CHOKE!

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

With Bayern 9 points away from the top of the table and nearest rival
Kaiserslautern losing at Bremen last week, the top duo of Dortmund
(47 points) and Leverkusen (45) had the great chance of keeping or even
widening the gap. But as if it was a plot planned to keep the league
interesting and exciting both only managed draws and now the top five
clubs are only separated by 7 points.

In other news around the league, moody diva Hertha scored an impressive
road victory at the improved "Löwen", Cottbus clearly beat relegation
rivals Rostock in the "Ostderby" and bottom of the table Köln, in their
first game under new coach Friedhelm Funkel, only managed a goalless
draw at home against Bremen which sees them slip to 8 points from the
saving 15th place...


17 FEBRUARY 2002

KÖLN				0-0		BREMEN

Rost made a two-footed saved from Kurth's close-range drive. Wehlage
was sent off for a two-footed lunge from behind on Voigt, on paper a
correct decision but actually very harsh as the foul was in no-man's
land and as he only made minimal contact. Krstajic and Aílton could
still have won the game for the decimated visitors but their nerves
failed them in front of goal. Voigt curled an 87th minute free kick
against the crossbar.

Red Card: Wehlage 58 (Bremen)
Attendance: 26,000


COTTBUS			3-0		ROSTOCK
Beeck 31
Miriuta 33
Topic 68

Beierle forced Piplica into a stunning save with a spectacular bicycle
kick. Ex-Rostocker Beeck headed in his 1st ever Bundesliga goal from
Miriuta's free kick. Energie's captain and playmaker then scored the
2-0 himself with a phenomenal shot with the outside instep after some
exquisite passing from Akrapovic (!) and Franklin. Kobylanski headed
another Miriuta free kick back across goal but Franklin blazed over
the bar at the far post. Topic made the game safe with his 3rd goal
in 3 consecutive home games from Miriuta's (who else?) through pass.

Energie Cottbus' Hungarian playmaker was without the shadow of a doubt
the outstanding player of the weekend.

Assists: Miriuta (x2), Franklin
Attendance: 17,100


16 FEBRUARY 2002

FREIBURG			0-2		BAYERN MÜNCHEN
						Lizarazu 32
						Elber 41

Bayern was the more classy, the better side in this encounter with their
bogey team. It paid off when Jeremies swapped passes with Élber before
lobbing the ball into the box to Lizarazu who lifted it over Golz for
his first goal in over two years! Fink, back from suspension, opened
up the SCF defense with a good through pass, Scholl directly played the
ball on to Élber and the Brasilian rode Kondé's tackle before firing
into the far corner. Scholl almost made it 3-0 after the break but the
post saved for the already beaten 'keeper. Paulo Sergio hit wood with a
header as well. It was Bayerns first road win after four months!

Assists: Jeremies, Scholl
Attendance: 25,000 (sold out)


STUTTGART			2-1		WOLFSBURG
Meißner 9					Klimowicz 89
Hleb 77

Utility player Silvio Meißner headed his VfB into the lead from
Adhemar's sharp free kick. Petrov almost ripped off Hildebrand's
fingers with a cracking free kick. Balakov found his designated
successor Aliksandr Hleb with a long cross, the Belorussian
playmaker performed a stepover dribble to get rid of his marker
Sarpei before unleashing a powerful shot into the bottom-right
corner. Klimowicz scored his 1st Bundesliga goal after Juskowiak
flicked onto Kühbauer's free kick. Balakov played his 200th
Bundesliga game for Stuttgart, congrats!

Assists: Adhemar, Balakov, Juskowiak
Attendance: 16,000


1860 MÜNCHEN			0-3		HERTHA
						Preetz 12, 49
						Beinlich 47

Preetz headed Beinlich's free kick against the post. "Der Lange" then
tapped in Marx' centre for his first goal after 736 scoreless minutes!
1860 should have been given a penalty after Beinlich tripped Cerny.
Häßler rocked the right post with one of his trademark free kicks.
Király made a fantastic save from Agostino's bullet header. Beinlich
scored his 1st goal since November 2000 (what an epidemic year 2001
has been for him...) with a powerful shot into the top-right angle.
Preetz headed in his 2nd of the afternoon from Hartmann's cross.
Austrian playmaker Weissenberger almost tore the crossbar into pieces
with an uncharacteristically violent free kick.

Assists: Marx, Marcelinho, Hartmann
Attendance: 20,000


KAISERSLAUTERN			2-1		NÜRNBERG
Lokvenc 31					Sanneh 90
Bjelica 71

Hattrick-Klose returned to the venue of the greatest game in his young
career and went to work right away with a volley against the post after
11 minutes. Rink rounded Hengen before firing against the post at the
other end as well. Lokvenc then used the third chance in the game when
he headed in his 7th goal of the season from Dominguez' cross. Kampa
made an excellent save from another Lokvenc drive in the second half.
The big Czech then headed onto a poor clearance and Bjelica squeezed
one past the 'keeper to decide the game. Sanneh pulled one back from
close range in the 90th minute after Klose unluckily deflected a corner.

Assists: Dominguez, Lokvenc
Attendance: 36,927


MÖNCHENGLADBACH		2-1		HAMBURG
Van Houdt 3					Cardoso 30 (Pen)
Demo 32 (Pen)

Van Houdt smashed in Ulich's centre to give the home side the lead after
only 132 seconds. Gladbach's Czech midfielder then had to make it 2-0
1-on-1 with Pieckenhagen, he even beat the 'keeper but Hertzsch had no
trouble clearing his weak shot before the line. Präger dived for a pen,
Cardoso sent Stiel the wrong way from the spot. Ref Wagner came up with
a consolation decision 2 minutes later after Hollerbach minimally boxed
out Demo in aerial battle, the "fouled" player took the penalty himself
and scored. Hertzsch was sent off for an emergency break on Van Houdt.

Assists: Ulich, Präger, Demo
Red Card: Hertzsch 48 (Hamburg)
Attendance: 30,100


ST. PAULI			2-2		LEVERKUSEN
Rath 27						Kirsten 6
Meggle 90 (Pen)					Ballack 70

Kirsten tapped in Zé Roberto's centre to give the visitors the early
lead. Rath headed Pauli level from Rahn's excellent cross. Zé Roberto
clanged a cross against the post 8 minutes into the second half. "Zé"
then carried the ball to the box, spread it to Ballack, he rolled
around his marker, drove to the middle and fired Bayer back into the
lead wuth a slightly deflected left-footed blast from the top of the
area. Pauli were gifted a 90th minute penalty after Held shot the ball
into Schneider's face but as he tried to cover it, the ref decided it
was a handball, Meggle beat Butt from the spot.

After losing four straight road games Bayer again only managed 1 point
at a relegation candidate. Will they lose the title away from home?

Assists: Zé Roberto (x2), Rahn
Attendance: 19,881


DORTMUND			1-1		SCHALKE
Ewerthon 50					Oude Kamphuis 17

119th Revierderby! Lehmann had to rush out of his goal to clear against
Wilmots after the offside trap collapsed, his clearance was intercepted
by Oude Kamphuis deep in right midfield and from about 40m the Dutch
international let the ball sail over the everybody's head and straight
into the top-left corner -- a once in a lifetime goal for most players!
Dortmund should have been given a penalty for a Van Hoogdalem handball.
Koller flicked onto Ricken's cross and Ewerthon bagged the long overdue
equalizer at the far post. Lehmann made two good saves from Waldoch
headers. Reck saved against Koller's injury-time toe-poke to save S04 a
lucky point!

Assist: Koller
Attendance: 68,600 (sold out)


Ciao,

Tim

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