It has been a busy, but exciting week for us dashing backwards and forward between Berlin and the UK. On 15. Spieltag we had the mighty Borussia Dortmund as guests in Berlin and we had two separate sets of friends visiting us from the UK. Then yet another English week and Spieltag 16 took Hertha away to Eintracht Frankfurt. Only now, nearly a week after the Dortmund game, have I had time to look at some of my photos and write a post!
From the football perspective, what a week! The Dortmund match was a thriller with 75,254 supporters to fuel the atmosphere in the Olympiastadion. We had two Arsenal fans with us and it was great to show them how a Bundesliga crowd shows their support! Obviously I have no idea what was said in the dressing room but the Hertha players fought like lions in this game, scrapping for every ball. Perhaps wolves would be a better analogy as they played and fought together as a team or indeed as a pack. The defence in particular worked together well something which is sadly rare with Hertha so all the more credit to them on this day.
A defensive error by Dortmund was capitalised on by Julian Schieber with a great piece of individual skill to strike against his former team to get the only goal of the match. From that point on I for one was on the edge of my seat hoping we could hang on and clinch all three points.
In a Netto on the way home where I was buying essential supplies (still wearing my shirt and scarf) I was approached by a guy asking how Hertha had done – “Eins zu Null – Heimsieg!” says I. He didn’t look sure at my reply with my, at best suspect accent, so he asked "Hertha?" “Ja” says I and with smiles all round there were now two happy shoppers in Netto!
During the English week I wasn’t able to watch most of the Frankfurt match because I was still at work until 20:00 so I had to rely on text alerts etc. I could hardly believe my eyes – Jay Brooks putting us in front after just 21 minutes, then Anis Ben-Hatria with the second just twelve minutes later and the, I thought I was dreaming Julian Schieber put in the third! Hertha - 3:0 up in the first half unbelievable! Then, after 43 minutes reality started sneaking back into view as Frankfurt go one back to make it 1:3. Still, at half time, a pretty healthy lead at half time. I was able to stay sane for nearly the first hour at least until Frankfurt scored again cutting the deficit to just one goal. I thought we had it all wrapped up and three points were half way to Berlin when Peter Niemeyer scored with just ten minutes to go but . . . the Hertha defence fell apart in the 90th minute and conceded two goals and two points in just a few seconds. Lord only knows how important those two points might be when it comes to the end of the season. I felt thoroughly deflated at the thought of what might have been and how it was lost but hey, it was an away point and Hoffenheim with all of their plastic are coming up!
Lastly, gentle readers, here are a few of my photos from the Dortmund match last weekend . . .
A defensive error by Dortmund was capitalised on by Julian Schieber with a great piece of individual skill to strike against his former team to get the only goal of the match. From that point on I for one was on the edge of my seat hoping we could hang on and clinch all three points.
In a Netto on the way home where I was buying essential supplies (still wearing my shirt and scarf) I was approached by a guy asking how Hertha had done – “Eins zu Null – Heimsieg!” says I. He didn’t look sure at my reply with my, at best suspect accent, so he asked "Hertha?" “Ja” says I and with smiles all round there were now two happy shoppers in Netto!
During the English week I wasn’t able to watch most of the Frankfurt match because I was still at work until 20:00 so I had to rely on text alerts etc. I could hardly believe my eyes – Jay Brooks putting us in front after just 21 minutes, then Anis Ben-Hatria with the second just twelve minutes later and the, I thought I was dreaming Julian Schieber put in the third! Hertha - 3:0 up in the first half unbelievable! Then, after 43 minutes reality started sneaking back into view as Frankfurt go one back to make it 1:3. Still, at half time, a pretty healthy lead at half time. I was able to stay sane for nearly the first hour at least until Frankfurt scored again cutting the deficit to just one goal. I thought we had it all wrapped up and three points were half way to Berlin when Peter Niemeyer scored with just ten minutes to go but . . . the Hertha defence fell apart in the 90th minute and conceded two goals and two points in just a few seconds. Lord only knows how important those two points might be when it comes to the end of the season. I felt thoroughly deflated at the thought of what might have been and how it was lost but hey, it was an away point and Hoffenheim with all of their plastic are coming up!
Lastly, gentle readers, here are a few of my photos from the Dortmund match last weekend . . .
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