As the French football season picks up steam, long-dead rivalry has been reignited for the first time in two years.
One of the league’s top rivalries belong to the capital city as the Paris based clubs Flash de la Courneuve (1-0) and Molosses d’Asnières-sur-Seine (0-1) will go at it in this cross-town matchup under the lights.
The Flash made a statement in their first appearance since 2020 smacking around the defending champion Thonon Black Panthers in a 35-0 win. Offensively, former Florida Atlantic (NCAA DI) passer Conor Miller will look to spread the ball to dangerous weapons like Stephan Fortes and former Green Bay Packers tight end Ryan Smith. On the ground, Jason Bofunda and Guillaume Buquet give La Courneuve options in the backfield.
Anthony Abandzounou stole the show last week notching three sacks for the Flash. This week, Abandzounou and the rest of the physical defense will be dialed in against the run, playing their run-first rival. Expect defensive backs Amir Kilani and Mamouduo Drama to contain an explosive Molosses backfield.
On the home sideline, Molosses enters today’s contest after a tough one-score loss last week. The Mollosians have several new players on offense this year, including quarterback Adrien Roux who comes over them from the Dragons de Paris. Roux will look to target receivers Elikem Selgala, Kenny Bonnot, and Maxence Buyoya as the offense aims to bounce back from a lackluster 14-point performance last week. In the backfield, Kevin Carbeit is a speedy ball carrier who could create some big plays.
Defensively, the Molossians have one of the country’s top secondaries as Tancred Mennesson and Giovanni Bitodi are two new impact players. Bitodi returns to France after spending three years in Quebec playing for the Vulkins Victoriaville Cegep program. With Bitodi’s return home, Molosses snatched up a versatile player who can player defensive back, running back, and kick returner.
Parisian fans packed the stadium last week making for an amazing atmosphere in the Flash’s long-awaited return. Players and coaches are hoping for another excited crowd as this crosstown Paris rivalry looks to live up to the hype.
LIVESTREAM FRANCE: Flash de la Courneuve @ Molosses d’Asnières-sur-Seine, February 19, 20:00 CET, (9pm, 2pm ET) (link will go live at game time)