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Lyon vs. Marseille - The game of the year

November 9, 2009 11:50 AM | Posted by   John Molinaro  

Every once in a while, two teams come along and play a match that reminds me why soccer is the greatest sport on the planet.

Such a match took place this past weekend – and no, I'm not talking about Chelsea's 1-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

A jam-packed Stade de Gerland in France saw an epic encounter on Sunday between Olympique Lyon and Olympique Marseille, a memorable game that will be talked about for years to come.

Before we go any further, I should say that I watch a lot of soccer. I say this not to brag or puff out my chest, but only to give you some context as to what I am about to say.

I watch anywhere from 15-20 games per week (which would probably explain why I am single) from countries all over the world: Italy, England, Spain, Russia, Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina, MLS, etc. etc. If there's a game on TV, chances are I'm watching it.

But I tell you this – I haven't watched a better game this year than the 5-5 thriller between Lyon on Marseille.

For two hours, I sat spellbound on my sofa, watching these two giants of French soccer got at it with reckless abandon.

The electric atmosphere inside the stadium spurred on the players, who played at a frenetic pace that would put any game in the English Premiership (renowned for its speed) to shame.

Unlike the Man U-Chelsea encounter at Stamford Bridge, the Ligue Un contest produced a gluttony of scoring chances, and delivered all the drama, suspense and plot twists of an episode of Law and Order.

And while some of the goals were a result of slack defending, most of them were products of incredible feats of athleticism and creative vision.

Lyon took a 2-1 lead after only 15 minutes with Sidney Govou scoring a highlight-reel goal that was on par with Cesc Fabregas's effort against Spurs last week.

Lyon appeared to be in control, but the momentum switched when Benoit Cheyrou tied things up for Marseille just before halftime.

L'OM took a 3-2 lead early in the second half with a world-class half-volley from Bakari Kone and padded its lead with 11 minutes left in regulation when Brandao scored off a corner kick.

At this point, the game appeared to be over and I was about to change channels. Thank goodness I didn't because there were plenty more goals and drama to come.

Amazingly, Lyon struck back with three consecutive goals, including one in the 90th minute, to arise from the dead and take a 5-4 lead, sending the hometown fans into a state of frenzy.

Their joy was short-lived, however.

Lyon couldn't defend the lead and coughed up an own-goal in injury time, allowing Marseille to escape with a point.

Ten goals in 90 plus minutes of heart-stopping, thrill-a-second, edge-of-your-seat action that reaffirmed my faith in the beautiful game.

Merci!

Follow John F. Molinaro on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro

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