Matchday 25: FC Sankt Pauli – FSV Frankfurt 1-1…

One step back…

source: http://www.rp-online.de

We had our chance to escape (even temporary) from the direct relegation zone yesterday and at a certain point of the game it seemed like we’ve managed to do it… Still, an unlucky defensive moment was enought to turn the odds upside down and, at the end of the match, we were lucky to leave the field even with the single (still not enough) point… FCSP 1 – FSV 1 and the anguish carries on…

 

Absense of TV coverage led me and St. John (new nickname since yesterday “chubby gentleman”/”στρουμπουλός κύριος” 😀 ) to the friendly Locomotiva ground, home of the Athens Club. Lots of frendly faces of course, lots of talk regarding impressions and stories from the Aue weekend, the surprising appearance of Andreas from Hamburg (they’re always coming back 🙂 ), loads of optimism thanks to the unexpected Braunschweig gift and a pre-party atmosphere overall, to the surprise of the remaining bar minority population, consisted most of students being there for some study (sorry ladies) or literature fans, occupying the upper (but not isolated) upper level of the venue (sorry also 🙂 ). In a few words, the perfect Saturday morning Athens recipe for success. Squad entrance, with squad wearing the “kein fussbal den faschisten” special jackets and a beautiful Gegengerade banner (which we didn’t notice – cameras face Haupttribune – until halftime), Hell’s Bells and off to the game!

Majestic Gegengerade!

The absense of the powerful FCSP beginning was considered (by me) a good omen as it hasn’t did us any good during any of the late home games 🙂 Tight game from the start, with FCSP slightly superior in the pitch in terms of space and the first (and BIG) chance on 15′ with a Sobiech header (coming in with momentum) from 7 meters directly facing the FSV net, which was anything but what Lasse meant to do and ended after a bounce into the arms of Klandt. FSV’s immediate response (15′) could change the flow of the game but Himmelmann was ready when Grifo attempted to execute him from 11m (slightly to the left) on the counter attack. It was again our turn on 17′ with a Halstenberg 18m shot ending up about 1m from Klandt’s left post and game back to “normal”. One Rzatkowski shot (26′), another one from Daube (29′), and one for FSV (Dedic 45′), all well handled from the keepers (last two where easy) were the remaining highlights of a 1st half with FCSP slightly better, FSV always ready to do the damage but nothing real fancy overall…

FCSP 1st half highlight, Sobiech unlucky header on 15′

Kick off in the 2nd half and, almost directly, GOAL for FCSP!!! Classy move and pass from Kalla to Thy, at the first post, some 7m from the net, classy full pivot move from Thy and one of the most well executed goals we’ve lately seen from the boys in brown! 1-0 for FCSP, pure joy following the mass outburst inside the venue and things started looking really good, especially when Nöthe (51′) got just one step ahead of Koch’s pass, into the heart of the FSV box with the ball meeting his ass instead of his legs and the chance to take further advantage getting lost. Unfortunately, all this joy wasn’t to last for long as the equalizer arrived 7′ later (58′)…A seemingly harmless FSV high cross with ball ending up on the head of Maier who did…something that he just didn’t intend to do, sending a perfect pass to Engels at the edge of the keepers box who immediately served to incoming Kauko for the kill…1-1 for FSV and this came like a shock to the squad. The Boys in Brown lost pace, FSV started taking advantage of the situation and they approached a 2nd goal on 63′ with a very dangerous Engels cross but (phew!) noone there to make the decisive push. More open game for the rest of the match, with both opponents going now for the win (And FCSP mainly on the driver’s seat) but without any serious chances of doing so until the closing stages of the game. Then, the COLOSSAL chance for FCSP (86′) with Daube taking advantage of a chaotic situation and serving with his head the ball to Nöthe who all alone from 5m (without even having to jump!) sent the ball with another header right on Klandt AND the equally dangerous response of FSV (90+1′!) with the Kaplani 7m finish which didn’t become a goal thanks only to Himmelmann’s last minute save of the match… Full time, FCSP 1 – FSV 1, in a game that, the way it flowed, could be anybody’s…

Moments of temporary joy, Thy has just opened the score (source: http://www.welt.de)

Squad really tried yesterday. The boys were passionate, tried to play good football using other ways than just sending the ball to the box and hoping that someone will be there for the lucky header but still couldn’t do it. Under other circumstances, we would be probably somehow satisfied but in the shithole we have managed to get ourselves in, this is simply just not enough…However, what’s done it’s done, we can’t fix it, no time for pessimism now, the best approach in my humble opininion is to evaluate the 4pts total in the last 2 games as positive, keep in mind that if Himmelmann was not in place on injury time they could be less and move on to the next one… …and more particularly to Berlin for the hot as Hell game vs Union. These guys, who were in a similar position to us during the 1st round, have managed to get some safety distance from the relegation zone but (as almost everybody in Germany) they always play for their club and history – they’re expected to be more than tough opponents, add their strong home ground here and you have a first class challenge. If the question “can we get a victory in Berlin?” was asked 2 weeks ago, following the Aue game, I would reply “bollocks” but in the meantime we did it in Braunschweig, didn’t we? If we managed to do it there, there’s certainly a chance of doing it here, so enough of the Scum bollockology, let’s all get behind the squad and see what the fuck happens. After all, whichever the league and the circumstances we go along, there’s no other choice for us, Sankt Pauli ist die einzige Möglichkeit!!!

Match goals:

1:0 Thy (46′, Left foot shot, Kalla)

1:1 Kauko (58′, Right foot shot, Engels)

Spectators: 22884 (sold out, even if didn’t look like it with a quick view at HT)

Sankt Pauli cards: Kalla(2), Daube(4)

For full match coverage (in German) visit: http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/2bundesliga/spieltag/2-bundesliga/2014-15/25/2407751/spielbericht_fc-st-pauli-18_fsv-frankfurt-1295.html

Μatch highlights

 

Further reading:

• USP Photo Gallery
• Grenzenlos Sankt Pauli (German)
• Beebleblox (German)
• Hamburg ist Braun Weiss (German)
• Der Übersteiger (German)
• Kleiner Tod (German)