Matchday 26: Erzgebirge Aue vs FC Sankt Pauli 1-0…

Simply move on

source: http://www.sportschau.de, © imago

The gentleman you see here celebrating his achievement, made practically the only difference between us and them on Friday afternoon but unfortunately this was enough for the final 1-0, after almost a non-game, that got Aue out of the relegation zone for the moment and threw us back on the relegation playoff spot. This was really bitter, nevertheless it’s not the end of the world. No time for grief, just very limited time for adjustments, c’mon FCSP!

 

Welcome to the Scum crew Thaleia 🙂

A really disorganised Friday at Soridon. Both day/time of the match (working shift practically, usual problem) and some internal South End Scum affairs (see picture on the left 🙂 ) resulted to an attendance not fit to the importance of the game and talk was not really about the match. However, after the limited time dedicated to the subject before the match, one thing became clear: we may have an impressive course after December but the reason that we haven’t left Aue behind so far despite this course is simply the fact that they are doing also really well (very clever 😀 ). Unbeaten since their new coach arrived (I think) and in a theoretically tougher position than us, this was simply not expected to be easy…

With the exception of the Sobiech header (after a corner, on 2′) which ended JUST over Männel’s crossbar (ACK!), we got from the very beginning some first indications regarding the kind of the game we were about to watch. Two squads more or less at the same level, both in dire need of survival points (with the home squad at a slightly bigger level of urgency) – a really tight game, with FCSP slightly more dominant instead of Aue but with nobody being willing to risk anything, especially at this stage. Not much to see until 14′ and the 20+m free kick by Kvesic that ended up sidenetting by our right post (looked like a goal just for frames of the second, phew!) and, with the exception of a distant Hornschuh shot on 22′ (a couple of meters wide), not much until 28′ and the situation that decided the game… A distant diagonal ball from Hertner to Nazarov into the upper right of our box, a pass from Nazarov that nobody knows where it was supposed to go but ended at the other side of the box after bouncing on Ziereis’ back where Adler executed FCSP with a direct reverse biclycle kick that will easily make it as goal of the week… 1-0′ for Aue and normally time for FCSP to push the throttle and go after the equalizer. Not sure how hard squad tried for the remaining time in the first half, the only thing sure is that nothing happened. HT whistle 1-0 after 45′ which, with the exception of the goal, have already been forgotten…

The Kill (image: source: http://www.mdr.de, © Igor Pastierovic)

Opening quarter of the 2nd half was almost a copy of the closing quarter of the 1st, FCSP willing but unable and Aue in total control, the fact that first notable occasion was a Köpke shot out of the box, just by Heerwagen’s left post, speaks for itself. Jan Marc Schneider, who entered the pitch for Kalla on 67′), came this close to become the hero of the afternoon but his 69′ 12m direct volley (slighly from the left), following a Sobota(?) excellent deep forward pass, bounced on Männel’s crossbar before escaping outside… With the clock ticking, FCSP was trying to increase the pressure but nothing really was coming out of it. A distant Choi shot (in for Sobota on 73′) on 76′ that ended… somewhere is certainly not a chance but the best thing that happened until 84′ and the something-like-an-opportunity Aue occasion on 84′ with an Adler header from close distance but without much perspective… A few more situations in the closing stages, a desperate, acute angled, Hornschuh shot on 86′ with an outcome similar to Choi’s, a Kvesic 25m free kick on 92′ with an outcome similar to Schneider’s (OK, this was a real chance) and a small chaos in the Aue box, after a corner on 96′ just before the full time whistle…

Game over… (source: http://www.mopo.de, © imago)

Leaving aside the obvious bitterness, this is football. Not sure about how the game could go without Adler’s excellent moment on 28′ but what is sure here is that this moment was actually the only thing that actually mattered. I could dare saying that Aue was below expectations on Friday and without Adler’s goal we would probably leave the field at least with a point, something not bad at all, especially considering the absenses of Sahin and Bouhaddouz… Especially when comes to Cenk Sahin, looks like we’re a different squad without him and sounds like the best possible news the fact that Ewald in today’s press conference stated that he will be ready for Tuesday. One way or another, we left empty handed – no problem as long as squad did the best they could and I believe they tried hard at least. Nobody said that this will be a bed of roses, so let’s regroup ourselves and see where we are currently standing ^^

OK, we lost a 6pt game and one place in the table here, Tuesday is coming to take at least the “privileged” place back. Risking the prediction that Union will not lose a 2nd consecutive game, especially against Aue (Hell at the top, by the way), if we show the required will and attention and play the football we really can, oh yeah, for sure we can beat Sandhausen, especially in a full house Millerntor – no excuses about Tuesday, place should be PACKED! So, keep calm until it’s time to go mad on Tuesday and follow FCSP, FORZA!!!

Line Up:

Heerwagen

Dudziak  Sobiech  Ziereis  Buballa

Sobota (Choi 73′)  Hornschuh  Buchtmann  Kalla (Schneider 67′)

 Möller Daehli (Gonther 86′)  Thy

Match goals:

1:0 Adler (28′, Right Foot Shot, Nazarov)

Spectators: 10000 (sold out)

Sankt Pauli cards: Sobiech(6)

Adler’s goal (excuse the bollox background sound 😀 )

 

Further reading:

• Kicker (German)
• Official website
• Official website photo gallery
• Vavel
• St. Pauli Club Zena (Italian)
• USP Photo Gallery
• KonBon Magazin (German)
• Kleiner Tod (German)
• Der Übersteiger (German)
• Magischer FC (German)

 

PS1: what we were not aware of, found out thanks to our visitors Bjulius and Rick (cheers!) on Friday and verified via KonBon’s piece today is that Aue fanbase is not just an ordinary hillbilly bunch, it’s a fuckin’ Nazi hillbilly bunch, actually one of the worse in terms of participation percentage within the group. Never stop learning Greg, fuck off Aue, we’ll happily watch you sinking on May ^^

PS2: To our man Ernesto, spending matchdays 26-28 with the East River Pirates NYC (cheers mates 😉 ): 3/3 not feasible anymore, try harder on Tuesday 😀