TSG 1899 Hoffenheim- Road to glory

[King1999]

MARCH

March- the month of the youth intake. Ours, as you can see was good but not fantastic, the best player being Omer Bojanic. I’m intending to try to buy the best youngsters I can afford, develop them then sell them on for money.

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Fixtures

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H vs Hamburg

The first game of the month was away to Hamburg in the German Cup. I reverted back to the lineup that beat Bayern for this one with the exception of the rested Óliver, hoping that Volland could improve on his recent poor form. Hamburg started the better, having a goal disallowed for offside within the first 5 minutes and missing a siiter from 5 yards. But we scored first, Alberto scoring his first ever Hoffenheim goal in his 4th​ start for us, captilising on indesicion in the Hamburg back 4 to pass the ball past Adler with ease. Deep into added time we scored once again, Zuber crossing deep for Volland to head in. Zoua then went close, turning Vallejo then shooting into the side netting. Only minutes later Zoua then got his effort on target, forcing Baumann to parry and allowing Gouaïda to tap into an empty net. Hamburg then pulled level, a drilled low cross steered in by Jiracek. This sent the game to extra time, which was eventless due to the high levels of fatigue within the 22 players out there. Penalties then ensued:

Jiracek- roof of the net. 1-0 Hamburg
Polanski- placed left middle. 1-1
Gouaïda- driven low, bottom right 2-1 Hamburg
Volland- top left 2-2
Marcos- placed bottom right 3-2 Hamburg
Kaderabek- central right hand side 3-3
It goes to 6-5 Hamburg
Vallejo- Roof of the net 6-6
Götz- weak and central, saved by Baumann 6-6
Kim Jin Su- Low right central, saved by Adler 6-6
It goes 14-14
Zoua- middle, right side netting 15-14 Hamburg
Zuber- down the middle, saved by Adler
HAMBURG WIN!!!!

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A vs Augsburg

Next up was a tricky game vs Augsburg, the game made harder by the 120 minutes of football we’d played in midweek. However the rested Óliver and the previously suspended Süle did return to freshen up the side. However neither player was able to stop the Augsburg opener, Moravek passing the ball to the edge of the box after good play on the wing by Baier for Dominic Kohr to smash home, 1-0 Augsburg. HT came and went, Schmid coming on for Jiménez and Volland moving up top. Then we equalised, a Zuber corner was headed out to Óliver who volleyed his shot off the crossbar. The ball bounced down kindly and Schmid tapped it in, 1-1! We then took the lead, Jin-Su combining with Óliver who whipped in a wonderful cross which was controlled by Zuber before he shot past Marwin Hitz. Then Polanski got himself sent off for the 2nd​ time this season in the 76th​ minute. We then made it 3-1, Schmid taking free kick duties due to Salihovic’s absence and bending it into the top right corner.

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H vs Stuttgart

After beating Augsburg I was confident the same team minus Polanski could stage a repeat performance vs Stuttgart. We started OK, not showing too much ambition but keeping it tight at the back. Then Harnik played a long ball from deep within his own half, sending Ibisevic through 1v1 after Süle missed his interception, 0-1 Stuttgart. Then just before half time Klein lumped a cross from the right into the box which Ibisevic headed past Baumann. I then got cross at HT and it worked, Jiménez scoring after his attempted pass deflected kindly for Schmid, allowing him to square back to Jiménez inside the 6 yard box. Messi/Óliver then levelled after Jiménez passed the ball to him 25 yards out. Showing great pace he scorched past the CBs before firing into the back of the net. But of course we then conceded a rebound- Harnik’s shot falling for Ibisevic to score a hattrick. But then we scored a rebound ourselves, Schmid’s driven low cross deflecting for Zuber to shoot past Tyton at a really tight angle. Then Ibsevic scored again, his header rebounding off the bar then falling for him about 2 cm from the goal *sigh*.

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I then extended Óliver’s loan until the end of next season in what is a crucial transfer considering our abysmal financial state. He will hopefully continue to boss the division and it is scary to think where we would be without him.

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A vs Hamburg

4 changes were made for the upcoming Hamburg game due to the upcoming international break and a irritating 4 week injury to Schwegler. Hamburg started better, hitting both posts within one passage of play as we barely hung on. But hang on we did and then score we did- Óliver nutmegging the RCB with a great pass and Jiménez finishing. We then sat on the lead until HT when I decided to try to up the tempo a tad to frighten Hamburg. The up tempo approach didn’t really work but we preserved our lead. Gouaïda then hacked down Polanski, getting a red in the 64th​ minute. Cléber then equalised with a powerful header from a corner, making it 1-1. Then Lasogga scored from Jansen’s cross, volleying home. And that’s how it finished, a really disappointing result considering the circumstances.

