DEJA-VU AND HUMILIATION
Löwen come back from behind to hand Freiburg their first defeat of the season.
Werder and Frankfurt share points in a sloppy encounter. Unlucky Stuttgart gets
held by Bochum. Wolfsburg and Hamburg battle out another incredibly dramatic
draw.
Bayern work their way past Köln. Schalke humiliates Dortmund at home. Last
gasp Leverkusen shocks Cottbus. Breitenreiter beats Berlin. Rostock remain on the
upswing as 'Lautern plunges into another deep depression.
22 SEPTEMBER 2000
1860 MÜNCHEN 3-1 FREIBURG
Agostino 75, 84 Müller 35
Max 90
Iashvili ran onto Baya's through pass but only struck the outside of the net.
Coulibaly, starting in place of Sellimi, headed Baya's cross just wide. Müller
headed in Kobiashvili's corner, it was Freiburg's 10th goal of the season by the
8th different scorer.
Tapalovic kicked Häßler's free kick inches wide. Freiburg almost hit back on a
wonderful counter attack: The SC had a 2-on-2 break but Baya instead of
expectedly dishing the ball to Coulibaly he waited for Zeyer who came running
up from behind but Jentzsch made a good save to deny him the goal.
Into the 2nd half, Freiburg with the 1st chance again, Baya whacked Willi's cross
just wide. Freiburg's Tunisian playmaker then went even closer hammering
Tskitishvili's cross against the crossbar. Coulibaly was unlucky not to finally make
it 2-0 when his tame close range shot came back off the post.
Stranzl almost broke Baya's balls with a close range drive into the nuts so
Freiburg was down to 10 men for a while which caused a tear in their game. And
back came the Löwen: Agostino first headed in Borimirov's cross and 9 minutes
later added a carbon copy of his 1st goal from Häßler's cross.
The awesome, awesome Kehl (he's a little younger, little bit more defensive
version of Ballack) ruined a performance certain of a Man of the Match award by
getting himself sent off for his 2nd bookable offence. Max produced the final
result from a 90th minute goalmouth scramble.
Freiburg: Only 2 goals against in the first 5 games, now 3 in 1.
Red Card : Kehl 89 (Freiburg)
Attendance : 22,800
23 SEPTEMBER 2000
BREMEN 1-1 FRANKFURT
Ernst 44 Heldt 8 (pen)
Absolutely shocking 'defending' gifted Reichenberger a free run at goal, once in
the area he slowed down to pick up body contact with Baumann and fell over to
win the penalty which Heldt converted. Werder's captain was lucky not to see red
here as he effectively ruined a clear chance as last man.
Werder's answer : Baumann flicked onto Eilts' free kick but Aílton wide-openly
headed into the ground and over. Toni then went on to hit the post with a whack
across goal. Bode fed Ernst deep in midfield and Werder's #2 just gave it a try
with a looping shot which sunk behind Heinen into the Eintracht goal for his 1st
ever Bundesliga goal.
Reichenberger hit the outside of the net 1-on-1 with Rost. Andi Herzog made his
return to the Werder lineup in the 2nd half but didn't make much of an impact.
Aílton got Houbtchev sent off with a dive. Wimmer cleared Aílton's header on the
line.
Fabian Ernst, the best player on the pitch beautifully brought Pizarro into position
with a disguised backhell but the Peruvian dragged his shot over. Ernst then could
have won the match after a Frings through pass but was denied by the solid
Heinen twice so 1-1 it stayed.
Werder is now 5 games in a row without victory while Frankfurt enjoy their best
start of the season since the 1993-1994 campaign during which the Eintracht
finished 5th.
Red Card : Houbtchev 50 (Frankfurt)
Attendance : 26,517
STUTTGART 1-1 BOCHUM
Dundee 90 Peschel 11
Dickhaut headed Balakov's free kick off the line. A textbook counter attack by
Bochum led to the first goal: The great Schindzielorz perfectly switched sides
with a long cross pass to Peschel who drilled an unbelievable half volley into
the net to give the guests the shock lead. Great goal. Bochum should have led
even higher but Maric missed a sitter from Bastürk's centre.
Bochum's Croatian forward then missed another 100% chance when he wide
openly lifted the ball over the bar at the beginning of the 2nd half. Lisztes curled
a free kick against the crossbar. Thiam blazed over from an acute angle. Stuttgart
now in full control, Ganea first struck the post and then had a clean as a whistle
goal disallowed for 'offside' - the VfB really had some rotten luck in this game.
