finishing 8th and 7th, respectively the past two seasons.
part iii, the preview: olympique lyonnais
This year, after a disastrous start that caused fans to make headlines when they publicly berated their own players, they sit in tenth. That’s in the bottom half of the 18-team Ligue 1.
Certainly not meeting Les Gones’ standards.
As bleak as it sounds, though, things are looking up lately.
Since February, they’ve beaten archrival Marseille, gone 7-1-1 in the league, and advanced all the way to the final in the Coupe de France. There, they’ll have a chance to slay the mighty PSG, but that’s later down the line.
In the present, their next four matches going into this match are against all the top four teams in the league.
If they can complete a good stretch against these next four opponents, they’ll prove to themselves that the turnaround hasn’t been a fluke. They’ll also end the season with a good taste in their mouths and even possibly rescue a spot in a European competition next year (the top six teams out of France qualify for one).
The first of the four to face is the one I’m here for, Stade Brestois (better known as Brest) at home.
With a kickoff time of 8:45 PM local time on a Sunday, it’s easily the last fixture of the weekend. Lyon would move to seventh with a win.
But it means a lot for second-placed Brest, too.
part iii, the preview: stade brestois
They’ve already accomplished a famous result this season. The humble club from a beach town in the northwest currently claims 1987 as their best-ever season, when they finished 8th.
Just achieving that was too much to sustain for Brest, as they were forced into amateur status just four years later due to outstanding debts.
After a decade and change of amateur status, they reached the professional divisions again in 2004. While OL was winning their titles, Brest was clawing their way back up to Ligue 1. They did it for the 2011 season but only lasted three years before a relegation and another six-year stay in the second tier.
They got promoted again in 2019 and have survived Ligue 1 since then, never finishing higher than 11th in the process.
And out of nowhere, with no stars or household names in sight, Brest has shocked France in 2023-24 with a magical season.
They’re ten points behind PSG before tonight, but it’s not impossible that they make a mad dash for an improbable title. Even without that, they’re hellbent on hanging on to their top-four place that would send them to the prestigious Champions League next year.
part iii, the preview: stade brestois
So we have a David v Goliath, but it’s flipped on its head.
The popular Gones with a successful history are at a low point, but they’re playing their best football of the season.
The boys from Brest are virtually unknowns, but they’ve been one of France’s best teams all year.
It’s a mindwarp, a wasp’s nest of stinging storylines.
Even figuring out who’s the favorite and who’s the underdog isn’t simple. All I know going in is that I’m supporting Lyon—and hoping for the exciting, tightly matched tilt we seem to be headed for.
I love all football.
Men’s and women’s, youth and adult, amateur and top-tier professional. It’s all football and I’ll never get enough.
But what I especially love is football I know about. When I’m aware of the storylines, I feel like I’m experiencing a match in a different way.
And I knew of both clubs coming in, but I hardly ever watch Ligue 1. So I did my research as I rested in the early afternoon Sunday before making the trip to Groupama out to the east.
That meant I knew everything I’ve just told you before I walked into the venue at about 8:15 in the evening.
part iv: the proceedings: pre-match
Dusk was just arriving and it was cooling off from a high of 82 degrees that day.
It had already been a great day, but a Lyon win would have been a perfect nightcap and cemented their status as the French team I support.
I become a loyal fan pretty quickly. I knew the backstory, and I wanted this OL win.
But I also empathized with Brest. Theirs is usually the type of story I get behind; something about a team everyone overlooks really attracts me.
Not tonight, though. Lyon was my city on this Sunday, and OL is Lyon’s team through and through.
Fifty thousand fans agreed enough to make the trip and virtually fill all three levels of the stadium.
It’s better described as a monstrous Mecca for the Lyonnais, honestly.
The support for this team almost feels religious, and it’s quintessential “big club” European football in that sense.
Outside of Argentina, OL has the best fan atmosphere I’ve ever seen in person. Aside from the US, they have the most fans as well.
Their supporters section is actually two sections, as there are two different groups supporting Lyon. Together, they occupy both ends and the jumping, chanting contingents reach into the upper bowl.
Even walking on the perimeter of the stadium, I could tell I’d be walking into a crazy atmosphere based on how many people had congregated outside to chat and eat pregame food.
But when I finally did get in… well, it was a feeling I have trouble turning into words.
OL’s got lots of finances and they spare no expense in the fan atmosphere at home matches.
There were light shows, a video board with hype materials playing, a pristine sound system, and lots of other amenities you don’t tend to see at football matches.
But the presentation team also knew when to get out of the way and let the fans be the stars of their own show.
A couple minutes before kickoff, the whole place started their team song in unison. Once it was finished, both supporter’s groups started to erupt in separate but equally loud chants.
And with that around them, the two sets of players were ready to kick things off.
part iv: the proceedings: lineups
Brest, which had a contingent of 75 or so in their away section, lined up with eleven guys I’d never heard of. No older guys who used to be stars, no touted young prodigies, nobody who should have been worth anything.
