Autsch: Löwen-Aus in Aubstadt
It would have been the easiest way towards the DFB Cup. Given away – because the lions in Aubstadt were not up to par. This creates new pressure in the league.
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Aubstadt – Tim Hüttl had literally come to the finish on the last groove. His team celebrated, threw themselves at each other, roared out their emotions, and the central defender, who had almost shot TSV Aubstadt into a soccer cup sensation during the 90 minutes – he was now lying on the grass, flat, exhausted. He had a teammate knead a cramp from his calf between Aubstadt’s cheering grapes and the bewildered lions.
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—TSV 1860—
A telling scene after a memorable afternoon in the Lower Franconian provinces: Here a team that had pushed themselves to the limit, leading, tackling the equalizer and still scoring well-placed penalties. A few meters further the third division team from the state capital, who made a fool of themselves. Played for 70 minutes with the handbrake on, after Aubstadt’s lead by Hüttl (67′) quickly made it 1-1 (Bär, 74′) – but then negligently threw away the great chance of participating in the DFB Cup again. It can happen that the last chances of the game didn’t want to go into the goal. What must not happen, however, is how the professional team did at the penalty spot, where it continued seamlessly after the 90 minutes.
First 1860 defeat on penalties since 2004 (then 2nd round of the DFB Cup in Trier)
The outgoing Stephan Salger had submitted, Hiller representative Tom Kretzschmar parried the first Aubstadt attempt, then amateurish 1860-shooters ensured the end of a long series of successes at Kreidepunkt (last defeat in 2004 against Trier): Erik Tallig seemed to be heartbroken slip, captain Stefan Lex missed with sagging shoulders, Merv Biankadi happily hit the middle, Marcel Bär as the last lion shooter took two steps and pushed the ball into the arms of bad guy Lorenz Wenzel. Just pathetic or already arrogant? However. The fact that the favorite’s series of breakdowns happened in front of Aubstadt’s curve didn’t make things any less embarrassing – but all the nicer for the hosts, who no longer showed nerves, won 4:3 and finally gave in to their dopamine rush.
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Bär’s penalty: just pathetic or already arrogant?
Michael Köllner looked correspondingly depressed when he went to the standing press conference on the balcony of the TSV-Sportheim afterwards. “Up to 0:1 there were few scoring chances on either side,” commented the 1860 coach: “The goal we conceded was a wake-up call for us. We had three or four good chances to decide the game in regulation time. We weren’t good on penalties and we weren’t cold-blooded enough.” His conclusion, which no one contradicted: “In the end, we just didn’t deserve to make it to the final.”
There is now a regional league duel after third division team Würzburg also had to give up in the parallel semifinals (1:3 in Illertissen). Köllner described the Würzburg conqueror from the Allgäu as a “doable opponent”, which seemed involuntarily funny after his lions had just been kicked out of a village of 700 people against after-work footballers. 1860 now have to aim for the DFB Cup via a much rockier path, via one of the top four places in the league. With the setting from Saturday, that should be a difficult task.
Small consolation: Since Osnabrück and Braunschweig drew 1-1 in the catch-up game, third place is within reach (four points). However: The good form is gone, as was already shown in Mannheim (0: 3). Saarbrücken should compete in Giesing on Saturday without shaking knees. (Uli Kellner)
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