GOOD TO BE BACK
Hello everybody,
and welcome to the first round of Bundesliga action of the 2000-2001
"Millennium" season! Let us all hope for attractive football, full
stadiums and of course lots of goals !
I am happy to once again be able to bring you match reports for the
Bundesliga this season and greatly appreciate your praise, criticism
or general thoughts so if you fell like saying something do not
hesitate and drop me a line at tim@milanmania.com.
On Friday a lone Heiko Herrlich goal gave Matthias Sammer a good
start into his new career as coach.
On Saturday Leverkusen cruised past Wolfsburg with ease, Bochum
shocked Kaiserslautern by taking three home points off the "Red
Devils", Werder got their 1st opening round win in ages, Freiburg
crushed "local" rivals Stuttgart while Germany's Champions League
hopefuls Hamburg and 1860 shared points.
Later that day Bayern's reserves seemingly effordless took care of
an (almost) full-strength Hertha. Finally on Sunday Schalke beat
Bochum and Eintracht Frankfurt got off to a good start as well with
a victory over Unterhaching.
Friday 08.11.2000, 20.15 cet
DORTMUND 1-0 ROSTOCK
Herrlich 61
Dortmund played very dedicated football but it was Rostock which
had the first chance but Agali was denied by Lehmann. Especially
new signing Rydlewicz was a pain in the ass for the home side as
he continually abused Kapetanovic down the right wing.
The first half-way dangerous yellow & black attack was an Oliseh
free kick hammer from 30 meters out which was well parried by
Pieckenhagen though. Billy Reina had a huge chance shortly after
the break when he blasted the ball straight at the 'keeper from
close distance.
Borussia went ahead when Herrlich received the ball from Kohler
at the edge of the box, spun around and banged the ball in off
the right post without even looking at the goal. Hansa had some
chances to score the equalizer in the dying minutes, the biggest
coming when Oliseh had to clear Agali's header off the line.
Attendance : 61,000
Saturday 08.12.2000, 15.30 cet
LEVERKUSEN 2-0 WOLFSBURG
Kirsten 14, 24 (pen)
Neuville missed Gresko's cross, Reeb fired the ball back into the
box from the other side and Kirsten was there to score his 160th
Bundesliga goal with a thumping header. Hengen was late on a tackle
against Rink in the box, Kirsten dispatched the resulting spot kick.
Rink then destroyed Munteanu with a brilliant dummy but Reitmaier
denied him the 3-0 with an excellent reflex. Reitmaier spilled a
close-range header from Zivkovic but Neuville blasted the rebound
wide. Nowotny made a 100% chance for Kirsten with an energetic run
from coast to coast but Kirsten bottled it.
Gresko wide-openly volleyed straight at Reitmaier after Neuville
clobbered Maltritz on the wing. New Bayer 'keeper Zuberbühler had
to make his only save of the afternoon against an Akonnor shot deep
into the 2nd half -- that tells the whole story how much Leverkusen
was dominating this game.
Attendance : 22,500 (sold out)
KAISERSLAUTERN 0-1 BOCHUM
Buckley 62
Buckley played a one-two with Weber, penetrated into the area but
Georg Koch managed to parry his shot wide. Van Duijnhoven made a
good save against a trademark Basler free kick. Bochum's 'keeper
then flattened Djorkaeff in the box but no penalty given.
Basler forced Van Duijnhoven to make a great save with a dipping
shot from well over 40 meters. DJ blazed a 75% chance (i.e. he was
1 on 1 with a Bochum defender) wide. Basler vs. Van Duijnhoven the
third, from another free kick, once again the Dutch 'keeper coming
out on top.
Weber turned Schjønberg inside-out on the counterattack, played a
long cross to Buckley who controlled the ball and slotted it past
Koch for the (eventual) game winner. 'Lautern lacked the creativity
to break down Bochum's defense, the VfL thus pulled off the first
surprise of the Bundesliga season.
Attendance : 38,355
BREMEN 3-1 COTTBUS
Stalteri 34 Miriuta 16
Bode 45
Pizarro 70
Rumanian playmaker Miriuta shocked the home crowd with a fantastically
curled in free kick. Canadian Stalteri, in the team in place of the
injured Aílton had a regular goal harshly disallowed for a foul on
Wicky 1½ seconds before (poor interpretation of the 'advantage' rule
by the ref).
