PARIS: While Gianluigi Donnarumma received the best men’s goalkeeper award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday night, Lucas Chevalier simultaneously endured a torrid time as Paris Saint-Germain lost at Marseille 1-0.
Chevalier failed to deal with a cross from the right and was easily beaten in the air as Nayef Aguerd scored with a towering header at Stade Velodrome.
Not only was Chevalier not near the ball, his right arm was flailing and his back was turned — hardly authoritative goalkeeping. The early goal put PSG on the back foot and allowed Marseille the chance to dictate the tempo.
Time will tell if PSG coach Luis Enrique made a rash decision to sell the 26-year-old Donnarumma, who has yet to even reach his prime years.
Chevalier replaced Donnarumma at PSG this season in a move that appeared surprising, especially considering how Donnarumma’s shot-stopping in the knockout stages proved crucial to PSG winning the Champions League. Luis Enrique even described him as ” a titan ” after the win at Arsenal in the first leg of their semifinal.
Chevalier is vastly more inexperienced than Donnarumma, the penalty-stopping star for Italy when they won the European Championship in 2021 and for PSG against Liverpool in the Champions League round of 16.
Donnarumma has played 76 times for Italy, while Chevalier has yet to play for France and has only one season of Champions League experience behind him.
But Luis Enrique wanted a different style of goalkeeper, one with superior passing ability from the back to allow his team to play slightly higher up the field; essentially a goalkeeper-sweeper who doubles as another outfield player.
Donnarumma made several blunders passing the ball out during his four seasons with PSG, and this was reportedly a key factor in Luis Enrique’s decision to buy Chevalier from Lille for around 40 million euros ($47 million).
However, when he was under pressure on Monday late in the game against Marseille, Chevalier’s hurried pass almost led to a second goal when a Marseille player closed him down.
When Donnarumma announced last month he was leaving PSG, he did not hold back his frustration. Even though he did not name names it seemed obvious who he blamed.
“Unfortunately, someone has decided that I can no longer be part of the group and contribute to the team’s success,” he posted on Instagram. “I am disappointed and disheartened.”
Donnarumma was praised in the British media for his performance at new club Manchester City after the 1-1 draw against Arsenal last Sunday. Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta detailed his impressive timing and his presence in the penalty area.
Chevalier blunder raises more doubts about whether PSG should have sold Donnarumma
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Chevalier blunder raises more doubts about whether PSG should have sold Donnarumma
- Time will tell if PSG coach Luis Enrique made a rash decision to sell the 26-year-old Donnarumma
- Chevalier replaced Donnarumma at PSG this season in a move that appeared surprising
Ortiz shoots 60 to lead Burmester by 2 at LIV Golf Hong Kong
- Torque GC lead the team competition after the first round
HONG KONG: Carlos Ortiz’s approach shot from 152 meters on his final hole Thursday at HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong was headed directly toward the flag. Despite the long odds of holing out, for a brief moment, shooting 59 was a possibility.
The ball finished inside 60 centimeters, leaving Ortiz with a tap-in birdie for a 10-under 60 and a two-shot lead over Dean Burmester after the opening round at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
Not only was it Ortiz’s lowest round in his professional tournament career, it was the third time in LIV Golf history that a player has shot 60.
Just three rounds have been lower: Bryson DeChambeau’s historic 58, and the two 59s by Ortiz’s Torque GC teammates Joaquin Niemann and Sebastian Munoz.
“It was a great round … I think I hit it very close, like four or five times I just tapped it in. That doesn’t happen much, so it’s awesome when you don’t even have to get the putter out. Very pleased,” said Ortiz.
It was certainly the best round of a multitude of low scores at Fanling. Burmester’s 62 matches his score the previous round he played here, when the Southern Guards’ star finished second last season to the Fireballs GC’s captain Sergio Garcia.
Garcia, meanwhile, shot 63 while extending his streak of bogey-free holes at Hong Kong Golf Club to 63. He is tied for third with Smash GC captain Talor Gooch along with Scott Vincent, who shot the lowest round ever for a wild card player.
In all, 28 players shot 67 or better on a course that was soft due to rain leading up to the opening round. Included in that group was Anthony Kim, who shot 67 in his first start since winning LIV Golf Adelaide last month.
“As you can see by the scoring, it’s playing softer and a lot easier than it generally is,” Burmester said.
“But I know Saturday and Sunday the wind is going to come up, so I think that’ll toughen the course up. It’ll dry out and then we’ll get the true experience of Fanling.”
Ortiz was just two-under through his first nine holes and coming off a bogey at the par-four eighth. But he saved par at the ninth, then followed with three straight birdies on holes 10 to 12, including a chip-in at 11. He then eagled the par-five 13th after hitting his second shot to 155 centimeters.
“Obviously I played great coming in,” said Ortiz, seeking his second individual LIV Golf victory. Fueled by his 60, Torque also has the team lead at 21-under, two shots ahead of Smash GC.
Burmester called his round “pretty flawless” other than an error on the ninth when he chose the wrong club off the tee. Having come close last year, he can now chase his third LIV Golf title over the final 54 holes.
“I’m very proud of the way I kind of just hung together and kept pushing in birdies,” Burmester said.
“I saw a lot of guys making birdies, and I managed to do the same. Normally when that happens you feel like you’ve got to chase, and I never felt like I was doing that. I just felt like I was within myself, so it’s one of those good in-the-zone days for sure.”
Garcia always seems to be in the zone at Fanling. He has not suffered a bogey at Fanling since his ninth hole in the opening round last year, and on Thursday, he hit all 18 greens in regulation.
“I’ve always said it, that I’ve always enjoyed the courses that make you think, not the courses that you get on the tee and you know you have to hit driver as hard as you can and there’s nothing else to do,” said Garcia.
He is now seeking the 39th victory of his legendary career. “Obviously these are the kind of courses that I enjoy playing. These are the kind of courses that I feel most comfortable on.”