As they’re announced, they unfurl a humble handmade banner stating “Vous honorez notre ville”.
You bring honor to our city.
And somehow, these nobodies were doing just that. Even though I was supporting Lyon, that banner sent a lot of emotion through me.
For the home side, though, it was household name after household name.
Goalkeeper Anthony Lopes is one of the best goalkeepers in Ligue 1’s recent history. He’s been in Lyon’s red, white and blue colors since 2009 and never played for another pro club.
Defenders Nico Tagliafico and Ainsley Mailand-Niles have European pedigree, and midfielder Nemanja Matić has starred at global giants like Manchester United, Roma, and Chelsea.
OL’s biggest star, though, is one of their own. A man who came up from the Lyon reserve team, earned elite status here, moved to Arsenal and came back as a seasoned 32-year old veteran.
Alexandre Lacazette is his name, and his is the one receiving the most cheers around Groupama as the lineup is announced.
He’s that guy who keeps his team from ever truly believing a match is out of reach. He does what it takes to win. He scores tons of goals.
And he loves this club.
part iv: the proceedings: first half [lyon 0 – 0 brest]
The first whistle arrives, and I start to recognize why Brest have picked up so many points this year.
They just play simple, effective football.
Their movement is smart and coordinated. It feels like every decision they make is the right one and they don’t complicate things.
Anywhere on the pitch is a bad place to give away possession against Brest. Nowhere is safe. They’ll get up the pitch with plenty of numbers in a couple of passes and you’ll have hardly blinked.
It’s just an incredibly rare instance of a small team playing with small-team tactics, but performing them so well that the concept of the “better” team is blurred.
It was fascinating to watch, but problematic for OL. Their first ten minutes were a little flat, and Brest had the better chances.
The response was what would matter most, though. I would just have to be patient and wait for it; Lacazette at least would get his chance.
He wouldn’t need to, as it turned out. The next ten minutes were much better and would eventually yield the opening goal from a corner.
In the 18th minute, the attacking pressure was building from Lyon and the crowd were really getting behind them. It’s exactly the type of moment you’ve got to score in, a golden opportunity that must be taken advantage of.
And take advantage they did via a nice half-volley from Corentin Tolisso, another longtime OL player who’s well loved around here.
Off a free kick that Brest couldn’t deal with, the French midfielder saw the ball fall to him on the far post and knew where the goal was, finishing from close range into the roof of the net.
Les Gones had their opening goal, and it opened the game up in a way that played into their hands totally.
A Brest team that thrived on patient passing and pressure resorted to forcing the issue, and it wasn’t working against such a roster and rowdy support as OL had behind them.
The visitors did find some joy at times and truly should have bagged a goal in the first half if not more. Thanks to heroics from the club legend between the posts, though, a 1-0 advantage for Lyon was the state of affairs after 45 minutes.
And as strange as it sounds, it just felt like ideal territory for Brest. They’d always prefer to be winning, I’m sure, but that’s a team built to play under low expectations.
Down a goal and with a halftime break, I felt they’d be able to strategize better and keep the admirable effort up.
It would take another goal or some very strong defending for me to see my home victory. I was sure of it.
part iv: the proceedings: second half [lyon 1 – 0 brest]
During the halftime break, I geared myself up for an intense, emotional second half as OL attempted to hold onto their lead against one of the country’s best teams. But what took place was something I never could have predicted.
For the first 15 minutes of the second half, it looked like Lyon were going with the strong defending option.
Attacking threats weren’t there and Brest were asking all the questions.
It took solid work from Lyon’s back line to make it to the 60 minute mark with the lead intact, but it didn’t feel sustainable for another half-hour.
Sure enough, my fears became frustration as a free kick went Brest’s way and they converted it beautifully.
Set pieces are always an equalizer, but Brest probably deserved a leveling goal anyway. It was a well-placed cross from Romain Del Castillo (who, in an interesting twist of fate, was formerly a Lyon player) and Steve Mounie rose highest to deliver the headed goal.
With the scoreline at 1-1, I still felt confident OL could turn it around in front of their home fans and grab a dramatic win. But the drama had hardly begun, as it would turn out.
Soon after, Del Castillo would leave another scar on his former club.
Once again, it was a free kick from the three-year Brest player. This time, though, it was a direct shot that took advantage of Lopes’ only real mistake in goal.
It was still an excellent performance from the Portuguese goalkeeper, but he swiped unsuccessfully at Del Castillo’s crafty kick and made it 2-1 in Brest’s favor in the process.
Emotionally, the supporters stayed loud, trying to help their team back into it. But the reality was setting in for many of us—with 25 minutes left, rescuing a draw was the best we could reasonably hope for.
That was, until the 67th minute.
Because a disastrous ten minutes turned even more traumatic for Lyon. A classic counter attack from Brest gave them a 3v2 chance while Lyon players pushed forward to try and tie things up.
From the left wing, a cross found Kamory Doumbia in front of goal, who made an unselfish extra pass. The man to finish it off with ease was Del Castillo once more, grabbing a brace to go with his earlier assist.