Bastürk selfishly ruined a promising counter attack when he literally tried to carry
the ball into the net instead of passing to one of his several better-positioned
teammates, that way it was last stop Hildebrand. Lisztes stung Van Duijnhoven's
palms with a cracking shot, Bochum was under massive pressure by now.
"Secondary 'keeper" Dickhaut headed another Balakov free kick off the line.
Stuttgart finally got the more than well-deserved equalizer in the very last minute
when Dundee flicked onto Soldo's huge punt upfield, Ganea chested the ball down
and passed back to the Crocodile which fired Stuttgart's first striker goal of the
season into the left bottom corner. The VfB beat Bayern and Leverkusen at home
but couldn't get past a relegation candidate like Bochum...
Attendance : 18,000
WOLFSBURG 4-4 HAMBURG
Rische 11 Mahdavikia 44
Akpoborie 17, 74, 90 Fukal 50
Cardoso 64
Präger 82
Akpoborie who was plagued by injury until now made his return for Wolfsburg
from the beginning. Butt spilled Akonnor's shot, Rische opened the scoring fest
with an easy putback. Akpoborie ran onto Nowak's header over the HSV defense
and held off Hertzsch before making it 2-0.
Mahdavikia pulled one back before the break slotting in Tøfting's looping cross.
Fukal grabbed the equalizer from close range after Tøfting's throw-in rebounded
off O'Neil's thigh. Maltritz hacked Präger in the box but no penalty given.
Hamburg still took the lead when Cardoso returned Maltritz' weak clearance with
a sublime volley. Wolfsburg intercepted Butt's hospital throw-in and Akpoborie
further punished his mistake by heading in Sebescen's cross - 3-3, unbelievable !
Former "Wolf" Roy Präger should have scored the game winner from Fukal's
through cross wasn't it for Akpoborie who nodded in Greiner's corner in the very
last second ! UN-BE-LIE-VABLE !!! What a dramatic, terrific game <wipes-sweat
off-his-forehead> !
Again Hamburg loses points just before the end of the game, again this game
ends 4-4 (just like last season) and again Akpoborie scores big against their
northern rivals boosting his tally to 10 goals from 8 games against Hamburg.
Hamburg : 4 goals against in the final 15 minutes of the last 4 games. 13 goals
against in the last 4 games (Juventus 4, Dortmund 3, Deportivo 2, Wolfsburg 4)
overall.
Attendance : 17,885
KÖLN 1-2 BAYERN MÜNCHEN
Scherz 41 Élber 15
Santa Cruz 73
Cullmann sent a thumping header onto the Bayern goal which would have went
in against *any* other 'keeper but not this KAHN who pulled off one of his
trademark miracle saves to keep the ball out - Köln's coach Lienen couldn't
believe it either...
Pröll messed up on Hargreaves' free kick and Köln's Cichon beautifully fed Élber
with a cushioned header, the Brasilian only had to say 'thank you'. Strange "ear
licking" celebration in the arms of Jancker to follow.
Lottner, back in the team from the beginning collected Voigt's throw-in and rode
past Hargreaves, Fink and Andersson before hammering the ball against the post,
great solo. Köln equalized after Scherz flicked onto Lottner's corner and Sichone
immediately passed back leaving Scherz with the easy tap-in. Arveladze headed
over Hauptmann's cross.
Tarnat's violent free kick softly touched the post. Pröll made a great double save
against Élber and Brazzo to fully make up for his mistake. Élber scissor-kicked
Sagnol's cross against the crossbar, the totally unmarked Santa Cruz nodded in
the rebound for the game winner.
Bayern doesn't even have to play well, they still win.
Attendance : 41,000 (sold out)
DORTMUND 0-4 SCHALKE
Böhme 39 (pen)
Mpenza 45
Heinrich 60 (og)
Sand 76
Möller's return to Dortmund was the biggest pre-match story but others should
grab the spotlight during the game. Addo fired a distance shot just wide which
eventually proved to be as close as the BVB should get all game long. Reck made
a good save from Oliseh's hammer. Mpenza had the first chance for Schalke when
he flicked Oude Kamphuis' cross at goal with his heel but Lehmann was equal to
his great effort.
Mpenza then pounced onto a loose ball, sprinted into the area and as Lehmann
went after the ball he used the 'keeper's arm as a springboard for a spectacular
dive, Böhme sent Lehmann the wrong way from the spot. Latal intercepted
Lehmann's weak goal kick and in one motion sent a lob over the Dortmund
defense to Mpenza who capitalized with a spectacular half volley from 20 meters
distance - wow !
Mpenza missed another glorious chance shortly after the break from Sand's cross.
