Zambia vs Egypt FOXBOROUGH - It was never Matt Ryan’s intent to wax nostalgic about the memorable moments he had during his career at Boston College.
Sure, the former BC quarterback, selected third overall by the Falcons last year, was happy to be back in the area and catch up with some familiar faces.
But make no mistake: Ryan would have preferred if things had gone differently in yesterday’s 26-10 loss to the Patriots.
“Yeah, it’s always a good place to come back to,’’ Ryan said. “I have some great memories from BC, so it was a good visit but, unfortunately, we didn’t get the outcome that we wanted, so in that sense it was frustrating.’’
But was it distracting?
“Since we started back in the draft process, you can see that Matt is a focused football player,’’ said Falcons coach Mike Smith. “Matt is focused on one thing and that’s what happens between those two sidelines. I don’t think it affected Matt one bit.’’
Whether it was the football gear he wore on the field or the maroon and gold necktie he wore after the game, Ryan comported himself in a businesslike manner.
He flashed a smile and chuckled when he was asked if his choice of neckwear was intentional.
“Coincidence,’’ Ryan said. “Actually, I didn’t even really think about it. But thank you for noticing, I appreciate that.’’ Then, noting the Eagles’ 27-24 overtime victory against Wake Forest Saturday, Ryan added, “A big win yesterday for BC.’’
Ryan had hoped for a big win of his own yesterday.
“We thought we came out and did a good job of moving the ball but we just couldn’t put the ball in the end zone,’’ said Ryan, who completed 17 of 28 passes for 199 yards. “When you play a good football team like New England, in their stadium, you’re going to have to do that, so [my] hat’s off to them. They played better than us today.’’
The Patriots’ defense seemed to put a great deal of pressure on Ryan by taking away Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, who was limited to a 16-yard catch in the fourth quarter, and by keeping in check running back Michael Turner, who was held to 56 yards on 15 carries.
“They wanted to bracket Tony a little bit and obviously stop Michael and the run game,’’ receiver Michael Jenkins said. “But we were still able to move the ball. They didn’t want us to have the ball on defense. We worked hard, but it wasn’t enough.’’
Ryan never appeared awestruck by sharing the field with Tom Brady, whom Ryan followed and admired during his time at BC.
“I had never been down here so, first and foremost, it was cool to see it,’’ Ryan said. “I have watched from a distance from my time at BC. But, that said, I have played enough games in the league now that when you get somewhere, you have to go out there and you have to produce and you have to line up against whoever you’re playing, so it doesn’t make a difference who the opponent is that week, you have to go out there and you have to execute.’’
For the better part of three quarters, Ryan succeeded in doing just that. But after Jenkins’s apparent TD was called back in the third quarter, the Falcons seemed to sputter. To make matters worse, the Patriots went on drives of 70 and 72 yards in the fourth quarter that resulted in Stephen Gostkowski’s 33-yard field goal and Chris Baker’s 36-yard TD grab, respectively.
Atlanta, meanwhile, generated just 32 yards on its three possessions in the fourth quarter, the last two of which resulted in three-and-outs.
“Again, when you play a good football team like New England, especially a good offense like New England, [which] controls the tempo and tries to eat up time of possession, you have to score when you get opportunities and, unfortunately, we didn’t get that done,’’ said Ryan.
But the Falcons departed Foxborough recognizing there will be many more games than not when their quarterback does get the job done.
“I keep saying it all along that he has got the great arm and is the prototype,’’ Gonzalez said. “But I think the real thing that is going to separate him in the long run is him wanting to go out there and be the best. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say he is a 10 as far as his work ethic is concerned . . . He is a special player and is on his way.’’
La série noire va-t-elle s’arrêter, et l’Algérie sera-t-elle qualifiée pour la Coupe du Monde 2010 en Afrique du sud ? C’était l’enjeu premier du match qui se déroulait ce dimanche 6 septembre 2009 au stade Mustapha Tchaker de Blida, littéralement tapissé de vert et rouge, aux couleurs de l’Algérie... Pari gagné pour l’équipe nationale algérienne, au terme d’un match aprement disputé, grâce à un but décisif marqué en deuxième mi-temps.
Les premières minutes de la rencontre avaient été euphoriques, la sélection algérienne semblant d’emblée imposer son rythme et une domination claire à une équipe zambienne un temps désarçonnée. Mais les joueurs zambiens reprenaient rapidement l’offensive, avec des contres particulièrement menaçants, et une vélocité qui paraissait, après vingt minutes de jeu, couper les jambes des joueurs algériens. Le match aurait alors pu basculer, à la faveur du désarroi de la défense algérienne... Mais les attaquants zambiens ne parvinrent pas à concrétiser leurs occasions, échouant à plusieurs reprises sur des actions très menaçantes.
La première période se soldait donc par un score nul, et une forme d’incertitude planait encore sur le stade de Blida, où les spectateurs commençaient à douter...
Dès le début de la deuxième mi-temps la sélection algérienne reprit l’offensive, et bientôt l’avantage, grâce à un but magnifique de son attaquant Rafik Saifi à la 59e minute. L’attaquant qui fit les beaux jours du club de Lorient, transféré cet été au club qatari d’Al-Khor, avait déjà inscrit un but de la tête à la 33ème minute de la première période, mais l’arbitre l’avait refusé pour un hors-jeu... discutable ? Inutile de polémiquer sur sa décision, puisque le deuxième but marqué fut incontestable !
Le match resta pourtant extrêmement disputé jusqu’aux arrêts de jeu, l’équipe zambienne ne s’avouant pas vaincue tant que le coup de sifflet final n’eut pas retenti...
La victoire algérienne a soulevé l’enthousiasme à Blida comme dans toute l’Algérie, dont l’équipe nationale reprend ainsi son avance dans le classement du groupe C, où l’Egypte l’avait rejointe en s’imposant face au Rwanda (1-0) samedi 5 septembre.
La suite reste à écrire, puisque les Fenechs rencontreront les Pharaons pour la "Finale" du groupe C le 14 novembre, au Caire, après avoir rencontré les Rwandais le 10 octobre prochain... Même si rien n’est joué, le chemin de la qualification est donc largement ouvert, puique l’Algérie a trois points d’avance avec deux matchs à jouer seulement... L’espoir naît à Alger de retrouver l’élite mondiale du foorball et de disputer enfin une nouvelle Coupe du Monde en 2010... Après 24 ans d’absence (depuis 1986) dans la plus prestigieuse compétition mondiale !