Saarbrücken’s season is over – Leverkusen is in the final. Image: keystone
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It was the saddest of all sad ghost games so far
The fairy tale of 1. FC Saarbrücken is over. In the semi-finals of the DFB Cup, the fourth division team has no chance against the Bundesliga top team Bayer Leverkusen with 0: 3. That was foreseeable before the kick-off.
The fight for the German championship has only been a fight between Bayern and itself for years. They win it themselves in a season like this when they were forced to change coaches in the fall. The DFB Cup remains for surprises. He still has a spark of magic. Because the differences in performance in the leagues are less than in Switzerland, there are regularly outsiders who cause a sensation.
The most recent example: 1. FC Saarbrücken. With 1. FC Köln and Fortuna Düsseldorf, the regional player threw two Bundesliga clubs out of the competition and was the first fourth-class club to ever reach the semi-finals.
But that was before Corona. Now nothing is as it was not so long ago.
Cold start against top team
For 94 days, Saarbrücken had not played a competitive game against Bayer Leverkusen before the semi-final – more than three months. The opponent, who is fighting for a place in the next Champions League season, has played five Bundesliga games since the forced break. While the outsider started coldly into the biggest club game in decades, the engine of the towering favorite had already warmed up.
The summary of the one-sided game.
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This is one of the reasons why there could be no doubt about the outcome of the game. The other was the lack of an audience in the small alternative stadium in Völklingen (the Ludwigspark is currently being renovated). The stadium, which has almost 7000 spectators, would have been a cauldron despite the track around the field. For such affiches, the term “twelfth man” was probably invented by the fans. A wall that encourages your own players. That may unsettle the opponent a little and influence the referee a little.
“Vizekusen”, the other Cinderella story
Even under these circumstances, Saarbrücken, which will play in the 3rd division next season, would have had to grow beyond itself to beat Leverkusen. However, due to the changed circumstances, the chances of winning decreased even before the kick-off. And after just 20 minutes and the second Leverkusen goal, the semi-final, which should have been a football festival, was decided.
Saarbrücken coach Lukas Kwasniok could not be satisfied yesterday. Image: Andreas Schlichter / Pool
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The corona virus upset the lives of many people. It cost 1. FC Saarbrücken the most beautiful experience in ages and the small possibility of a really, really big coup. So much seemed possible after the quarter-final triumph. The brightest colors were the dream of a historic entry into the cup final: “Berlin, Berlin, we’re going to Berlin”, a trip from Saarland to the distant capital (Berne and Paris are only half as far away), a unique trip away.
Leverkusen’s final opponents will be determined this evening between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt (8.45 p.m. in the watson live ticker). In the final, «Vizekusen» offers the chance to win a title for the first time since 1993. Also a kind of Cinderella story – but none that touches the heart like the successful run of 1.FC Saarbrücken in the DFB Cup 2019/20.
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