Its the derby against our eastern neighbors. It seems like there are 10k Roten Teufel in the away corner. They are loud. Also, we finally play a match without rain. Its a cool evening for spring which is ideal for Fußball. Muhammed Kiprit had a good week in training and Lorenzo Campana didn't, so Muhammed gets the start up top.
Stuttgart pin us back and create three great chances within the first three minutes.
"WAKE UP!" I scream. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"
Somehow we miraculously survive the first 20 minutes without giving up a goal.
We create our first attack in the 32nd minute, but Billy Arce ends it by straying offsides.
In the 37th, they whip in their one millionth cross. Its to the back post. Their winger's header hits the post, hits Avdo Spahic, hits the post and lands on the goal line. Spahic spins and flops on it.
In the 46th, we finally have possession in the Stuttgart half. Marlon Ritter, Matej Mach and Julian Niehues are playing keep-away out on the left side. They eventually work the ball inside and Oliver Batista-Meier slips a pass into the path of Shakur Omar.
Shakur somehow rounds the keeper and rolls the ball into the net!
STU 0-1 FCK
Our first real attack results in a goal! The Roten Teufel in the opposite end go bonkers. Their cheers echo around the silent Mercedes Benz Arena.
"F***, that was s***," Jörg mutters as we trudge off at halftime.
"Ja, we were f***ing lucky," I said.
I tell the players we need to defend better. I tell them to mark tighter out on our flanks.
The second half starts out as I feared. Stuttgart pin us in our own half and we only hoof the ball forward. This means our opponents just reorganize and bring the ball back into our end.
In our first foray upfield, Billy blazes high from the edge of the box at exactly 58:00.
In the 60th, Neco Williams does absolutely nothing to prevent a cross. He's not even within 10m of their left winger. I tell Jörg to get Josua Mejias ready. I need someone to play defense on our right flank. Mejias goes on in the 64th.
Avdo Spahic is the only reason we are still in the game. Each save is more desperate and more amazing than the last.
Ritter and Omar both have their shots blocked in the 66th minute in only our second time deep in the Stuttgart half.
They clear the resulting corner and Oliver Hüsing gets to the rebound. He's posted up, NBA-style, at the edge of the box. He's just trying to hold off his man in hopes that a teammate will come over and give him a passing option. Instead the Stuttgart defender goes right through him, taking out his ankles.
The. Ref. Is. Standing. Right. F***ing. There. And. Doesn't. F***ing. Blow. His. F***ing. Whistle.
"He went through the back and took out his ankles!" I scream as I sprint over to the fourth official.
"Clearly, Daniel didn't see a foul," the fourth official says.
"How?" I ask. "Hüsing's a big man. There is simply no way to get around him. He just kicked his f***ing ankles out."
"Watch your language, Enrico," is all I could get out of the fourth official.
Ritter looks knackered, so I replace him with teenager Nico Köse in the 69th. Nico promptly gets booked.
I send on Harry Chapman for Billy in the 75th. That was the magic trick. Suddenly, Stuttgart are out of ideas and the match devolves into a midfield slog.
In the 89th, Niehues plays a nifty pass forward for Köse. Nico sprints onto it and just as he enter the penalty box, the Stuttgart defender clips his ankles.
"PENALTY!" the entire away corner roars!
Köse lays on the turf looking at the ref. The ball trickles over the end line. The ref puts his hand to his ear.
And points to the spot!
Muhammed Kiprit jogs over and picks up the ball. While Muhammed cannot score from open play this season, he never misses PKs.
STU 0-2 FCK