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League Table
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[King1999]

APRIL


Fixtures

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H vs Hertha

Wanting revenge against Hertha and needing the win to have any chance of staying in touching distance of 4th​ I made no changes, trusting the team to be hurt enough and angry enough to bounce back. We started with intent, Zuber then Volland shooting narrowly wide within the first 15 minutes. We then went close again, Jiménez shooting at Kraft before Volland smashed the rebound off the woodwork. Jiménez then scored, a clever bit of movement to lose his marker before volleying in a Óliver cross but it was ruled out for a marginal offside. Jiménez ddin’t have his next goal ruled out though, shooting low and hard afetr Süle’s header to Vallejo at a corner resulting in a volley that was hacked off the line before the ball fell nicely for Jiménez 12 yards out 1-0! Hertha then conceded a penalty, Lustenburger making a rash challenge on Jiménez in the box. The penalty was converted by Jiménez, low and hard into the bottom right corner. Jiménez had a decent chance for a hattrick, but shot weakly at Kraft from outside the box.

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A vs Schalke

For a absolutely vital, must win match away to Schalke that would send us 5th​ if we won it I made a big decision- Volland out Schmid in. My thinking was Schmid had more to offer from set pieces etc. and was in better recent goalscoring form. Nothing happened until the 28th​ minute when Meyer, playing upfront, scored a good volley from a Aogo cross 1-0 Schalke. Unfortunately things got worse, Baumann’s clearance going straight to Geis who found Barnetta, who passed to Farfan. Farfan passed low to Meyer who had the awareness to see Huntelaar to the back post. Huntelaar then powered home Schalke’s 2nd​. Fortunately little else happened and we escaped embarrassment but this represented a hammer blow to our chances of European qualification as we slipped outside the top 7 for the first time in 2015.

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H vs Leverkusen

However every side from 4th​ to 7th​ lost or drew in the next round of fixtures, giving me an enormous chance to leapfrog my way to 5th​ vs Leverkusen. I made 1 change- Jin Su coming in at LB for Oviedo. Zuber wasted the first real chance of the match, shooting wide after beign put in behind by a good Óliver pass. Kieβling did scire but it fortinately ruled out for offside. And we took the lead just after HT, Óliver being dispossed on the edge of the box and the ball rolled to Jiménez who finished his dinner with ease, 1-0!!! But Mehmedi equalised 3 minutes later, Bellarabi’s dinked ball being well controlled before Baumann got a glove on the shot but could only parry it into his own net. Then Jedvaj poked home Ҫalhanoglu’s parried free kick. A loss, a potentially season defining loss.

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League Table
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[King1999]

MAY

Fixtures

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A vs Ingolstadt

I went back to the team that had mostly got me this far vs Ingolstadt- Elyounoussi, Volland, Oviedo all came back into the team. Anything but a win was not an option. And we started well, Elyounoussi finishing a great Óliver pass from just outside the 6 yard box. 1 then became 2, Vallejo getting his 3rd​ goal of the season from the messy goalmouth scramble that resulted from an Oviedo corner. All of his goals so far have proved to matchwinners so I was hoping the trend would continue. However Leckie gave Ingolstadt a route back into the game, curling past a diving Baumann who should have done better. There were no chances of note until Elyounoussi made it 3-1 in the 54th​ minute, driving a low shot past the keeper after Schwegler had played him in on the edge of the box. Jiménez widend the margin further 11 minutes from time, finishing a Schmid pass into the roof of the net. Volland completed the rout in the 87th​ minute, shooting on the turn past the keeper, 5-1. At least I thought he did until Schwegler popped up with a 6th​ goal, finishing directly across the keeper and into the top left corner.


H vs Hannover

Hannover were next and the message was simple- same again. Going into this game the 5 teams from 4th​ to 9th​ were seperated a point. One solitary point. For example a Mkhitaryan goal in the Dortmund vs Bremen game sent us 5th​ in the 6th​ minute without us doing anything. But any equaliser would send us down to 8th​ again. So when Volland scored a great longshot in the 24th​ minute after great setup play by Óliver we were suddenly only a point off 4th​! Oppurtunities wre limited after that, both sides very cagey as the game meant so much to both.And by cagey I mean dull as there was not a single highlight after our goal. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to win 1-0.

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A vs Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg. Same team you’d think? No because Vallejo had decided he had international duty with Spain U18s so was unavailable until the day after. This meant Bicakcic had to start for the first time in over 2 months. And his rustiness showed early on, Baumann having to save well from Schürrle after Bicakcic let him run. And it also showed in the Wolfsburg opener, Max Kruse completely bamboozling him with clever movement to make half a yard of space which allowed him to finish a Vieirinha cross. And then Baumann made an ameuterish clearence straight against Kruse who couldn’t believe his luck as he ran after the deflection and finished the open goal with ease. Then Bicakcic clattered clumsily into De Brunye in the 66th​ minute, conceding a penalty. Kruse comfortably dispatched it down the middle for his hattrick. And that was it for the game which set up a very tense final day….

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