THE WINTER BREAK IS OVER!

With a total of 68 points and a goal differential of +23 the 3-time
Champions and 1992 Cup Winners' Cup winner has effectively been the
strongst Bundesliga side of the year. Bayer Leverkusen is 2nd with
65 points, Bayern and Dortmund are joint-third with sixtyfour.

All match reviews by Tim Leidecker <tim@milanmania.com> unless
otherwise stated.

19 JANUARY 2002

WOLFSBURG			3-1		LEVERKUSEN
Róbson Ponté 40					Neuville 87
Maric 56, 77

Leverkusen was seriously weakened without their first choice defense
(Lúcio/Nowotny) and 3/5 of their first choice midfield (Ballack/
Schneider/Bastürk) who were all out due to injury or suspension.
Maric headed Kühbauer's cross against the post, Róbson Ponté was the
quickest to react as he banged in the rebound against his hated ex-
club. Petrov picked the ball up deep in midfield, dribbled two
defenders and unleashed a rocket of a shot which cannoned back off
the post.

Maric tapped in his 8th goal of the season from Kühbauer's centre and
scored his 4th double pack in a row (a historic feat, the last time
this has been done, was when the world was still black/white!) with
another tap-in from Munteanu's centre. Ex-Wolfsburger Sebescen drew
out the 'keeper and centred for Neuville who rolled the ball through
a puddle of mud in front of goal for the consolation.

Assists: Kühbauer, Munteanu, Sebescen
Attendance: 12,116


KAISERSLAUTERN			1-3		1860 MÜNCHEN
Klose 57						Häßler 70 (Pen)
						Max 77
						Wiesinger 86

Strasser had to clear Hengen's attempted clearance off the line at the
very last second. Jentzsch tried himself as field player juggling the
ball outside the box, Klose stole it off him, dodged the defense and
tapped into an empty net. Ehlers was sent off with 2x yellow. Max won
a penalty, Häßler converted.

Klose had a what looked like more legit penalty claim turned down at
the other end. Wiesinger swung a deflected cross into the box, Schroth
flicked onto it and then forwarded the ball to Max who remained cool
and shot past Koch. Wiesinger made sure of the Löwen's first win at the
"Betzenberg" in almost 25 years with a nice distance shot from ~22m.

Assists: Max, Schroth, Häßler
Red Card: Ehlers 57 (1860 München)
Attendance: 34,049


KÖLN				0-0		STUTTGART

Same result as in the two teams' first meeting this season.
My compassion goes out to the 28,000 who actually had to pay
to watch this shit which only loosely resembled football.

Attendance: 28,000


ROSTOCK			1-3		SCHALKE
Oswald 70					Wilmots 17, 75
						Sand 26

Belgian Connection Vermant & Wilmots easily outplayed Hansa's pathetic
excuse for an offside trap, Vermant with the long through pass, Wilmots
with the cool finish through the braces of ex-Schalker Schober. Vermant
came to the rescue at the other end as well heading Jakobsson's header
off the line. Sand poked in Vermant's corner.

Schalke's 2nd chance, 2nd goal. Hirsch almost snapped the post with a
left-footed drive. Reck punched Emara's free kick straight to Oswald,
he tapped into an empty net. But it was again Wilmots who linked up
with Vermant and scored the decisive 1-3 with a header at the far post.

Assists: Vermant (x2)
Attendance: 16,434


18 JANUARY 2002

BREMEN				3-2		FREIBURG
Bode 13						Coulibaly 45
Krstajic 51					Zeyer 53
Skripnik 58 (Pen)

Tjikuzu intercepted a hospital pass in midfield, Bode took it to the
Freiburg defense, with one dummy broke through three defenders and
dribbled Golz for his 99th goal in a Werder uniform. Coulibaly knocked
in Iashvili's centre in the 45th minute for the undeserved equalizer
as Werder had plenty of high% chances in the first half.

Lisztes floated a free kick to the far post, Golz had a hand on it but
Krstajic was there to nod in the rebound. Freiburg then again hit back
on the counter attack: Willi swapped passes with Iashvili, crossed and
old man Zeyer escaped Tjikuzu to head the "Breisgau Brasilianer" level.
6 minutes later substitute Klasnic took a dive in the box and Skripnik
converted his 4th penalty of the season for the all in all flattering
game-winner.

