SHOUTING FOR JOY, SADDENED TO DEATH
Football fans, if you thought last years' final with Bayern taking
the championship off the hands of Leverkusen on the very last day
of the season on goal differential was dramatic, this season could
*easily* top it:
With Bayern up by 3 points and 'Haching leading at Schalke through
the 70th minute the title hunt virtually seemed decided. Then things
followed hot on each other's heels, Schalke only needed 5 minutes
to turn the game around and Hamburg took the lead on Bayern in the
90th minute.
As the game in Hamburg was delayed by 5 minutes Schalke was already
celebrating their first championship in 43 years but first it comes
different and second then you think and which was maybe Football
God's reparation for Barcelona '99 Bayern did the impossible and
equalized deep in injury time to snatch the "Meisterschale" from
the hands of Schalke and plunge "Königsblau" into a valley of tears.
19 MAY 2001
DORTMUND 3-3 KÖLN
Stevic 21 Dedê 28 (og)
Reina 49 Kreuz 35, 82
Bobic 89
Dortmund took the lead off a Rosický corner: Heinrich headed at goal,
Dziwior cleared but Stevic blasted the rebound high into the net.
Dedê equalized with one of the most unlikely own goals you're ever
going to see, a looping header from just outside the area when trying
to clear Keller's longball. Keller then also found Kreuz with a great
through pass, the former U-21 playmaker showed Evanílson his heels
and beat Lehmann who was too far out of his goal with a running drive
into the far corner.
The game of the bizarre goals continued only 4 minutes into the 2nd
half when Evanílson deflected Stevic's shot to Reina who then easily
beat Pröll from close distance. The two then switched roles: Reina
won a penalty but Pröll saved Stevic's arrogant chip. Heinrich was
sent off for hitting Scherz in the face, Borussia down to 10 men for
the final 25 minutes. Kreuz brilliantly dropped back into midfield
to receive the ball and as he had plenty of space he just drove a 20m
hammer into the top-left corner. Bobic tackled in his 10th goal of the
season from Kohler's centre so Dortmund at least keep 1 point at home.
Red Card : Heinrich 73 (Dortmund)
Attendance : 68600 (sold out)
BREMEN 3-0 ROSTOCK
Aílton 31
Krstajic 43
Baumann 87
Pieckenhagen made good saves from Aílton and Stalteri in his final
game for Hansa. Ernst dragged his shot just wide from Eilts' opening
pass. Majak was wide open after a Lantz cross on the counter attack
but he volleyed straight to the corner flag. An Eilts backheel(!)
gave Aílton a good opening, he penetrated into the area, went past
3 defenders and at full pace smashed the ball past the 'keeper to
give Werder the long overdue lead. Baumann won the ball in front of
the Hansa area and plugged through Krstajic who turned and shot for
the 2-0. Jakobsson headed against the crossbar from Werder reject
Brand's corner.
Majak sent Baumann crashing onto his arse but only struck the post.
Rost made 3 great saves in 5 seconds against Agali, Arvidsson and
Rydlewicz (Hansa's most dangerous offense trio this season).
Baumann tapped in Trares' cross courtesy of Herzog's quickly taken
free kick for Werder's highest win of the season. Pizarro who is
sought after by Champions League Finalist Valencia, Barcelona, Inter,
Bayern, Dortmund and Tottenham was sent off for elbowing Benken,
the former Werder defender joined him for following up with a high
kneelift into the nuts from behind.
Red Cards : Benken 90 (Rostock), Pizarro 90 (Bremen)
Attendance : 36,000 (sold out)
FREIBURG 4-1 WOLFSBURG
Ramdane 5 Maric 90
Kobiashvili 36 (Pen)
Coulibaly 51, 54
Ramdane wide-openly headed Freiburg into the lead from But's cross.
Kehl created a promising opening with a tremendous backheel, But
ran onto the ball, absolutely destroyed and humiliated Schnoor with
a double stepover dribble, only the finish to match was missing as
he only struck the side netting. Greiner stupidly clipped the high
spirit Russian in the box, Kobiashvili sovereignly converted the
resulting penalty.
Coulibaly stunned everybody by scoring his first 2 Bundesliga goals
in 3 minutes after waiting 27 games for that to happen: Both run &
shoot solo's, the first from But's brilliant outside instep through
pass, for the second he rounded the 'keeper and tapped into an empty
net after receiving the ball from Kehl on another counter attack.
Maric scored the consolation goal after good work from Müller as
Freiburg impressively qualify for the UEFA Cup for only the 2nd time
in club history.
Attendance : 25,000 (sold out)
KAISERSLAUTERN 0-1 HERTHA
Alex Alves 47
Deisler had a goal controversially disallowed for offside. Alex Alves
scored the only goal of the afternoon with a run & shoot solo over half
the length of the pitch from Deisler's excellent ball over the top of
the FCK defense. Djorkaeff was taken off by Brehme in the 73rd minute
in which was likely to be his last game in a FCK shirt. This game also
was the 151st and final one for sympathetic long time top referee Bernd
Heynemann who now gets retired due to age (47).
Attendance: 41,500 (sold out)
LEVERKUSEN 1-0 BOCHUM
Neuville 21
Colding, easily Bochum's best buy of the season, almost scored
the 0-1 with a nice turn-around shot. Neuville boosted his tally
for the season to a personal record 15 goals after a 1->2 with
Kirsten. Van Duijnhoven parried Rink's shot against the post.