Olympique Lyonnais 1, Stade Brestois 3.
It was a disgrace at the Groupama. A grand disappointment.
Everything had been going so right in recent times, and ten bad minutes were about to ruin the run of good form for Lyonnais.
It all felt so hopeless, so wrong. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go.
I was happy for Brest, sure. But most of the Lyon players had put forth tons of effort and the fans deserved so much more for their performance in the stands.
But I was quickly resigning myself to the fact that it just wasn’t going to happen for us.
I’ve watched way too much football to fully believe in the chances of a multi-goal comeback in less than 30 minutes. I’ve seen it happen, but it’s just so rare and has hardly ever happened in my favor.
And all that was just to Heimlich a draw out of the evening.
But all of a sudden, dwindling hope turned into an outside chance. 3-1 became 3-2 when Lacazette, OL’s eternal hero, scored his 178th goal for the club.
It came in minute 70, as another missed header found the back post. This time, it came from a corner, where Lacazette tends to be tenacious.
A low, powerful shot beat the Brest goalkeeper and sent the stadium into an eruption that felt more like relief than jubilation.
Just the chance to believe again was the cause for celebration.
But there would be nothing to truly celebrate without another goal, and only twenty minutes remained to try and secure it.
For a while, it felt like it wouldn’t come. Brest were impenetrable, or so it seemed.
I remember thinking we’d really need to have one around the 80th minute, or else the final ten would be horribly tense and likely all for naught.
And wouldn’t you know it, we grabbed the equalizer for 3-3 with a few seconds to spare in the 79th.
Rayan Cherki, a five-year Lyon player despite being only 20 years of age, played provider from the center of the park, lasering a pass out left where Tagliafico was waiting.
The Argentinian was there at the edge of the box to dispatch his fourth goal for Lyon across two seasons. His effort fizzed across the Brest goalkeeper into the bottom right corner, and all of a sudden, we had 3-3.
It was perfect. So long as we could hold it, that was.
Or, just maybe… no, better not to dream. Surely we couldn’t get a third straight goal and win this thing outright.
Well, both sides had their chances. OL pressed lots of Brest’s buttons, and the visitors came back in kind with counters that took advantage of how many numbers were being brought forward.
Five minutes of that went by, and it felt like both sides were slowing down.
Just as it felt like we were destined for a draw, Cherki saw a shot deflected right into his path five years from goal. In a tragic turn, he managed to mishit it and waste the chance to win.
And just like that. We had turned it all the way around and when the chance came to win it outright, we didn’t take advantage.
But more drama ensued less than a minute later. A Brest player drew the ire of OL counterparts with a flop, and the two sides started shoving.
The snafu ended with a red card on each side; strangely, both were second yellow cards.
With two more yellows handed out and substitutions made, the match got underway again with both teams searching for a winner.
By this point, despite such a big comeback, anything but a win just felt wrong for Lyon.
Nine minutes of added time were indicated by the referees, and in the eighth, another stoppage presented itself.
A ball came in from right to left for Lyon, hoping to find the foot of Lacazette for one more moment of brilliance.
Instead, Brest captain Brendan Chardonnet arrived there first. In the eye of the center official, he got the ball legally. But Lacazette went down hard and a video review was requested.
After a lengthy look, and while Lacazette was deemed too badly injured to continue, the referee decided it was indeed a foul on Chardonnet.
Penalty.
Absolute scenes.
Without Lacazette, the clear first choice for penalty kicks, it was Maitland-Niles, a 26-year old defender from England, who stepped up and took the pressure kick.
Sure enough, the goal did come and Lyon completed a three-goal turnaround with virtually the last kick of the game.
It was a bonkers way to get three points, and the fans sang with giddiness the whole way out of the stadium and onto the trains that took them home.
In one of the more memorable wins in OL history, Les Gones had kept their streak alive and put themselves right in the mix for European football next year.
part v: processing and summarizing
You’ve got to appreciate when poetic justice seems to have been served.
I firmly felt that way on this Sunday evening.
And I was lucky enough to take it all in live.
So I think it’s official that I’ll make Olympique Lyonnais my French team of choice. It was a perfect nightcap to a lovely day in Lyon, and maybe the best football match I’ve ever watched in person.
There’s a very subtle difference between the feeling of a loss and that of a win as you go home, thinking about the world once again. It’s not as cavernous a change as you’d think. When you lose, you move on to the next day, and you do the same when you win.
But something about this particular win will stick with me, maybe forever.
Something about going from hopelessness to ecstasy to a result I didn’t even dare to dream about is just a special occasion.
I ought to enjoy it and hang onto this feeling for as long as I have it.
And for Lyon, as they undoubtedly do the same, they’ll have to keep navigating an understated underdog status, a confusing combination of David and Goliath that their history has handed them.
As for me, it was a joy just to step into that history for a brief moment, and I imagine I’ll remember those 90 minutes as long as I live.