Assists: Tjikuzu, Iashvili, Lisztes, Willi, Klasnic
Attendance: 25,277


BAYERN MÜNCHEN		0-0		MÖNCHENGLADBACH

Bayern had Scholl & Effenberg in their Starting XI for the first time
this season. Élber stole the ball off Nielsen and smashed against the
crossbar. Tarnat blazed over from close range and in the end Gladbach
could have even won the match in the dying minutes but Van Lent's
header went just wide.

Attendance: 41,000


NÜRNBERG			2-2		DORTMUND
Müller 52					Ricken 73
Nikl 66						Stevic 76

Wörns was out with the flu, Metzelder playing with a broken nose and
the lone healthy BVB defender Kohler had to leave after 7 minutes being
busted open in a nasty head-collision with "Iron Head" Nikl, young and
inexperienced Frenchman Madouni came on in his place. Larsen hit the
crossbar just before half time thanks to a superb Cacão through pass.

BVB-reject Lars Müller tapped in Krzynowek's centre to fire the Club
into the lead. Nikl made it 2-0 with a heavily deflected distance shot.
Koller chipped an open goal wide at the other end! Still Dortmund did
not give up and were rewarded when Stevic picked out Ewerthon on the
break, the Brasilian centred and Ricken made it 2-1 with a sliding shot.

A quarter of an hour before the end Stevic headed in Rosický's free kick
to turn down defeat. Ewerthon even had a potential game-winner on his
boot but Kampa deflected his shot against the post. Micky Stevic turned
a "Man Of The Match" performance for good reason as Kehl's arrival is
imminent.

Assists: Krzynowek, Ewerthon, Rosický
Attendance: 25,000


HERTHA				2-2		ST. PAULI
Meggle 50 (Pen)					Marcelinho 62
Rath 63						Schmidt 85

The first 30 minutes were all snow, no football. Fiedler made a good
save from Hertha-reject Rath. The Berliner were visibly floored after
the many games and the theatre around coach Röber who will (have to)
leave at the end of the season. Patschinski dived over Fiedler to win
a penalty, Meggle knocked it in (spot kick had to be taken twice after
Pauli players ran into the box too early on the first attempt).

Marcelinho finished off an attack which he himself started with a back
heel in midfield with a perfectly placed shot into the left-bottom
corner from just outside the area. Rath restored the lead for the Moles
with a lucky, deflected, opportunistic shot from the edge of the box.
Tretschok smashed against the crossbar at the other end before Schmidt
scored the late equalizer after "Icelandic Brasilian" Sverrisson flicked
onto Marcelinho's through pass with his heel!

Assists: Patschinski, Sverrisson (2x), Meggle
Attendance: 27,100


HAMBURG			5-2		COTTBUS
Präger 52, 60					Schröter 26
Fukal 63						Reghecampf 83
Mahdavikia 75
Barbarez 82

Energie got out on the break fast, young man Schröter flew down the
wing, took it to Maltritz on the dribble at full pace, sold him a
dummy and fired the ball into the far corner and Cottbus into the
shock lead. Mahdavikia fed Präger and he slotted the ball under the
'keeper for the equalizer. Stellingen's N°22 repeated the same trick
minutes later from Ketelaer's centre to give the home side the lead.

And Pinneberg never looked back: Meijer headed Mahdavikia's cross
against the crossbar, Fukal nodded in the rebound at the far post.
Hertzsch played in Barbarez on the counter attack, his attempt was
saved by Piplica but Mahdavikia was on hand to tap-in the rebound.
A long Albertz diagonal pass completely tore the BSG defense apart,
Präger was wide open and had plenty of time to cross to the far post
where Barbarez easily volleyed home.

Reghecampf poked in Labak's cross for some result cosmetics, still
it was Energie's worst defeat in 152 professional games as the team
had never conceded more than 4 goals (let alone 5 in one half!).

Assists: Wawrzyczek, Mahdavikia, Ketelaer, Präger, Labak
Attendance: 32,445


Ciao,

Tim

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