On the 25th Anniversary of Reunification - HSV

This was a busy weekend in Berlin.  It was the 25th anniversary of the reunification of Germany after the fall of the wall on the 9th of November 1989.  The celebrations were muted compared to those for the fall of the wall last year but there is no surprise there bearing in the effect the division had on the city.

The weather had been wonderful in Berlin in the days preceding the weekend and it provided a great build up to the Hertha game against Hamburger SV in the Olympiastadion. 

Over 65,000 fans made their way to the ground to support their team in the blazing sunshine. 

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The Ultras had prepared a Choreo to celebrate the anniversary and there was a great atmosphere leading into the match.  A couple a beers outside the Osttor and a snack from one of the stalls outside set the scene!  The Choreo was superb (see last post) and the crowd was well up for a great match. 

The theme was the divided Germany over a Hertha flag with the grey wall running between the two halves. When the wall falls the two halves came together sandwiched between banners saying "We combine East and West because Hertha stands for all Berlin".

Powerful symbolism combined with organisation of epic proportions from people that some would right off as a troublesome rabble!

From the home teams perspective at least, they were rewarded in spades!  I’ll leave the in match reports to people far better qualified than me but I will impose on you my thoughts as how Hertha plated on this day.  Clearly the score line would be enough to warm the heart of any Hertha fan even on the coldest Berlin night but perhaps there was even more to this game.

As I have said many times before I know nothing about football and any views I express here are without the benefit of replays and zooms by enthusiastic cameramen.  For me, as a fan looking down on the pitch, there were a couple of standout points and these were both at the front of the team  I my opinion Salomon Kalou had a much better game.  Not only did he score the opening goal (and a cracker it was s well) but he performed better as an overall player.  He held the ball better, he was not so easily knocked off the ball and he even did a bit of barging himself.  He was not the lack lustre character we were sadly becoming used to.   Long may this continue and all credit to the man and whatever brought about the change!

Secondly, our new striker Vedad Ibisevic;  he finished off the game where in the past we would somehow managed to throw it all away at the last minute.  Perhaps he will gel at Hertha and bring the goals we so badly need. 

Who know, perhaps he could be the inspired signing that will keep Hertha, in the short term at least, away from the danger zone and in a position where we can seriously build to the future.  I for one really hope so.