Schalke against Hoffenheim: the end of a long nightmare – sport

Instead of the traditional, melancholy farewell anthem from the royal blue S04, after the final whistle of the game against TSG Hoffenheim, a hit from the blissful flower power era was heard from the stadium boxes in Gelsenkirchen. “California Dreaming” was the dedication to the young man who lit up the Schalke Valley of Tears on Saturday afternoon. One and a half years ago, center forward Matthew Hoppe, imported from California, had scored a single goal in Regionalliga West, now he has added three goals in the Bundesliga and thus contributed significantly to ending the seemingly endless nightmare of the royal blue community.

Schalke’s 4-0 win against TSG 1899 brought about reactions that testified to redemption and liberation. Defender Ozan Kabak sank so solemnly to the ground, as if an unearthly apparition had come over him, other Schalke players greeted the final whistle with primal screams from the depths of their battered footballer souls. The players, depressed by 30 games without a win, did not even have to tremble about the longed-for success – the Hoffenheim team had supported them therapeutically with a disastrous performance. “I know that a lot was done for us in the game today, but we will take this win to build on,” said coach Christian Gross.

It hadn’t always looked like this exhilarating experience, the opening goal shortly before the half-time break had surprisingly merged into the course of the game. Hoffenheim was much closer to 1-0 with its dangerous storm series. But in the second half, the bottom of the table amazed his followers with courage, determination, aggressiveness and a playful effectiveness that the team had hidden from their audience for almost a year.

Whoever said Matthew Hoppe had to say Amine Harit on Saturday. The playmaker, for months far from his actually extensive possibilities, prepared all the attacker’s goals with fine passes and put a crown on his strong performance with the 4-0. This exemplary countered 4: 0 in the 80th minute removed the last remaining skepticism that held the observers concerned prisoner.

Not only the officials in the official gallery cheered, but also a few veteran ex-footballers in Berlin. Tasmania from the capital retains its 55-year negative record, which has been synonymous with advanced failure in the Bundesliga for more than half a generation. The Schalke team meanwhile said goodbye not only to the historical burden but also to their unloved place in the table, which Mainz 05 takes in their place. The relegation battle in Gelsenkirchen has moved from the stage of painful stagnation to open competition, the 4-0 victory has proven that it is no longer an illusion and wishful thinking, but can be reality.

Goalkeeper Fährmann makes his critics look bad

In addition to four head coaches, Schalke 04 also used three goalkeepers during the first half of the season. Injuries and different evaluations by the different head coaches ensured constant shift changes. Ralf Fährmann is currently in demand again, his experience and not least his origins as a former Schalke player convinced Christian Gross. Some connoisseurs doubt the correctness of this decision, but Fährmann made his critics look bad on Saturday.

Schalke had started well against a strangely passive Hoffenheim, even acquired a certain superiority and created two serious chances through Sead Kolasinac and Matthew Hoppe, but then the visiting team also began to play. The Schalke team promptly made mistakes and fear and horror found their way back into the back team. Ishak Belfodil had twice the 1-0 in the 23rd minute. Ferryman and defender Matija Nastasic successfully stood in the way. The first major opportunity was soon followed by the next. But Andrej Kramaric and Diadie Samassekou also failed because of the flying ferryman. “We had to rely on an absolutely outstanding Ralf Fährmann in the first half,” emphasized Gross.

Despite the preservation of the 0-0, the accumulation of sensitive scenes was not enough to give the Schalke courage, but they somehow caught themselves and stabilized their cover again. The 1-0 result arose from a counterattack, which started with a masterful header from Nastasic. Like the precision pass, the ball fell into Harit’s path. Hoppe finished with a similar skill with a lob over Baumann, who rushed out of the gate, undecided. Even at 0: 2, the goalkeeper did not look happy when he faced the solo runner Hoppe. At 0: 3 it was then defense chief Kevin Vogt, who provided assistance with a drastic bad pass. As I said: The Hoffenheim team were a gracious opponent for Schalke.

The returnees Sead Kolasinac also made a significant contribution to increasing the Schalke level. When he moved from Gelsenkirchen to London three and a half years ago, he was a powerful and robust line player. On Saturday he was not only characterized by his own combative and dynamic demeanor, but also by a clever and adult passing game, which had a visibly positive influence on his neighbors. The right man seems to have come at the right time.

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