Coupe de Luxembourg: Final four calling

Only one team managed to make their second consecutive semi-final appearance in US Mondorf, who narrowly lost out to then-second-tier Marisca Mersch at that stage last year, but will now have to overcome a top-flight opponent in their quest to play in the Stade de Luxembourg.

After the eliminations of Differdange and Jeunesse Esch, it was also confirmed that this year’s winner will have waited at least 34 years to lift the trophy again from their previous success. 1989/90 winners Swift Hesperange are accompanied at this stage of the competition by Mondorf (no competition wins), UNA Strassen (neither) and Progrès Niederkorn (four-time winners, the last victory was in 1978).

What might come as a negative for many neutral fans with a passing interest in Luxembourgish football is the lack of lower-league upsets this year. Two second-division sides made it to the last eight in Yellow Boys Weiler and US Hostert, but they ended up narrowly missing out against Strassen and Mondorf, respectively.

Hostert punished by karma

In the battle of two clubs donning green-and-white kits, it was Mondorf who came out victorious thanks to a brace from Jean-Paul Kumbi in response to Kilian Améhi’s opener. While the French striker proved crucial to the Angry Goats’ chances of going through, it might have been karma itself who indirectly turned the game on its head.

For the exact reasons, it is worth revisiting last weekend’s Éirepromotioun action between Hostert and FC Rodange 91.

With Hostert trailing by two goals in the 72nd minute of their league game on Sunday, the game had to be paused due to a serious-looking leg injury. Gabon international Anthony Mfa Mezui unfortunately suffered a broken leg after a collision, and the ensuing medical treatments ended up taking more than half an hour.

According to the Luxembourgish Football Federation’s (FLF) official rules, if any football match has to be put on a 30-minute-plus halt for whatever reason, the game can only resume if both teams agree to the resumption. Unless that happens, the game is officially deemed cancelled and would be replayed at a later date in its entirety.

Rodange’s players and staff, despite the nasty injury to their goalkeeper that must have left a psychological toll on everyone around him, agreed to see the game out and play on with a replacement. Hostert, on the other hand, refused to do so, citing solidarity as their reason for the decision. As a result, the referee was left with no other choice than to stop the play and set a date for the sides to make amends for their postponement. Naturally, the scoreline will be 0-0 when the game restarts, which arguably plays into Hostert’s hands.

Avoiding a defeat off the field, though, did not guarantee they would be able to do so on it. Mondorf, having played 20 minutes more than their opponents in the weekend but still in a better shape by the looks of it, clamped down on every mistake when it mattered most. It proved enough.

After 24 matches, Hostert are occupying the fifth position in the second division, making a late dash at a promotion playoff opportunity. Rodange, meanwhile, are in second place, four clear of third-placed Etzella Ettelbrück, and automatic promotion looks an ever more realistic target with every passing week.

Second loss of the season for FCD

In what was widely lauded as the derby of the evening, league leaders FC Differdange took on fourth-placed Progrès Niederkorn in a battle of two real powerhouses.

Differdange have won five domestic cups in the past 15 years, but have never managed to win the league title (something that can easily change very soon). In contrast, Niederkorn are a considerably older football club who have been traditional heavyweights, their first piece of silverware coming all the way back in 1932/33.

The stakes were high, both lineups quite cautious, and both managers known for not risking too much unless it’s necessary (contributing to seven draws from FCD to maintain their unbeaten streak throughout most of the season). As expected given such circumstances, the game itself was a typically cagey affair with few dangerous opportunities and two adept backlines.

1,260 supporters watched on at Stade Jos Haupert as the two teams struggled to find a way through one another. In the end, we had to wait until the 86th minute for an attacker to break the silence: Issa Bah gave Niederkorn the lead at the end of a nice link-up play between him and Walid Jarmouni.

This prompted FCD to come out of their shell a bit more often and play an honest, open type of football. Despite their efforts though, they struggled to pin Progrès in their own half. The last highlight of the game then finally brought another goal, but not to the guests’ liking: Frenchman Jonathan Schmid doubled the Wasps’ lead to practically send them through to the semi-finals. Differdange had no response.

Victory ensured Progrès successfully exacted revenge on nearby Differdange, who dumped them out of last year’s competition, when the pair were drawn against each other at this exact stage. Differdange went on to lift the trophy in the end, beating Marisca Mersch in the final.

It also extends the frightening home unbeaten streak from Niederkorn’s point of view, who still haven’t lost a home game against any opponent, domestic or international, since November 2022 (as mentioned earlier this week). This amounts to a staggering twenty-four games without a single loss, including two UEFA Conference League qualifiers (2-2 against Gjilani, from Kosovo, 2-1 win after extra time against Danish club Midtjylland).

Surely no one wants to face Niederkorn at their home ground in the semi-finals now, but whether they can make it into the final and whether the neutral venue can prove a barrier for them remains to be seen.

The YBW story ends

Yellow Boys Weiler were the only real outliers among the last eight teams standing, as the only ones who haven’t participated in the National Division in the last two years. What’s more, they have never once reached that stage in their entire history.

This is only their fifth-ever second-division campaign, having never gotten this far until 2019. In a season of firsts for the club, they can now add the achievement of a first-ever cup quarter-final to their list of completed milestones.

Under the expert guidance of manager Ronny Souto, Weiler have been turning heads in this season’s edition, defeating Young Boys Diekirch, CS Grevenmacher and Jeunesse Canach en route to the last eight, scoring 11 goals in the three games combined.

Ultimately, Strassen were their undoing. A steady BGL Ligue side who rarely slips up on must-win occasions (shown against Fola just last weekend), they experienced no real difficulty controlling the game and keeping the Yellow Boys far from goal.

A penalty from Amine Zenadji put Strassen ahead in the first half, and while it looked far from a foregone conclusion for the majority of the game, the second goal inevitably came in the final stages, courtesy of talisman striker Nicolas Perez.

This was only the third quarter-final opportunity in Strassen’s history despite establishing themselves as a solid top-flight outfit in recent years. Their first win at this stage means they will be making their maiden semi-final appearance.

Jeunesse no problem for Swift

The team with the most to lose in the Luxembourgish Cup among the last eight teams was arguably Jeunesse Esch. Fifth in the league, their rapid rise up the table was enough to escape the relegation zone early in February, before solidifying a place first in mid-table, then in the top half as the months went on and the Eschers kept on racking up wins.

However, they could already feel that a top-four place (and the realistic chance of competing in Europe) was not on the cards anymore, after a disappointing first half of the season left their National Division prospects threatened for a brief period. Hence, their only route to continental football was by winning the cup, which was entirely within the realm of possibility after their rampant league displays.

Now, mere days later, their season is over. Losing at the hands of Swift Hesperange means it is Flavio Becca’s team who retains a chance to end a second consecutive season with silverware, while Jeunesse can all but say goodbye to their short-lived European dreams.

Clément Couturier scored his third goal of the season – and the first in the cup – to open the scoring in Esch-sur-Alzette, while defender Ricardo Delgado also found the net (again) early in the second half to further assert the lead.

Hesperange will play their first semi-final in the cup since 2006/07, when they lost to UN Käerjéng. A luckier result this time around would ensure a place in their second-ever cup final. As mentioned above, they have won their only one to date in 1989/90.

Semi-final pairings (to be played on 1 May, 2024)

UNA Strassen vs Swift Hesperange

US Mondorf vs Progrès Niederkorn