Gerald “Gerry” Hillringhaus (59) was in charge of SV Bad Heilbrunn’s box at the weekend. The former Bayern Munich keeper delivered a brilliant performance.
Geretsried/Bad Heilbrunn – The catch-up game in the national soccer league between TuS Geretsried and SV Bad Heilbrunn ended on Saturday with a goalless draw. And the reactions to it were predictable. There was frustration in the host team, while the guests from the Loisachtal marched into the dressing room with undisguised pride.
“If I wasn’t satisfied with the result, I would be in the wrong place,” says SV coach Walter Lang. “That was a huge performance by my team, the point is absolutely okay.” Martin Grelics had to admit that the result meant “two points lost” for his team. “We are all brutally disappointed,” admits the TuS coach, who complains: “If a goal is scored early, the game takes a different course.”
SV Bad Heilbrunn: Gerry Hillringhaus jumps in – goalkeeper legend hext at 59 in the state league
The fact that it didn’t go that far in front of 300 spectators on the artificial turf pitch in the Isarau Stadium was primarily due to the Heilbrunn goalkeeper, who made his debut for HSV in the state league at the age of 59. Referee Felix Brandstätter had just given the go-ahead when Gerald “Gerry” Hillringhaus – who played 17 Bundesliga games for the 1991/92 FC Bayern completed – had ground contact for the first time with a low shot into the right corner of the goal. Two minutes later, the football pensioner, lying horizontally in the air, turned a ball fired by Taso Karpouzidis around the left post. Niko Karpouzidis’ header from the subsequent corner just missed the target. In the tenth minute, the ex-pro steered a free kick from Fabio Pech over the crossbar.
Then it was for the time being with the Geretsrieder Drang. “We didn’t play well in the last third,” Grelics had to admit that his team acted too unimaginatively and imprecisely in the crucial zone to be able to overcome the tight defensive line around Sebastian Mertens and Florian Schnitzlbaumer. Shortly before the break, Anton Krinner plucked up heart after a deflected ball from 20 yards out: the ball sank behind TuS keeper Simon Voß at the goal cross. After a good hour, Krinner missed HSV’s second opportunity to turn the game upside down when he unexpectedly got free to head the ball.
Zero number against TuS Geretsried: Heilbrunn coach awards extra praise to Hillringhaus – “outstanding”
Even in the second half, TuS failed to stage their strikers Vitalij Lux and Srdan Ivkovic in a promising manner. The game now had something of a hare-and-hedgehog race: Wherever the ball went, Hillringhaus was already there. With a low shot as well as with attempts by Taso Karpouzidis and Johannes Bahnmüller. The HSV keeper would have been too late ten minutes before the end, but Ivkovic only hit the post, equalizing after hitting aluminum.
“I am very satisfied. My team showed heart and passion,” says Walter Lang happily and gives oldie Hillringhaus extra praise: “He played an outstanding game.” Martin Grelics analyzes self-critically: “We allowed ourselves to be carried away to make a lot of mistakes. In the end you have to admit: It wasn’t enough. But we have to make that a priority,” says the TuS coach, who expects for the remaining twelve games: “Every game will be sewn on edge.” (Rudi Stallein)
TuS Geretsried – SV Bad Heilbrunn 0:0
Goals: none. – Spectators: 300 – Referee: Felix Brandstätter (SV Zamdorf Munich).
TuS: Voß – Buchner, N. Karpouzidis, L. Kellner, Renger (78. Rosina), Bahnmüller (72. Lajqi), T. Karpouzidis (82. Klein), S. Rauscheder, Ivkovic, Lux (67. Podunavac), Pech.
HSV: Hillringhaus – Hüttl (88th Kapfhammer), Florian Schnitzlbaumer, Pföderl, Mertens, A. Pappritz, Krinner (75th Kiechle), Lechner (58th Gellner), B. Specker, P. Auer (82nd Franz Schnitzlbaumer), Tiedt.
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