BERLIN, BERLIN, WIR FAHREN NACH BERLIN

While the Daum scandal draws even larger circles (several cities have
issued warrant for his arrest because of illegal possession of drugs)
and the man who is on every newspaper in Germany these days remains
unseen in his Florida hiding place the Bundesliga has a new leader :

Hertha BSC Berlin takes over the top of the table after a last minute
game winner at 1860 München while former #1 and current champs Bayern
only manage a draw at old nemesis Werder Bremen. The other top matches
of the weekend see Kaiserslautern score a shock victory at Dortmund
and Schalke play out a goalless draw with Leverkusen.

In the deeper regions of the table Cottbus wins a 6-point relegation
bowl against Bochum while fellow "Eastern German" team Hansa Rostock
gets held by Wolfsburg at home. Unterhaching come from behind to dump
Hamburg into deep depression while Köln win a 5-goal scorefest at home.
Finally Frankfurt convincingly beat a toothless Freiburg.


27 OCTOBER 2000

COTTBUS			2-0		BOCHUM
Micevski 29
Miriuta 43

This relegation bowl in the Lausitz also marked the comeback of Energie
playmaker Vasile Viriuta from his 3-game suspension. Overall Cottbus
started this game with a Bundesliga record 10 (!) foreigners in their
starting 11.

But it was Bochum's Maric who had the first chance of the game when
he struck the crossbar on the counter attack. Cottbus' answer : Labak
clobbered Meichelbeck after a phenomenal opening pass from Miriuta,
Micevski put away his cross to give the hosts the deserved lead.

Franklin proceeded to head Miriuta's corner against the post. Energie's
Rumanian playmaker then swapped passes with Labak before making it 2-0
with a sensitive lob over the 'keeper, his 4th goal of the season, first
from open play.

Van Duijnhoven made a fantastic double save against Reghecampf and Labak
to start off the 2nd half. Cottbus then shifted 3 gears back but that
still was enough as Bochum did not create anything really threatening
(a Bastürk shot against the post in the dying minutes aside).

I'm absolutely amazed what this Miriuta can do. He was involved in 3 out
of 4 Energie offensive moves in this game and is just wonderful creating
clear chances and also finishing himself. In my humble opinion he is the
best playmaker in the league so far. [TL]

Attendance : 14,835


28 OCTOBER 2000

DORTMUND			1-2		KAISERSLAUTERN
Evanílson 63					Hristov 12
						Reich 88

The battle of the player => coaches in this game, Sammer VS. Brehme.
The Red Devils with the much better start into the game, teenage
striker Adzic shook off Dedê and fed Hristov in the box who in one
motion shot through the braces of Lehmann to give the guests the
shock lead.

Herrlich embarrassingly kicked fresh air from Reina's pin-point
cross. Double H then went on to shoot high into the air after Georg
Koch spilled Ricken's stiff shot minutes into the 2nd half. Koch
then made up for his mistake with a World Class save from Addo's
point-blank header.

17-year-old teenage prodigy Emmanuel Krontiris made his debut for
Dortmund, he came on for the exhausted Reina. Evanílson scored the
equalizer with a left-footed blast from the edge of the box after
the FCK defense undecidedly dealt with a Ricken diagonal pass.

Dortmund now put everything and everybody into attack but failed to
score so consequently 'Lautern had their chance on the counter attack :
Dedê fatally gifted the ball away and Reich cruised over half the
length of the pitch before beating Lehmann with a World Class no-look
outside instep tap into the far corner.

How pathetic of Borussia, they can do *everything* but lose this game...

Despite being on the losing side Ricken had an awesome game for the
BVB. He has to keep that form if he wants to rescue his career.

Andy Brehme : 4 games, 4 wins. [TL]

Attendance : 62,000


ROSTOCK			1-1		WOLFSBURG
Majak 89					Rydlewicz 37 (og)

Reitmaier made a tremendous save from Majak's header after ~ 20
minutes. Jakobsson shot Lantz' centre against the post. Rydlewicz
headed Kühbauer's corner into his own net against the flow of the
game (ironically Rydlewicz had also scored Hansa's only regular
home goal of the season so far...).

Juskowiak missed a sitter all alone in front of the goal, if he
was a better striker, the game would've been decided right there.
Hansa coach Funkel was ejected for arguing with his special friend*
referee Krug. Majak headed in Breitkreutz' corner in the 90th minute
as the game ended in a deserved draw.

* = Funkel and Krug had also gotten into heavy arguments before,
    after the game Funkel (normally a very reasonable man) even
    said that he and Krug won't become friends in this life
    anymore... [TL]

Attendance : 14,000


FRANKFURT			3-0		FREIBURG
Reichenberger 10
Fjørtoft 21
Branco 85

New signing and Olympic Gold Medalist Serge Branco made his debut for
Frankfurt, more to him later... Schur put through Fjørtoft who got a
rare start*, the Norwegian giant faked a shot but then centred for
Reichenberger who was left with the baby tap-in.

Fjørtoft then put himself onto the scoreboard as well, a well-struck
volley from Heldt's pass made it 2-0. Kondé was sent off for the 2nd
consecutive year in Frankfurt (2 yellow cards).

Then came what should be the goal of the weekend : Branco (20) in his
first ever Bundesliga game tackled the ball from Kobiashvili, dribbled
past Hermel and Ramdane, left Schumann crashing onto his arse and
finally rounded Golz before tapping into the empty net from an acute
angle -- what a goal ! What a dazzling display of talent !