Tzvetanov as last man pulled down Bode who was clear through on goal but
only received a yellow card -- inept reffing ! Skripnik (!) sent through
Stalteri with a beautifully weighted pass, the Canadian attacker killed
the ball with his chest and fired it past Piplica for his first ever
Bundesliga goal.
Bode rose higher than anybody else to head in Herzog's cross practically
with the half time whistle. Inept ref Stark had to be guarded into the
locker room using umbrella's to protect him from projectiles. 25 minutes
later Eilts chipped a through pass into the area, Pizarro broke away
from his marker and poked in the 3-1.
For the first time since I started to support Werder the team starts the
season with a win!
Attendance : 30,660
FREIBURG 4-0 STUTTGART
Dreyer 4
Zeyer 28
Baya 48
Dorn 80
Little known midfielder Björn Dreyer finished a perfect counterattack
via Baya, Ramdane and Weißhaupt with an easy tap-in after Hosny turned
the ball over near Freiburg's area, Georgian attacker Iashvili providing
the final cross - great direct football!
Thomas Schneider caused an indirect free kick in Stuttgart's area with
a too high foot, Baya laid the ball up for Zeyer who fired high into the
net. Bordon tore a muscle and will be out for a couple of weeks which is
a massive blow for Stuttgart as he had been in phenomenal form.
Ramdane missed an open goal by inches one on one with young VfB 'keeper
Hildebrand after being brilliantly put through by Kobiashvili. Iashvili
first swapped passes with Weißhaupt and then found Baya with a cross
pass at the edge of the area, Freiburg's Tunisian playmaker sent
Hildebrand crashing onto his arse with a sensitive dummy before coolly
making it 3-0 for Freiburg. A phenomenal goal, IMO easily goal of the
weekend.
Hildebrand made fine saves against Zeyer on another counterattack and
a 25 meter drive from Koulibaly. Balakov cleared a Baya volley off the
line. French young generation striker Dorn fired in Schumann's cross
to complete the total debacle for their cross-regional rivals.
Freiburg celebrated technically sophisticated attacking football at
tropical temperatures of 35-40°C, Stuttgart found no way to deal with
the fast forwards from the Breisgau (the region Freiburg lies in),
lost Bordon, the stability in defense and the game.
It was the highest opening round victory of Bundesliga history but there
is no reason to be too ecstatic for Freiburg: In 1997/98 Karlsruhe led
the table after Round 1 and is now in the Regionalliga, the next season
Gladbach were the league leaders and are now playing in the 2. BL...
Attendance : 25,000 (sold out)
HAMBURG 2-2 1860 MÜNCHEN
Ketelaer 34 Agostino 6
Präger 45 Max 7
Only six minutes into the game Mykland put through Agostino, the
Aussie kept his nerves under control and made it 0-1 against Butt
and his marker Hertzsch. A minute later another Aussie, Ned Zelic
plugged the ball through to Max and as the HSV defense stood still
appealing for offside last seasons' topscorer raced into the box
and beat Butt from an acute angle.
Hofmann made a fine save from Hoogma's fierce free kick. Kovac tried
to dive for a penalty but ref Fandel didn't buy it and booked him
instead. Kovac then won the ball in midfield, passed it to Ketelaer
and the most expensive HSV signing of all time (10 goals and 21 (!)
assists in the 2. Liga last season) used his genial left foot to pull
one back for the Hanseat's.*
Yeboah was all alone in front of the goal but by the time "Gramps"
was ready to shoot the Löwen defenders had already caught up with him
again. Präger made it 2-2 on the counterattack with a great solo run
and finish after being released by Hertzsch. Kovac passed out shortly
after the beginning of the 2nd half after colliding in mid-air with
"Ironhead" Hoogma.
Max sloppily blew a massive chance 1 on 1 with Butt. Ketelaer burned
Kurz in a running duel but couldn't get much power behind his shot.
Butt made a good one-handed save against Votava's drive. Hofmann and
Stranzl once again screwed up (likewise in Leeds) as they got into
eachothers' way after a long throw-in but Präger couldn't capitalize
as Hofmann made up for his blunder when he deflected his shot against
the post.
