Stade de Reims triumphed over amateur club Villeneuve-d'Ascq Métropole, 7-0, in the eight round of the Coupe de France. The match was held in the cozy confines of the Stade Jean-Jacques, after the hosts convinced the French Football Federation that the 1,000 seat stadium is a suitable venue.
American Theoson-Jordan Siebatcheu played as a striker and netted a hat trick, scoring in the 41st, 43rd, and 57th minute.
Here are highlights for two of his goals:
Reims is in Group F of the competition and will learn the identity of their next opponent tonight. The Grand Est-based club is currently in fourth place in Ligue 2 with 29 points, two points out of an automatic promotion spot and behind on goal differential with Lens for qualification to the promotion playoffs. Reims was relegated at the end of the 2015-2016 Ligue 1 season after finishing in 18th place.
Relegation should have benefited Siebatcheu, but he’s struggled to make the squad this season after scoring three goals in Ligue 1 last year. The 20-year old forward has been limited to seven appearances in Ligue 2, with his only goal (prior to this weekend) coming in a 5-2 Coupe de la Ligue loss to Le Havre in early August.
While some may look down on the quality of the opponent, Siebatcheu’s hat trick may be just what he needs to get on track this season. Additionally, advancement was far from assured because Villeneuve-d'Ascq Métropole were already proven giant killers, having taken down third division leading side US Boulogne in the previous round.
Siebatcheu, born in Washington, D.C., is eligible to play for the USMNT, France, and Cameroon. He informed FOOTu21 in an interview that he has not been contacted by any youth national teams. His agent confirmed Siebatcheu’s interest in a U.S. call up when speaking with American Soccer Now last year.
Those discussions should be a long way off, and nobody is claiming a player should be called up after scoring in the early rounds of a cup competition against an amateur opponent. Siebatcheu, like every young American plying his trade overseas, is a player to keep an eye on, but one the U.S. should be ready to call in if his goal scoring production picks up.