Matchday 03: FC Sankt Pauli – SV Sandhausen 2-1

At last!

FINALLY, ENDLICH, ΕΠΙΤΕΛΟΥΣ! First win in Millerntor after March 3rd (!)! Back then the post title chosen was “Simply incomprehensible…” and it was actually referring to the way that FCSP had managed back then to win the match, “stealing” actually the point(s) from Union.  Some 5 and a half months later this title could fit just fine here as well… Whatever, what’s really important for now is the so hard needed win and Lasse Sobiech’s big moment on injury time was more than enough in order to lift us, our Athens Club comrades and, more or less, the entire Locomotiva up to the fuckin’ ceiling! Good times, really enjoyed and appreciated especially in a season predicted (after the “opening” games, including this) so hard…

 

Cool (as always) situation at the Locomotiva. Lots of Athens Club pals (this time they seriously outnumbered us!) even 50′ before kick off, a few new faces (they can always be spotted by the relatively “discrete” position they choose to sit and the temporary reduced level of interaction with the “others”, by the end of the match usually things have radically changed 🙂 ). Hearty atmosphere, typical of good pals meeting all together after some time, experience and t-shirt exchange, Tullamore Dew available at the bar, some quite entertaining material to read (see sample below!), equipment set and perfectly working already 40′ prior to kick off AND VERY FEW predictions about the possible outcome – All systems go, with a spectacular atmosphere insode the Millerntor and a, somehow not quite friendly towards the local police, USP choreo 😀

The Boys in Brown (in fact, white yesterday) caught everybody by surprise during the opening stages of the game by completely dominating space and ball and getting ahead already on 5′! A big-time Hübner (caught completely asleep, thank you!) fuck-up, gave to Budimir (good work at the same time!) the opportunity for the steal, our guy took advantage of the situation and served Nöthe from the right side of the box with the perfect assist for the 1-0, young Christopher didn’t miss and immediatelly sky rocketed both Millerntor and venue! Unfortunately, as soon as FCSP scored, we managed to inexcusably “give space” to the opponent and by the time the clock reached 10′, the situation started going the other way around… COLOSSAL SAVE by Big Phil on 12′ who refused Bieler (all alone, following a counter attack which competely dissolved our defense) the equalizer! FCSP in retreat, Sandhausen having control of the game and pressing, longing for one of the usual FCSP defense fuck-ups. This of course happened on 23′ (ffs, look at the highlights!) and resulted to the Sandhausen equalizer by Gartler, almost from zero distance… Our guests, unlike us, instead of getting backwards after the goal and wait for something to happen, retained control of the game. Tschauni had to dive towards his right corner on 27′ in order to save to corner a long Stiefler shot and again on his other corner (awarded a foul) in front of Gartler immediately afterwards with our defense looking like being under Hawaiian mushroom influence… Still no sign of FCSP in the pitch and again Tschauner saving the day on 38′, saving an Achenbach corner kick (“EXCELLENT” defensive positioning, MERCY!). Last notable occasion, on 42′, AGAIN for the guests with a Gartler shot, a few meters out of the box, ending up past Tschauner’s right post… Half time whistle, with FCSP far below average as usual (if it’s usual, then why it’s below average you idiot???) and having been lucky enough to be able to still claim the game, thanks to the 1-1 score…

The equalizer… (source: http://www.bundesliga.de)

Game on for the 2nd half with the guests still looking like they were the home side in the match… New Tschauni save on 49, stopping again Gartler,  rallying into the box from the left offensive flank and (HOLY FUCK!) ANOTHER HUGE ONE on 52′, stopping AGAIN Gartler, right in front of him with a state-of-the-art reflex!!! Manuel Neuer, it’s hard but it’s time for you to step down… 😀 This last save was probably the most critical point in the game as hosts somehow ran out either from moral or strength (or maybe both). With FCSP unable to offer anything significant to the game, match pace progressively decreased and the only thing I can recall from this point until the closing stages of the game was Kalla’s shot on 68, deflected to corner by Riemann. Into the last 15′ of the match, with FCSP now clearly superior and the guests somehow exhausted but nothing big since the Boys in Brown were looking harmless with the exception of a Rzatkowski shot (77′) tackled succesfully at the last moment by Olajengbesi… and while mood in the venue has gone somehow low and you could already hear a few discussions irrelevant to the game…the WARNING SHOT (as proven later!) with a Budimir header passing just past Riemann’s opposite corner (89′) and THE KILL on 92′!!! Corner for FCSP, FCSP reaction by the Sandhausen defense (3 of them in the center of the box failed even to jump), chaos inside the box, and the decisive shot by… Sobiech, first hitting the post, bouncing on a Sandhausen defender on the line and then going inside!!! 2-1 FCSP, PANIC in Locomotiva, HELL in Millerntor!!! No time for anything, game over, an unexpected victory, almost out of nowhere, again after some 6 months 🙂

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

Phew! So sweeeet feeling and we better enjoy it while it lasts simply because, along with the passion (about time!) that the squad displayed towards the end of the game (of course, after they’ve seen the chance wide open, this squad seems a little like lacking  the moral that will keep them fighting through the difficult moments in the game) and the INVALUABLE 3 pts, these are the only positives to keep from yesterday… (football wise of course, the Atmosphere is ALWAYS there 🙂 ). Lots of problems that have been already written here and almost everywhere else… FCSP yesterday was again a non-squad for the biggest part of the game and this after 3 match days and all of them having a hard time vs opponents (theoretically) not included in the top, directly candidate for promotion, group… In a few words, and unless something does drastically change in Vrabec’s plans in the very near future, the name of the game this season will be “staying safe”, that’s why I personally consider yesterday’s win one of really big importance, even in such a “premature” stage of the season. Because we need such points against opponents that we will (possibly) have to compete against for a place in the Sun later in the season…

Also a good moral boost for the boys in view of the next one coming which seems more or less like the “real thing” 🙂 It’s the trip to Fürth for the game vs local SpVgg Greuther (Fürth!). These guys still owe current matchday (Ingolstadt) but so far they have managed an away 1-1 draw vs (equally strong) VfL Bochum and managed to evaporate FC Nürnberg 5-1 (!) on matchday 2 while their matchday 1 opponents were prevailing AWAY with the same score over Aue. In a few words, tough shit! Well, Herr Vrabec and beloved boys wearing the glorious shirt, vast fields of glory lie open ahead 🙂 It’s completely up to you to show if you are capable handling tough situations. Doesn’t need to be a win (of course) and doesn’t even need to be a draw – even a dignified defeat after a hard fought game can occasionally do 🙂 So, watch out Herr Kiss(myass)inger, here we come 😀 😀 😀

Match goals:

1:0 Nöthe (5′, Left foot Shot, Budimir)

1:1 Gartler (23′, Right foot Shot, Pfertzel)

2:1 Sobiech (90+2′, Right foot Shot, Budimir)

Spectators: 26581 (HT partly still on “vacation” status)

Sankt Pauli cards: N/A (Thumbs Up!)

For full match coverage (in German) visit: http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/2bundesliga/spieltag/2-bundesliga/2014-15/3/2407554/spielbericht_fc-st-pauli-18_sv-sandhausen-1604.html

Extensive match highlights (be fast, this user removes after a while) 

Further reading:

• St. Pauli con Ñ match report
• Metalust & Subdiskurse Reloaded post-game post
• Muckefuck Sankt Pauli photo gallery
• Kleiner Tod’s match report
• Magischer FC report
• Grenzenlos Sankt Pauli report
• The Übersteiger match report