Stranzl kicked Groth against the shin which was enough for the ref to
send him off as he had already been booked. Präger kicked fresh air
after being put through by Kovac in the 90th minute and so it stayed
2-2.
* Ketelaer : "As that thing (the shot to make it 1-2) went in, it took
a load as heavy as Mt. Everest off my mind !"
Red Card : Stranzl 82 (1860 München)
Attendance : 38,167
Saturday 08/12/00, 20.15 cet
BAYERN MÜNCHEN 4-1 HERTHA
Scholl 9 (pen) Daei 89
Jancker 65
Zickler 81
Salihamidzic 88
Tretschok felled Santa Cruz in the box after a weak clearance from
Van Burik => penalty, Scholl sent Király the wrong way. Preetz headed
Beinlich's free kick just wide. Jancker barely volleyed past at the
other end. Király made a great save against Scholl who is in great
shape already.
Minutes into the 2nd half Santa Cruz missed the goal by inches with
a header from Wiesinger's cross. Király denied Scholl his 2nd goal
with a reflex save from close range. Hertha besieged Bayern's area
but couldn't manage a way through the defensive walls, Fink initiated
a counterattack, Scholl raced down the pitch and found Jancker with
an inch-perfect diagonal pass, 2-0 Bayern.
Zickler headed in Wiesinger's cross. Sanneh after already almost
scoring an own goal pathetically turned the ball over to Salihamidzic
=> 4-0. One minute later "Asia's Footballer of the Year" Ali Daei
controlled Hartmann's cross (it looked like the ball sprung against
his hand though) and wrestled his way past 3 of his former teammates
to at least grab the consolation goal for the capitals.
Hertha was sorely missing the aggressive play of Dardai in midfield.
Bayern was without Kuffour, Lizarazu, Strunz, Effenberg, Jeremies,
Salihamidzic (for 83 minutes), Élber and Paulo Sergio but still
managed a comfortable win against one of the teams which is also
expected in the top third of the Bundesliga table.
Attendance : 57,000
Sunday 08/13/00, 17.30 cet
SCHALKE 2-1 KÖLN
Sand 12 Hajto 89 (og)
Mpenza 37
Springer stung Reck's palms with a volley from Arveladze's free kick.
Köln's defense ineptly dealt with a trademark long Hajto throw-in,
Waldoch flicked onto the ball, Van Kerckhoven knocked it down for Sand
who left Cullmann in his wake to score his 15th Bundesliga goal.
Arveladze blazed a shot over the bar after a great solo.
Reck made a good save against another of Köln's new signings, Baranek.
Mpenza headed in Latal's cross. Latal then saw his deflected shot cannon
back off the crossbar. Kurth had a goal harshly disallowed for a 'foul'
on Van Kerckhoven, on top of all he was even booked for protesting.
Möller slammed the ball straight at Pröll in a 1 on 1 situation with
the 'keeper. Hajto once again hammered the ball into his own net from
Scherz' centre but Schalke hung on to the victory, Möller even blew
another 100% chance 1 on 1 with Pröll.
Köln played better football but Schalke had the better strikers.
Attendance : 62,000
FRANKFURT 3-0 UNTERHACHING
Kracht 29
Ciric 49
Heldt 79 (pen)
Guié-Mien wonderfully put through Reichenberger but he clanged his
shot against the post. Haber curled a cross onto the crossbar with
a little help from 'keeper Heinen. Torsten Kracht aka Sid Vicious
scored the first goal with a diving header from Sobotzik's free
kick.
Straube hammered the ball against the woodwork once more from Haber's
cross. Ciric received the ball from Sobotzik at the edge of the area,
lost his marker and beat 'keeper Wittmann who stood too far in front
of his goal with a wickedly curled shot. German U18 defender Christoph
Preuß made his Bundesliga debut for Frankfurt in the 2nd half -- great !
Rraklli flicked onto Straube's cross but Bugera blazed high over the
bar. Heinen made a great save one on one with Breitenreiter. Grassow
brought down Reichenberger in the box with a belly-to-belly suplex,
Horst Heldt banged the penalty in off the post.
This game was a deja-vu of Frankfurt's first round opener last season
where they also won 3-0 against...yes, Unterhaching.
Attendance : 28,500
Ciao,
Tim
tim@milanmania.com
http://milanmania.com
http://soccer-europe.com
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