Former "Chemical Brother" (Bayer Boy) Mamic missed a sitter off
a free kick 3 minutes after the break. Van Duijnhoven was sent
off for a brutal last man foul on Neuville. Juric denied Drincic
the equalizer twice with great saves.
With lots of luck Leverkusen barely manages the Champions League
Qualification after a disastrous season. Berti Vogts along with
assistants Pierre Littbarski and Wolfgang Rolff were fired only
24 hours after the game. Former Frankfurt and Bochum coach Klaus
Toppmöller is tipped to be the favourite for the job next season.
Red Card : Van Duijnhoven 72 (Bochum)
Attendance : 22,500 (sold out)
FRANKFURT 2-1 STUTTGART
Kryszalowicz 16 Dundee 62
Guié-Mien 45
Kryszalowicz opened the scoring on the counter attack after Heldt
drew 3 defenders and perfectly centred for him. Guié-Mien made it
2-0 with a deflected shot from the edge of the box. Balakov curled
a free kick against the post, the rebound fell to Soldo, Dundee
headed in his cross at the far post, his 50th Bundesliga goal.
Stuttgart ends the season as only team without a road win and for
the 2nd consecutive season the team with the league's assist leader
gets relegated (last season Bielefeld/Weissenberger, this season
Frankfurt/Heldt).
Attendance : 34,000
1860 MÜNCHEN 0-1 COTTBUS
Labak 25
Miriuta crashed a free kick against the crossbar early on. Helbig
won the ball off Votava in the box, clobbered the Czech sweeper
and centred for Labak who made the (at that time) oh so important
0-1. Tyce smashed the ball against the post from 25 meters out.
Hofmann made a spectacular save from another Miriuta free kick.
Relegation candidate #1 Energie Cottbus remains in the top flight
mainly thanks to superhuman performances from playmaker Vasile
Miriuta who was involved in 22 of a total 38 goals (= 57,9%).
Attendance : 28,700
SCHALKE 5-3 UNTERHACHING
Van Kerckhoven 44 Breitenreiter 3
Asamoah 45 Spizak 26
Böhme 73, 74 Seifert 69
Sand 89
Final game at the "old" (only 28 years...) Parkstadion, Schalke
will move to their new, high tech £80 million Arena next season.
Breitenreiter shocked the sold out crowd by turning in Cizek's
free kick after only 3 minutes! Spizak made matters even worse
when he beat Waldoch to Haber's shot and poked the ball past
Reck. The terrible Van Hoogdalem gifted Breitenreiter the ball
with only the 'keeper to beat but he had no use for it and blew
the match ball.
Just before the break Schalke finally woke up and replied: Oude
Kamphuis found Asamoah with an excellent diagonal pass, Sand
mis-hit his centre and Van Kerckhoven poked in his 1st goal of the
season at the far post after a long injury lay-off. A minute L8R
Asamoah equalized with his best Madjer '87 impersonation after
the ball luckily broke to him following a goalmouth scramble from
a corner. 'Haching regained the lead with Seifert's header from
another wikkidly curled Cizek free kick.
At 73 minutes Olaf Thon made his comeback after 8 months of injury,
he came on for Nemec. Böhme twisted a free kick around the wall for
the 3-3 equalizer. The crazy lefty even fired Blue & White into the
lead only 89 seconds later with a brilliant lob after faking both
his marker and the 'keeper into the ground, Sand initiated the goal
with a great no-look opening pass. Thon had a regular goal from yet
another Sand through pass disallowed for offside.
Sand linked up with his regular "partner-in-crime" Mpenza a minute
from time to at least help himself to the Topscorer Trophy. Schalke
did a great job in turning this game around but it wasn't enough,
they lost the title in Stuttgart last week.
Attendance : 65,000 (sold out)
HAMBURG 1-1 BAYERN MÜNCHEN
Barbarez 90 Andersson 90
The start of the game was delayed for 5 minutes as Kahn had to clear
his area from bananas first. Jancker & Élber wasted two good chances
for Bayern early on, Barbarez forced Kahn into a great save with a
header from Präger's deflected cross. Andersson made a last gasp
clearance against another Barbarez header from Mahdavikia's cross
at the beginning of the 2nd half. Jancker tapped in Liza's centre
but had this perfectly regular goal taken back for offside - this
could easily have become the mistake of the season... Paulo Sergio
typically won a free kick in perfect position (central, on the edge
of the box), Effenberg nailed his shot just wide.
And then as everybody in Germany (except the Bayern fans and Schalke
haters) wished, Barbarez helped himself to the Goalgetter Cannon and
S04 to the title with one of his patented headers from Heinz' long
cross, 90th minute, game over - players, coaches, managers and 65K
are already celebrating "auf Schalke", the fans are even invading the
pitch! Bayern has lost everything...or ? Injury time, Schober picked
an Ujfaluši back pass for no good reason up with his hands (§$?*!),
indirect free kick is whistled, anxious seconds, Effenberg rolls the
ball up for Andersson who fires a bullet of a shot through a ruck of
players and Bayern to their 17th Bundesliga Championship, the most
unlikely!!!
Attendance : 55,280 (sold out)
Ciao,
Tim
[TL] = Tim Leidecker
http://milanmania.com
http://soccer-europe.com
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