League

Loherberg Sportfeld
Spectators: 5000 (Terracing: 4000, Seating: 1000, VIP seats: 0) Michael Beckmann made the kick off and thus started the match. 5 minutes into the game, Bernd Scholze was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. FC Kusel's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Rottenbauer the free kick. An unexpectedly hard shot by Michael Beckmann in the 6th minute of play forced FC Kusel's goalkeeper Xerxes Hauffen to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. A collision led to Rottenbauer getting a freekick after 7 minutes play. Ralf Krughöfer hit a great ball. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Sergej Maluga in the 10th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Oliver Wollny saved Rottenbauer from getting behind. In the 13th minute, Rottenbauer's goalie took a deep sigh of relief after Lars Brüning fired away a hard shot that went just outside the left post. 20 minutes into the game, FC Kusel's Lars Brüning nearly tore a hole in the net with a booming shot. Oliver Wollny made a valiant effort, but he could not reach the ball in time, 1-0. Rottenbauer's Oliver Wollny proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 24th minute of the match, managed to save Rottenbauer from getting a goal against them. Lars Brüning recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 26th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Oliver Wollny made an important save on a dangerous shot by Lars Brüning in the 29th minute. If Sergej Maluga had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 39th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. FC Kusel's Sergej Maluga got a good chance for a goal in the 42nd minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Sergej Maluga sent away a hard shot on goal in the 45th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 1-0 at half-time.

The wind increased when Sergej Maluga made the kick off in the second half. Oliver Wollny stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Sergej Maluga's shot from short distance in the 52nd minute. Rottenbauer's Oliver Wollny played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Lars Brüning in the 59th minute of play. 63 minutes into the match, Rottenbauer's goal looked a bit too open when Sergej Maluga came free, but Oliver Wollny reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 64th minute Michael Beckmann shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Xerxes Hauffen saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. When Lars Brüning came up free with the goalie in the 70th minute, the FC Kusel fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Lars Brüning couldn't finish the play. Oliver Wollny showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Sergej Maluga in the 72nd minute of the match. In the 73rd minute the ball was on its way in behind Rottenbauer's goalkeeper Oliver Wollny, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. 75 minutes into the match, FC Kusel's goalkeeper Xerxes Hauffen had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Klemens Böttcher. After having played for 77 minutes, Lars Brüning managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. FC Kusel's supporters crossed their fingers, but Lars Brüning was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. After 79 minutes, Bastiaan Trube mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the FC Kusel and the Rottenbauer players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 86th minute of the match Björn Jensch shot from a long distance. The ball could have gone into the goal to the right of the goalkeeper, but Oliver Wollny showed his good shape when he easily got hold of the ball. After some careless play in the Rottenbauer defense, Lars Brüning kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Oliver Wollny. The Rottenbauer fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Oliver Wollny should have stopped the shot. If Sergej Maluga had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 95th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. It was no surprise that this one had ended in a win for the home team. FC Kusel had played much better football throughout.