League

Schalkau Sportfeld
Spectators: 5000 (Terracing: 4000, Seating: 1000, VIP seats: 0) The field was rather wet after several days of rain when Theo Balzer took the kick off in the first half of the match. After a defensive mix-up in Niederleuken's zone, Thomas Exner stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Dominik Effertz came out of the goal and Thomas Exner tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Pavel Hein received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 8th minute. Hermann Stenger tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. If Lando Holl had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 10th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Lando Holl's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Dominik Effertz read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 12th minute of play. Dominik Effertz made an important save on a dangerous shot by Thomas Exner in the 13th minute. Pavel Hein sent away a hard shot on goal in the 16th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. In the 19th minute, Thomas Exner ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Dominik Effertz was frozen by the shot and now it was 1-0. A collision led to Niederleuken getting a freekick after 22 minutes play. Theo Balzer hit a great ball. In the 26th minute, Theo Balzer left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Niederleuken fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 1-1. Lando Holl received a nice pass, split the defenders, and ran untouched towards the goal. Dominik Effertz came out and tried to block the shot, but Lando Holl slotted it home off the left post making it 2-1 in the 30th minute. Niederleuken's Dominik Effertz played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Lando Holl in the 37th minute of play. Thomas Exner could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 38th minute of the match, but Dominik Effertz made a huge save. Gretel Reule's late challenge caught a Niederleuken's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Gretel Reule helped the player get up and apologised. After 41 minutes, Einar Wirtgen mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the 1.FC Union Berlin and the Niederleuken players grew even worse after the yellow card. A collision led to 1.FC Union Berlin getting a freekick after 42 minutes play. Einar Wirtgen hit a great ball. Hermann Stenger showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Theo Balzer, who was totally free with the ball in the 46th minute. 1.FC Union Berlin's Hermann Stenger played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Theo Balzer in the 48th minute of play. When the referee blew for the end of the half the home team players were clearly happier, as they went in to the break leading 2-1.

The wind increased when Lando Holl made the kick off in the second half. 1.FC Union Berlin's Thomas Exner got a good chance for a goal in the 53rd minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. If Theo Balzer had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 58th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. With a little luck, 1.FC Union Berlin's Hermann Stenger got control of the ball when Pavel Hein tried to sneak it across the goal line. In the 62nd minute Theo Balzer shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Hermann Stenger saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Gretel Reule hit a great freekick 66 minutes into the match. In the 73rdth minute of the game Theo Balzer who was perfectly placed tried to make a shot on goal, but 1.FC Union Berlin's Hermann Stenger was lucky and managed to grab hold of the ball. In the 74th minute, one of 1.FC Union Berlin:s players had the ball in front of the goal but got pushed and fell. The referee felt it was an obvious case and blew a penalty for 1.FC Union Berlin. The goalkeeper, Hermann Stenger, was totally fooled by Niederleuken's Raphael Schneider, who 76 minutes into the game made a penalty shot that went in on the goalkeeper's left side. A collision led to 1.FC Union Berlin getting a freekick after 79 minutes play. Hansjürgen Ljucovic hit a great ball. The audience thought a goal was coming when Pavel Hein got free with Hermann Stenger in the 80th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. 1.FC Union Berlin's Hermann Stenger played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Theo Balzer in the 81st minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Thomas Exner in the 82nd minute of play forced Niederleuken's goalkeeper Dominik Effertz to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. 84 minutes into the game, Thomas Exner cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 4-2. Dominik Effertz was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Pavel Hein sent away a hard shot on goal in the 88th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Hermann Stenger made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Theo Balzer in the 93rd minute of play. In a very dangerous position, a player in 1.FC Union Berlin fell when an opponent tried to get the ball from him in the 99th minute. Penalty! Niederleuken's players left the field with heads hung low after losing a match that had been finely balanced throughout.