* = Fjørtoft said in a humorous but honest interview after the game
    that with 1st and 2nd choice strikers Ciric and Yang out it was
    up between him and the busdriver -- he got the start because the
    busdriver had left his boots at home... (so you get the idea how
    much out of favour the Norwegian is in Frankfurt) [TL]

Red Card : Kondé 78 (Freiburg)
Attendance : 23,800


UNTERHACHING			2-1		HAMBURG
Straube 87					Kientz 11
Spizak 90

Same procedure as last year : HSV got the lead, then stopped playing
football and enabled the inferior team of Unterhaching to get into
the game. Last year the result was 1-1, this year it was even worse...
Seemed to me one of Pagel's "funny" experiments : He started with Präger
as striker, substituted him later with Maul (DMLC) while Yeboah was
still on the bench.

After a throw-in Unterhaching couldn't get the ball out of their goal
area and Kientz scored from 4m. A corner crossed our area untouched and
Straube shot from about 20m on the left. Spizak got the ball on the left
near the goalline, ran past Hertzsch, passed the ball to Zdrilic, ran
into a better position, got the ball back and scored. [SM]

Attendance : 12,000


BREMEN				1-1		BAYERN MÜNCHEN
Aílton 11 (Pen)					Paulo Sergio 6

35,000 at the sold out Weserstadion saw Paulo Sergio put away Scholl's
centre with a spectacular falling overhead kick already in the sixth
minute to give Bayern the early lead, the only problem was that not 1,
not 2, not 3 but a whole of 4 (!) Bayern players were miles offside
before Scholl's cross though...

Werder responded, Herzog put through Bode on the left side, Marco drove
into the area and Kahn had no other option but to bring him down, Aílton
equalized from the spot. Both teams had now shot their load and only
managed to create occasional scoring chances like when Élber sloppily
wasted a phenomenal 25 meter Tarnat throughball.

Into the 2nd half : Paulo Sergio wide-openly headed another Scholl cross
over the bar. Scholl then stepped up himself to curl a free kick against
the crossbar. Bode headed Herzog's free kick onto the opposite woodwork.
Scholl was booked for cynically hugging the ref when he didn't fall for
his dive.

Frings clashed a cross against the post and Jancker missed an open goal
in the dying minutes after Rost brilliantly saved 1-on-1 against Zickler
and the ball favourably broke to him with no goalie in. All in all it
was a draw according to performance, Bayern's first of the season. [TL]

Attendance : 35,282 (sold out)


SCHALKE			0-0		LEVERKUSEN

The first half was a complete and utter snorefest. After the break
Reck made phenomenal saves against Brdaric 1-on-1 and Hoffmann's
close-range bullet header. Aside from that there were no genuine
scoring chances in this game which is quite a surprise because
Schalke had scored 2.5 gpg at home so far this season. [TL]

Attendance : 41,545


29 OCTOBER 2000

KÖLN				3-2		STUTTGART
Springer 31, 36					Ganea 28
Lottner 75					Thiam 41

Ganea opened the scoring with a left-footed blast from the edge of
the box. Timm struck the post on the counter attack, Springer put
away the rebound with ease.

A gross defensive error gifted Springer his 2nd, Schneider whacked
a clearance straight into Timm, back to Springer, lob over the
'keeper, goal.

Thiam picked up a loose ball in midfield, sold Cullmann a rude dummy
and finished with a sensational blast from 25 meters. Lottner won
the game for Köln with a 30-meter free kick brand "Mihajlovic". [TL]

Attendance : 32,000


1860 MÜNCHEN			0-1		HERTHA
						Sverrisson 90

Last week I mentioned that it would be the greatest, to become No.1
in competition in München. And, we have done it !!! Friday, I went
with mixed feelings to the Bavarian capital. Since our promotion in
1997 we have only won 2 points at the Munich clubs in 8 games before.

Why should it change this weekend ? That's what I've asked Bruce, who
also came into the stadium. Well, if we are a real top club, we have
to make hay while the sun shines. The whole 1st choice defense of 60
is out by injuries and they haven't won the last 3 games.

On the other hand, Hertha has won the last 3 games and after the draw
of Bayern and Schlampe 04 and the loss of Dortmund on Saturday, we've
had the great oportunity to enter the top of the ranking. And so was
the beginning.

Hertha made the pace and gave a performance, an ambitioned team has to
give in that situation. They controlled the game and ruled the Lions.
A lot of chances for Hertha were the result. Alex Alves on a one to one
situation with the Lions' goalie Jentsch.

He passed the ball over the goalie, but 10 cm next to the goal too.
Again AA in a one to one situation, but Jentsch cleared. After 25
minutes, the game incomprehensivly changed. Hertha was forced into
defense.

The Greek Kostantinides and the American Sanneh aren't strong enough to
play in the Bundesliga. Same in that game. Sanneh was rotten in offense,
but quite good in defense. Halftime and 0-0. Second half, the Lions made
much more for the offense, but Hertha was pleasant with counter attacks.

Hertha keeper Király became the hero of the game with great saves. In
minute 85 a great tic-tac-toe between Beinlich, Preetz and Hartmann,
but Hardy hammered the ball over the bar. I've said to myself "Well, a
0-0 draw is at least one point". Same like me all the other Hertha fans
did.

But suddenly in overtime, a freekick for Hertha next to the left corner
of the box. Beinlich brought the cross into the box and Sverrisson
headed the ball into the left corner and Hertha to the top. A very
lucky, but imho deserved win.

Now, we arent the "Bayern-hunter". Bayern Munich is the Hertha-hunter
#1. And we kept our championship-dreams alive ! [BH, drunk ;)]

Attendance : 27,600

Ciao,

Tim

tim@milanmania.com
http://milanmania.com
http://soccer-europe.com