Matchday 24: FC Sankt Pauli vs FC Union Berlin 1-2

Heads up!

source: When Sunday comes on Twitter

Bad result, good feelings. Sounds like the best way to summarise what happened yesterday evening at Millerntor. The brown white squad lost 1-2 to a superior Union Berlin, after a game that could end with a heavier score on the one hand but we came close to getting something out of it towards the end on the other. Reasons to feel good after a defeat? We have one or two in mind 😉

 

The usual pre-game positive mood at Soridon, even though that everybody knew that Union is not 1860. For me (always the conservative bastard) anything we could get from this game would be nice to have, can’t be otherwise when you face a squad running full throttle towards promotion to the Bundesliga. All set, whisky flowing in the venue, pyros burning in the Süd (looks like a 10K bill, probably 20, we have done it before I think ^^), tremendous atmosphere in Millerntor and off we go 😉

Game on, balanced play in the beginning but with FCSP showing intentions of facing the opponent straight in the eyes, something that soon enough was expressed with actions. First good opportunity for FCSP on 7′: a fast brown white counter attack from the right flank (great work Aziz!), cross in the box temporary clearance and directly the rebound shot from Sahin (about 12m and 45 degrees to the right) which ended to sidenetting. Things got really serious with our first BIG ONE on 17′! Brilliant long forward ball from Möller Daehli to Sahin (these two, if they stay around, can write together history in the future) who stormed ahead, slightly to the right, neutralised two opponents, got a clear 10m view to target but a bloody Union leg intervened in the very last moment, changing the course of the ball just enough to end up safely inside Mesenhöler’s hands – ACK!!! And, right at the point that even me started believing that, yes, we can kick even Union’s ass just fine, the goal-joke of the month… for Union… Diagonal 30+m ball towards the heart of our box when there was no one (defense pulled forward for offside)…except Polter and Buballa, having their own small cock sparring and both actually ignoring where exactly the ball is. Ball bounced on Buballa’s (I think) back, at the edge of the keeper’s box and went in front of Polter who tried directly the shot but scored with his knee (!) instead. Bad tactical defending for us, awful luck for them, whichever the reason, 0-1 for Union on 19’… From this point and until the end of the half Union proved why they’re considered one of the big favorites to take the top flight next season. These guys started slowly unfolding their play with a characteristic ease and if wasn’t Heerwagen and their carelessness the game could have ended (for good) already from the 1st half. Double Heerwagen save on 30′, first in front of Hedlund, saving his 4m shot, result of an excellent combination, and then in front of Polter for the rebound. New quick Union counter attack on 34′, final recipient Polter, storming into the box from the right but his lame finish made Heerwagen’s work much easier. New, INCREDIBLE chance for Union on 41′, with Hedlund receiving the ball midway between the center and our net, ALL ALONE in front of Heerwagen! Philipp’s fast reflexes (saw the danger and stormed ahead immediately) combined with Hedlund’s criminally bad ball control saved the day – Heerwagen got first to the ball… And yet, Union have more to give. Last BIG chance of the first half, a Skrzybski shot from acute angle and double pressure just by Heerwagen’s right post. HT 0-1, could be really really worse, the fact that we had Union against us though make it much much easier to swallow. Still things in view of the 2nd half were looking somehow bleak…

 

Excellent skill, 0-1 ^^ (source: http://www.mopo.de Photo: Matthias Koch)

On to the 2nd half and COLOSSAL chance for FCSP on 46′!!! Dudziak, having escape everybody’s attention managed to pick a ball into the right side of the box, from some acute angle but having all the time of his life and not a single soul around – Jeremy simply didn’t believe it and Mesenhöler cleared the shot… 2′ afterwards (exactly like in the first half) the punishment from Union on 48′ with a Kreilach header, taking the rebound almost on the goal line over much shorter Dudziak, after a BEAUTIFUL, parallel to the net, Trimmel (half of the goal belongs to him) lob. Simple as that, when facing squads like them and you lose such chances or focus even (momentarily), you’re doomed to pay the price… Normally, the match would be over at this point, this didn’t happen for two reasons: a) the Boys in Brown didn’t give up the game and continued trying, pushed by the excellent yesterday Millerntor crowd and b) Union underestimated us. They probably thought that we will not come back from this or that they will have no problem holding on to 0-2 without spending much energy, the fact is that they retreated without showing the will to do things with fast football in the counter attack like they did in the 1st half, something that changed things. FCSP got the initiative and started trying to create something, without many results except a Sobiech header (from close distance and over the crossbar) on 66′ and another one from Thy (in from 75′, just wide) on 81′. Everything changed on 83′ when Bouhaddouz found the target this time for the 1-2, setting Millerntor and game on fire! Run-and-gun game in the closing stages. Union tried to finish the job, came close on 88′ but again Heerwagen intervened twice, first repelled Fürstner’s 17m shot, then blocked Kreilach’s rebound attempt to his left. We stayed alive in the game and we almost robbed the house on 92′ but Thy’s shot just right to the penalty spot wasn’t the one supposed to be. FT FCSP 1 – Union 2, fair loss but good work.

Aziz flying for the 1-2, unfortunately this wasn’t enough… (image source: http://www.mopo.de)

Strange feeling leaving satisfied after a home defeat but, let’s face it, wasn’t our turn yesterday. It would require a lot of things to beat these guys, not all of them happened. For me, watching the Boys in brown fighting and keeping their chances alive until the very end yesterday looks good enough. After all, we were playing against a squad having almost double our points so far, we haven’t become so good to consider a defeat from such a squad as “unplanned” 🙂 Results are already visible, we’ve been already over this, let’s just keep the good work. The not so good news is that next week we have (again) at Millerntor the next most difficult opponent after Union in theory. Hannover sits at the 3rd promotion playoff place, just 2pts behind Union. Looks like they didn’t have the easiest time possible today vs 1860 (won at home only 1-0), let’s hope that this is a good sign. We could use for sure something a little more convenient after yesterday but this is football, so let’s go and do the best we can, after certain circumstances it can be enough 😉 VORAN SANKT PAULI!

PS: 3rd consecutive game with the same starting XI 😉

PS2: what the fuck happened with our brand new lawn?

Line Up:

Heerwagen

Dudziak  Sobiech  Hornschuh  Buballa

 Nehrig  Buchtmann

 Sahin (Thy 70′)  Möller Daehli (Miyaichi 70′)  Sobota

          Bouhaddouz

Match goals:

0:1 Polter (19′, Right Foot Shot, Kroos)

0:2 Kreilach (48′, Header, Trimmel)

1:2 Bouhaddouz (83′, Header, Sobota)

Spectators: 29546 (sold out)

Sankt Pauli cards: Sobiech(5, misses next)

Match goals

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5eh4kr_st-pauli-vs-union-berlin-1-2-all-goals-highlights_sport

 

Further reading:

• Kicker (German)
• Official website
• Official website photo gallery
• Nice Guys Sankt Pauli (German)
• KonBon Magazin (German)
• Der Übersteiger (German)
• Couchgepöbel (German)
• Magischer FC (German)
• FC St. Pauli Athens Club (Greek)
• Kleiner Tod (German)