schwatzgelb.com | Dortmund goes bananas after a 3-0 over Jena

Dortmund goes bananas after a 3-0 over Jena

The choreograohie before the match And suddenly Norbert Dickel was on the Südtribüne, wearing his cupwinners jersey and announcing our players. "Something I have been wanting to do all my life", he shouted before Berlin-hero Dickel started: "With number #21 - Marc" "Ziegler!". Most of the fans around him had been hearing stories on Berlin, Bananas and Borussia but were not even born when Borussia claimed the trophy for the last time back in 89. On April, 19th they might be witnesses of the dawning of a new era.

Jumping aboard the ICE in Berlin at 10am, there were fellow Borussens all around. And even men in business-suits were talking about the big game in a town 500km away from the starting point. Tickets were shown around, stories traded. Rotterdam 02, Munich 97, Berlin 89. Always Berlin. Arriving in Dortmund at 2pm. Fans everywhere and kick-off in more than eight hours. A few Jena-guys had also already reached Dortmund. World-Cup atmosphere. And only a cup-semi to play. Jena facing releagtion a league below ours had brought more than 8.000 fans to celebrate the biggest day in their (western)club-history. A team of no-names that had beaten reigning cup-winners Nürnberg, reigning champions VFB Stuttgart and Arminina Bielefeld on their path to glory. On our way we had faced Magdeburg, Frankfurt, Bremen and rich-kids Hoffenheim. Steffi Jones and her magic hands gave us FC Carl Zeiss Jena and the final.

The "U" stands for Dortmund The sold out stadium was shaken for the first time after twelve minutes. After a slow start and some good moves from Rukavina on the right flank, Kehl had cleared a counter attack just in time to hinder Jan Simak from scoring. After a long and slow build-up the ball had reached Tinga in center position. He aimed for a long cross to Rukavina who waited on the right wing, the Jena defence moved accordingly but with a nice tip on the ball and turn of the body Tinga found Dede on the other side. A few seconds and an amazing Dede cross later, Petric hammerheaded the ball towards goalie Khomutovski. The Belarus goalie, who had spend his last few years in freezing-cold Siberia, managed to get the hands on the ball but parried it in front of Tinga who put the ball home from two meters. We were 1-0 up. And controlled the match for a further 10 minutes. But once the rain started pouring down on the players, Jena took command of the match. The great talent Jan Simak organized the game in style and the Thueringia-side narrowed in towards Ziegler's goal. A Dede-deflection luckily just found the top of the net. Only some good Federico passes gave Dortmund relief but Petric could not finish off twice and just before half-time Ziegler denied a Simak shot. Half-time. The Jena supporters where still full of hope and the "Gelbe Wand" dreamed faint-hearted dreams of Berlin.

Both sides got back on the pitch unchanged. A few minutes later Jan Simak applauded our way into the final. What had happened? The tragic Czech fouled Kehl and could not stop arguing. Solid ref Gräfe overlooked and overheard his furious arguments but could not look away when Simak first showed him the windscreen-wiper and then after receiving the yellow card applauded dissatisfied. He walked off. Even Manuel Gräfe felt sorry for Simak, who had only just began to fight his way back into Pro-Football after a long battle with addiction. Life can be tough at times. " Tinga celebrates his goal I had to book him again after he applauded. I could not look away", Gräfe later claimed and said Jena-coach Henning Bürger "Simak sitting in the dressing room, head in his hands. He couldn't be down more". Let's hope for Simak, that he will survive this tragic sending off. A character not often seen in football. A great talent, a great player. But back to the game. Even with 10 men Borussia had their problems to score a second goal. A Pietsch cross from the right was missed by everyone and crossed the line on the left side of the goal. Relief. But now Dortmund was full on. Disappointing Buckley and Alex Frei were taken out off the game. And on came super-sub Diego Klimovicz and Florian Kringe after 69minutes. "We will decide the game" whispered Kringe into Klimo's ear and only one turn of the clock later with their first touches Borussia were 2-0 up. Tinga stuck the ball through to Kringe who dribbled past one defender, shot from just inside the box. Again Khomutovski was only able to parry to Klimovicz.

And so the game was over. And the Westfalenstadium proved once again why it is the best stadium in the world. La Ola, "Berlin, Berlin, Wir fahren nach Berlin" chants and songs of joy clang through the packed stadium. The seated fans stood up, sang and after a Kehl lay-up Petric scored three minutes from time. Dortmund Ultras who pre-match had set up an outstanding choreo showing the Brandenburg-gate topped by the Dortmund-U underlined with "Hier regiert der BVB" (BVB rules here) invited the team around for post-match celebration. The team sat down waited for the humba and once it started got up and pogoed in the box. Even on the other side Jena and their fans were partying away the night. Home to Jena they went and when the ground emptied three quarters of an hour after the big game Dortmund bars filled for a night full of stories on Berlin 89, Munich 97, Rotterdam 02 and Berlin 08. Plans where laid out in the cold Dortmund night on who to get tickets for April, 19th.

Here's what the managers had to say

BVB-coach Thomas Doll was very happy at the press-conference Thomas Doll: "We played a bad first half, a lot of empty spaces in midfield. Nobody stood where he had to stand. That's what I told my team during half-time. They proved they can do better later on. We are reliefed and full of joy. I manage this team for a year now. And have seen bad and good. We worked hard to get to Berlin. We have given back a lot to the fans who have been behind us through all those troubles. Their roar tonight gave me chicken-pox."

Henning Bürger: "I am very very sad. We played a great cup, also today my team showed their skills in the first 45 minutes. After Jan had been send off, it was all over for us. I used to be a player and know how Jan is feeling right now. We have to face the reality of relegation-battle now. Even if it seems tough for us right now. I wish Borussia the very best for the final in Berlin"

The teams

FC Carl Zeiss Jena
Khomutovski - A. Maul, R. Müller, Omodiagbe - Werner, Ziegner, N. Hansen, Stegmayer - Simak - Petersen, Schied

Borussia Dortmund
Marc Ziegler - Rukavina, Amedick, Wörns, Dede - Kehl - Tinga, Buckley - Federico - Frei, Petric

Subs:
69. Kringe for Buckley
69. Klimowicz for Frei
The team celebrates the HUMBA after the match 79. Hummels for Tinga