Ligue 2 promotion, goalkeepers hold their clubs’ fate as pressure tests nerve | OneFootball

As the Ligue 2 run-in bites, goalkeepers are being cast as potential kingmakers in the promotion race. As reported by L'Équipe, their ability to handle pressure could tilt seasons.

Steeve Elana, promoted to Ligue 1 with Caen in 2004 and Brest in 2010 and a veteran of 284 Ligue 2 matches, believes keepers crave decisive moments that link their names to a rise. He places their influence alongside that of strikers and says spring demands mental clarity to balance team and personal aims without being swallowed by pressure.

Elana adds that the stakes are everywhere, from salary and reputation to the chance of playing in Ligue 1 and whether a club will keep faith. He describes feeling at times carried by a palpable yet invisible force, from the crowd, the club and team-mates.

Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen leads the clean-sheet chart on 15, ahead of Red Star’s Gaëtan Poussin on 13, and the pair are due to meet on Saturday at 14:00. Having reached the play-offs in his first two professional seasons, at Rodez then Dunkerque while on loan from Stade de Reims, Jaouen says cohesion and mindset make the difference in Ligue 2.

Jaouen is expected to have a contract extension announced and wants to finish as the division’s top goalkeeper. He watches rivals and admits he is happy when they concede, as they are direct competitors for promotion. An Under-21 international with two caps in November, he expects to be scrutinised to the end and says the aim is not to finish on nine May.

Source: L'Équipe