Sport semi-finals in the DFB Cup
Placement errors and goalkeeping mistakes signal the end of the Saarbrücken fairytale
Status: 02.04.2024 | Reading time: 3 minutes
Over and over: Saarbrücken’s Luca Kerber is annoyed while Kaiserslautern’s players celebrate
Source: dpa/Uwe Anspach
Third division team Saarbrücken had thrown FC Bayern, Frankfurt and Mönchengladbach out of the DFB Cup. Only one win was missing from participation in the final in Berlin. But the run ended in the derby against Kaiserslautern. A goalkeeping error led to the defeat.
1. FC Kaiserslautern stopped the sensational march of third division soccer team 1. FC Saarbrücken in the DFB Cup and can now dream of their third triumph after 1990 and 1996. The second division team, threatened with relegation, won the semi-finals 2-0 (0-0) on Tuesday and thus reached the final for the eighth time in the club’s history. In front of almost 16,000 spectators, Marlon Ritter in the 53rd minute and Almamy Touré (75th) scored the goals for the victory, which brought the Palatinate team further millions in revenue.
“We also had the necessary luck in the game,” said FCK coach Friedhelm Funkel, “but we didn’t allow ourselves to be counterattacked like other teams here and were stable. Of course it wasn’t a nice game for the spectators.”
The Red Devils’ final opponent will be determined on Wednesday between Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen and second division team Fortuna Düsseldorf. The final will take place on May 25th in Berlin. There, veteran Funkel’s team can even secure their participation in the Europa League with a win.
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Saarbrücken, on the other hand, failed to qualify for the final as only the fourth third division team in the almost century-long history of the competition. So far, only the amateurs from Hertha BSC (1993), Energie Cottbus (1997) and 1. FC Union Berlin (2001) have achieved this feat.
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“It hurts extremely because it was a game we don’t have to lose. We make one mistake and then it hurts extremely. In defeat and frustration, we still have to say: ‘It’s amazing what we’ve achieved.’ Even if that is only small consolation for today,” said Saarbrücken coach Rüdiger Ziehl: “We had a big dream.”
Nothing came of it, although after a rainy Easter weekend the weather gods had an understanding with the Saarlanders, who were only able to play their quarter-final against Borussia Mönchengladbach at the second attempt because the pitch was unplayable. This time it stayed dry on the day of the game, and the sun even made a few appearances. Referee Marco Fritz was able to start the game as planned.
Unlike the surprise victories against Bundesliga clubs Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and Gladbach, Saarbrücken took the initiative at the beginning. However, the home team did not get beyond promising approaches in the fourth cup semi-final in their club’s history.
Goalkeeper mistake helps Lautern take the lead
Kaiserslautern shied away from taking risks and relied on a stable defense. The spectators therefore saw a lot of ball pushing and little movement. There were no chances to score on both sides. Things got heated at times between the penalty areas.
After just half an hour, FCK coach Friedhelm Funkel had to make his first change because attacker Kenny Prince Redondo was injured without any interference from the opponent. Aaron Opoku came for him. This had no impact on the game, which sputtered along without any highlights. So it went into the break goalless.
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Traditional club in crisis
After the change, both teams came out of the locker room with more momentum. The opening goal for the guests, who had reached the semi-finals for the first time in ten years, came somewhat fortunately. A harmless header from Ritter slipped through the hands of FCS goalkeeper Tim Schreiber and into the net. The ball had previously bounced off the battered turf unusually flat.
“So bitter that it ends because of a mistake on my part. Because the situation probably decided the game,” said an extremely disappointed writer: “In training you think ten of these balls. I feel extremely sorry for the team. The boys fought so hard, even after the score was 0-1.” He didn’t use the pitch conditions as an excuse. “The ball didn’t come up anymore,” Funkel also noticed.
The goal still had an impact on the underdog, who conceded the second header through Touré a quarter of an hour before the end. This time Schreiber was powerless. In the final phase, the FCK didn’t let anything go wrong and in the end celebrated their well-deserved success with thousands of fans traveling with them.