Sadly I an not in Berlin for this game and will be in the UK. I won't even be able to watch it on the Internet and that's very sad indeed.
I gather the ticket sales went quite well so the atomoshphere must have been pretty good in the Olympiastadion on the day. I had hoped that Hertha had little longer to prepare and for some of the injuries that have plagued us to heal. Also, perhaps some of the very new blood will get a chance to show us what they are made of.
A few more goals, perhaps a brace from Julian Schieber or a debut spectacular from Salomon Kalou and a fully focused tight defence . . . who knows!
The team sheet from before the match Well, it wasn't to be. Ronny scored from the spot but Mainz scored three including one from Sami Allagui which just added insult to injury . . . .
I managed to see the highlights on the morning after the game and from what I saw it wasn't a pretty sight. To this humble observer it was a case of when is a defence not a defence?
For the first goal Johannes van den Bergh didn't track back and, although Thomas Kraft made a double save it came back to Okazaki who's shot left Kraft no chance to make the third save in a row.
For the second goal, Marcel Ndjeng had the right post but didn't fully close down the Mainz player . . the cross came across past both Ndjeng and Kraft to find not just one but two Mainz players waiting in from of goal and no defender on the far post. Only one defender was near but, out he was out of position, behind the attacking Mainz players. Then, bang and Sami Allagui of all people put the ball in the back of the net.
For the third Lusti was tracking back but when the shot came in Marcel Ndjeng came hurtling back towards to the goal (and Thomas Kraft) and perhaps they put each other off as the shot from Okazaki . . goes into the back if the net.
Good old Ronny did pull one back from the spot but in open play we had nothing.
All deeply worrying. I had hoped the defensive frailties were in the past but, it appears not. Jos Luhukay is going to do some serious work on the team after this performance. We have some good new players but they must play together, keep organised and stay that way for 90 minutes. In short, we need our defence to be the defence we hoped they might be. I so hope he can pull it off - I've grown tired of roller coasters - but, off we go again!
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