Canadians in Europe: Viens helps Roma stay perfect
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Evelyne Viens helped Roma stay perfect, while Jonathan David and Cyle Larin contributed key goals for Lille and Mallorca, respectively.
Here's a look at Canadians in Europe over the weekend.
Jonathan David, Lille - After a laugher in Coupe de France action last week, Jonathan David and Lille returned to Ligue 1 play this weekend with a match against relegation-threatened Lorient. If you simply look at the box score, you would see a comfortable victory for Les Dogues, but the actual match told a different story with the visitors making them work for one. Only 90 seconds into the match, Lorient could have been ahead. Tosin Aiyegun was played in with only one man to beat, but his shot went wide of Lucas Chevalier's net. Throughout the first half, Lille sent waves of attack at the the Lorient area, but goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo was up to the challenge on more than one occasion. But David would open the scoring late in the first 45. From a free kick, Angel Gomes whipped a fine ball into the area that David was first to and headed past Mvogo who could only watch in the 37th. The goal was David's sixth league marker of the season. Lorient was able to continue to frustrate Lille throughout the second half, but couldn't offer enough going forward to find an equalizer. Les Dogues would put the match to bed with two late goals. After a turnover just outside the Lorient area, Ismaily went wide for Gabriel Gudmundsson. He squared for David whose shot was blocked by a diving defender, but Remy Cabella was there to poke home the rebound in the 90th. Then in the third minute of stoppage, Edon Zhergova added a touch of the spectacular with a brilliant low drive from just outside the area to wrap up the three points in the 3-0 win. The win was LOSC's first in four matches and takes them to 31 points and fifth place in the table. They trail Brest by three points for the final Champions League spot.
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Evelyne Viens, Roma - Roma continued its undefeated season on Saturday and made it 12 wins from 12 matches in Serie A play as they took on strugglers Pomigliano. Like she has been many times this season, Quebec City's Evelyne Viens was key to the victory. Roma had won the reverse fixture earlier in the season by a score of 5-0 and were hoping for similar ease at home. In the 12th minute, Viens opened the scoring in style. Coming down the left, Viens cut in towards the area and let rip with a low right-footed shot from just outside that bounded past a diving Emilie Gavillet to make it 1-0. The goal was Viens's sixth on the season, taking her just one behind the league leaders. Roma would bag a second near the half-hour mark, completing a fine team move. Down the right, Elena Linari went wide for Lucia Di Guglielmo, who sent a picture perfect ball to the penalty spot to be slotted home by Laura Feiersinger in the 29th. The hosts would put the match to bed not long after the restart. From a corner, the ball fell to Emilie Haavi whose shot deflected off of a Pomigliano defender and by Gavillet to make it 3-0 in the 54th. Viens's evening ended a little while after the third goal, subbed out in the 63rd for Giada Cimo. She finished her match with seven shots, including two on target, 23 touches and a 71.4 pass-completion rate.
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Cyle Larin, Mallorca - Cyle Larin and Mallorca played host to another side looking to avoid fall into a relegation battle on Saturday as La Liga returned to action after a week of Copa del Rey matches. Like Mallorca, Celta Vigo find themselves outside the drop zone, but know that only a couple of bad results could mean that a fight for safety is in the cards. The visitors showed urgency as the match started. After Manu Sanchez managed to wrestle a loose ball out of Pablo Maffeo, Jorgen Strand Larsen squared a perfect ball for Iago Aspas with the former Liverpool man connecting with a fine left-footed volley to make it 1-0 in the 10th. In the 23rd, Brampton, Ont.'s Larin probably should have found an equalizer. Played in by Toni Lato at a sharp angle, Larin sent his effort over the bar. While it was a tight angle, his attempt should have been much better. But he would be vindicated in the 43rd. Gio Gonzalez latched onto a deep ball that appeared destined to go out and did well to send a ball across the face of goal for the oncoming Larin to blow past his marker and poke past Vicente Guaita to tie it up at 1-1. The goal was Larin's second league goal on the season in his 19th match for his new club. His goal would be the last scoring to happen in the match with both teams splitting the points in a 1-1 draw. The point took Mallorca to 14th spot and 19 points, four clear of Cadiz in the drop zone.