Union Draw 2-2 With Braunschweig

1. FC Union Berlin’s men’s team drew 2-2 in their friendly against Eintracht Braunschweig on Thursday afternoon. After Union a 2-0 lead through goals from Yorbe Vertessen and Tim Skarke, Christian Joe Conteh and Fabio Di Michele Sanchez both scored to peg back the hosts

1. FC Union Berlin: Schwolow (46. Klaus) – Trimmel (69. Prosche), Doekhi (69. Lehmann), Vogt (86. Asanji), Leite (69. Kühling), Preu – Haberer (69. Sliskovic), Khedira (46. Tousart) – Vertessen (46. Ilic), Skarke (69. Siebatcheu), Jeong (69. Hollerbach)

Eintracht Braunschweig: Grill – Rittmüller (46. Ba), Jaeckel (69. Kaufmann), Ehlers, Nikolaou, Bell Bell (69. Di Michele Sanchez) – Raebiger (46. Köhler), Tauer (46. Krauße) – Ould-Chikh (46. Marie), Polter (46. Szabó), Gómez (46. Conteh)

Personnel: Union head coach Bo Svensson had to do without those players his international players, including András Schäfer (Hungary), Leopold Querfeld (Austria), Oluwaseun Ogbemudia (Germany U-19’s), László Bénes (Slovakia), Jérôme Roussillon (Guadeloupe) as well as Aljoscha Kemlein and Tom Rothe (both Germany U-20’s). Kevin Volland, and the injured Josip Juranović and Yannic Stein were also absent. Frederik Rönnow, new signing Robert Skov and Ivan Prtajin were rested.

Goals: 1-0 Vertessen (18‘), 2-0 Skarke (55’), 2-1 Conteh (63‘), 2-2 Di Michele Sanchez (70’)

Vertessen’s solo gives Union the lead

There were few big chances in the first fifteen minutes in this behind-closed doors friendly, taking place on Union’s training pitch in the shadow – but sadly not the shade – of the Alte Försterei on a sweltering Thursday afternoon. With temperatures hovering around the 30-degree mark, the visitors were the first to try and break the deadlock when the ball was played forward to Sebastian Polter, a familiar, imposing striker with a long Union past, but he was unable to reach it.

Ten minutes later, Union took the lead with their first big chance, as Yorbe Vertessen showed his marker a clean pair of heels and broke through the Eintracht defence using his pace and close control all the while. If his final touch was patience and coolness personified, the Belgian’s finish was impeccable, clipping the ball past Union’s loaned-out keeper, Lennart Grill, with his right foot to make it 1-0 for the hosts.

After the necessary drinks break Union were the better side, increasingly occupying the Braunschweig half, with Tim Skarke, playing up top with Vertessen and Wooyeong Jeong, probably having the best chance after half an hour, but this time Grill was equal to it.

Skarke makes it two, but Braunschweig come back

After the break, Eintracht again had the first opportunity to score, but Union’s substitute keeper, Carl Klaus, did superbly, sticking out a leg, reflexively to ward off the danger.

Five minutes later, just as they had in the first half, Union struck again with their first chance. It was created by Janik Haberer, himself playing alongside Khedira in the middle, who won the ball, and showed great vision by lifting it over the Braunschweig defence to where Skarke was already through on goal. There were calls for offside from the opposition bench, but he’d started his run in his own half when the ball was played, the referee waved them away. He simply lifted the ball over the keeper to make it two.

Within eight minutes, Braunschweig were back in the game. Max Marie shot across Klaus and all Conteh had to do was roll the ball over the line to make it 2-1.

Then, with 20 minutes to play, it was 2-2. After a misplaced pass just outside the box, Fabio Di Michele Sanchez finished powerfully into the far corner. It was a fine strike, and Klaus had little chance.