Oude Kamphuis and Latal swapped passes in (!) Dortmund's area, Lehmann with
the great save against the former. Reck made an equally great save from
Evanílson's long range drive. Olaf Thon, back in the side for the injured Nemec,
with a fantastic through pass to Mpenza, Emile drew out Lehmann and then
centred for Sand but Heinrich beat him to the ball and bundled it over the line -
the neckbreaker for Dortmund's game.
Horrid 'defending' by Dortmund allowed Sand to turn in Hajto's monster throw-in
to complete the total debacle. A blue-white fairytale comes true as Schalke
humiliates Dortmund at home for the first away win at Borussia since 1992 which
as the same time was the highest home defeat for Dortmund since 7 years ago.
The reasons for Schalke's success:
* Schalke are the only still undefeated team in the Bundesliga
* Schalke has the best attack duo (Sand & Mpenza /w 6 goals each)
* Schalke have the best defense: only 3 goals allowed, 0.5 GA/game
Attendance : 68,600 (sold out)
COTTBUS 1-2 LEVERKUSEN
Miriuta 6 Rink 24
Brdaric 89
Sebõk almost scored an own-goal from Gresko's free kick wasn't it for the
attentive as ever Piplica. Scherbe won a free kick on the brink of the area which
Miriuta beautifully curled in, the ball went into the 'keeper's corner though so
Zuberbühler again wasn't without fault on this one. Piplica made another good
save from Ballack's straight shot.
Ballack then whacked a free kick against the crossbar, Rink had the quickest
reaction from the mob of players in the wall as he tapped in the rebound. Miriuta
curled another free kick against the outside of the net. Piplica made an excellent
save from Schneider's wikkidly dipping shot as Leverkusen slowly took over this
game.
Exquisite joker Brdaric turned Gresko's centre through Piplica's braces and into
the net a minute from time to steal all 3 points from the "Lausitzer" - flattering
for Bayer after a dull performance. Miriuta idiotically ruined a great game of his
by stupidly getting himself sent off for headbutting Ballack in the very last minute.
Christoph Daum said in a post game interview that he might already leave Bayer
before the end of the season because he's deeply hurt by all the crap he had to
put up with during the past couple of weeks and he also stated that he hasn't
signed an actual contract with the DFB just yet. Go figure...
Red Card : Miriuta 90 (Cottbus)
Attendance : 15,438
24 SEPTEMBER 2000
UNTERHACHING 5-2 HERTHA
Breitenreiter 34 (pen), 45, 48 Beinlich 22
Rraklli 50 Seifert 88 (og)
Straube 84
Beinlich headed in Hartmann's cross, already Hardy's 5th assist of the season
(Bundesliga record). 'Haching won a penalty for a phantom foul by Van Burik on
Breitenreiter, the 'fouled' player scored himself. Breitenreiter then headed in
Copado's corner (the ball was unstoppably deflected by Van Burik though) and
then even added a third 3 minutes after the break on the counter attack courtesy
of Rraklli's opening pass.
Hertha reject Rraklli then switched from being provider to finisher as he turned in
Zimmermann's centre. Straube, left all alone in Hertha's area, had no trouble
putting away Strehmel's centre. Seifert pulled 1 back for Hertha with a spectacular
diving header into his own net. It was the first time in Bundesliga history that
Unterhaching has scored more than 3 goals in 1 match !
'Haching play the counter attack almost to perfection while Hertha, as good as
they are at the Olympiastadion, plain and simply sucks on the road lacking
attitude and character.
Attendance : 10,000
ROSTOCK 1-0 KAISERSLAUTERN
Rydlewicz 71
Arvidsson stung Georg Koch's palms with a cracking shot early on. Yasser
hammered a free kick against the crossbar from well over 35 meters out! Georg
Koch made a good double to deny Arvidsson once more. Jakobsson almost headed
in a beautiful an own goal but Pieckenhagen could barely prevent that disaster
from happening.
Koch parried Brand's corner straight into the middle (beginner's mistake) where
Rydlewicz was waiting and the "blond bullet" sent the Hansa faithful jumping up
for joy with a wonderfully struck direct volley - what a goal, Hansa's 1st at home
this season.
The only positive thing to tell about 'Lautern in this game was German U-18
international Marco Stark making his Bundesliga debut. New Hansa coach
Friedhelm Funkel wins his 1st game for Rostock and also records his first win
against Rehhagel as coach.
Attendance : 15,000
Ciao,
Tim
tim@milanmania.com
http://milanmania.com
http://soccer-europe.com
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