Union Knocked out of the Cup

1. FC Union Berlin were knocked out of the DFB Pokal on Wednesday evening, losing 2-0 to Arminia Bielefeld. Having fallen behind to Marius Wörl’s early opener, Union hit the post and bar before Andre Becker wrapped things up in the 71^st minute.

DSC Arminia Bielefeld: Kersken – Lannert (64. Hagmann), Großer, Schneider, Oppie – Corboz, Russo, Wörl (79. Young) – Schreck, Bazee (46. Becker), Kunze (64. Mizuta)

1. FC Union Berlin: Rönnow – Haberer, Doekhi, Vogt (77. Volland), Leite, Skov (56. Rothe) – Schäfer (46. Kemlein), Khedira – Bénes (72. Hollerbach), Siebatcheu, Vertessen (46. Skarke)

The starting XI

Bo Svensson made five changes to the side that starred in Saturday’s impressive performance at home against Eintracht Frankfurt. Between the posts was Frederik Rönnow, behind his favoured back three of Diogo Leite, Kevin Vogt and Danilho Doekhi. The midfield was anchored by Rani Khedira and Andras Schäfer, in for Aljoscha Kemlein, while either side of them came in Janik Haberer on the right and Robert Skov – the latter making his first start for Union on the left-hand-side. They were in for Christopher Trimmel and Tom Rothe.

Up-front, Yorbe Vertessen was joined by Jordan Siebatcheu, in for Benedict Hollerbach, and László Bénes, himself replacing Wooyeong Jeong.

Attendance:  26.117

Goals: 1:0 Wörl (12.), 2:0 Becker (71.)

Wörl spectacularly lobs Rönnow before Union fight back – the bar denies Khedira and the post denies Vertessen

With all the recent flushes of success, it is hard to remember that Union don’t exactly have the most glittering of histories in the DFB Pokal. Indeed, after reaching the final back in 2001, they only managed to get past the second round once over the next 14 years. And now, having fallen at that hurdle last year in Stuttgart, the same had happened once again.

The delighted fans of the deserved Bielefeld would call it the magic of the cup. But, for the travelling Unioner, having dominated large swathes of the game and seeing their side striking both the post and bar, it felt more like a curse.

Although, perhaps they should have known. The first real chance fell to the hosts, as Mael Corboz volleyed Stefano Ruso’s pass over the crossbar. He flashed at it wildly, yet he had more time than he realised – perhaps briefly intoxicated by the crackling atmosphere within this fine old stadium, one end of which was draped in a royal blue choreo, the other (or one half at least), gleaming in red and white.

Meanwhile, Robert Skov, on his starting debut, was making himself busy out on the left-hand-side and it was his intervention on Christopher Lannert, swiftly intercepting before sliding a clever pass through to Vertessen which saw Union’s first moment of magic, as the Belgian weaved his way up through the middle – the ball firmly cemented to his foot.

The opening passages of play went by without much more danger for either keeper at both ends – the sides testing one another out as if they were on a first date. In glaring contrast to the atmosphere, it was almost placid down on the pitch, however on the 12^th minute mark, the hosts took the lead. It came out of nowhere.

Khedira passed to Rönnow, who then passed out to Andras Schäfer, at the foot of midfield halfway inside his own half. It was the kind of move that they had made a hundred times and more, yet the Hungarian international misjudged his next move, hitting the ball into the path of Marius Wörl who, seeing Rönnow frantically backpedalling towards his goal, lobbed the keeper with both skill and technique. The ball dropped under the bar as if in a dream, if a bad one for the Union fans – Rönnow was helpless. Schäfer stunned. The home crowd suddenly alive with joy.

Bielefeld stepped up, looking to kick Union when they were down, and it took a fine stop from Rönnow with his legs to deny their left back – Louis Oppie, only a minute later.

Union responded in time, of course, but László Bénes could not manage to get onto the end of Diogo Leite’s long ball in time, whilst Janik Haberer hit his shot on the bounce wide after 20 minutes of play.

Union improved as the half wore on, their shock likely worn off, and they would come closer still after 28 minutes, when Vertessen wriggled his way across the 18-yard box, his shot rolling instead to Raani Khedira, who rattled one against the bar with his first touch.

Khedira would find time for a gorgeous pirouette on the edge of the box after half-an-hour, before Skov bent an outrageous ball in towards the head of Bénes with the outside of his boot from the right-wing. Jordan, playing with his back to goal and a man glued to his back, was unable to find Bénes with his headed knock-down.

Bo Svensson paced around his dugout with his arms folded while Kevin Vogt made his sliding tackle on Oppie look as easy as you like, the grass disappearing from underneath him, rolling like an escalator – the ball coming away as simply as if it had been in his pocket all along.

Danilho Doekhi was the next to benefit from Jordan’s selflessness, this time from a set-piece, and a chested ball brought down and passed easily around the corner. Doekhi got some purchase on his strike, yet it flew just over Jonas Kersken’s goal.

As half-time loomed, Union couldn’t have come closer. With 45 minutes already played, Benes hit a final free kick, deep into the box, where Vertessen headed it onto the post. The ball flew across goal, where this time Doekhi got his headed effort on target, but Kersken pulled off a fantastic stop, somehow clawing the ball away for the line at shoulder height.

Union dominate possession, but Becker seizes his opportunity second time around

Svensson sent on Aljoscha Kemlein and Tim Skarke at the beginning of the second half for Schäfer and Vertessen respectively. Kemlein is a deceptively clever player, and his first move wasn’t to touch the ball, but to leave it cleverly for a marauding Doekhi. His next, however, was to play a lovely one-two with Jordan, rolling his studs over the ball delicately on its return, before rifling a shot that flew an inch over the bar.

Skarke burst onto Skov’s short through ball with five more minutes played, but he ran into a brick wall in the shape of Maximilian Großer. His next charge was stopped in a similar fashion by Lannert. Bielefeld may have got it relatively cheaply, but they were certainly not going to surrender their lead away for free.

Soon enough, Tom Rothe would join his fellow scorer against Dortmund, Kemlein, on the pitch, replacing Skov, as Svensson hoped to inject a bit more pace down the flanks in order to counter the organised and compact Bielefeld, however it was Oppie who would have the next effort – hitting his left-footed effort well wide from range.

Bénes was constantly involved and came close with an hour played – Leon Schneider managed to get his head in the way of his shot, having cut inside from the left, just as Kersken showed his nerves when he grabbed onto the Slovakian’s lofted free-kick, clashing with Leite as he went. Schneider would make a superb tackle on him, out on the right-hand-side straight afterwards.

As Rani Khedira said, after the final whistle. “If you’re not playing at the limit, it’s incredibly difficult to win a game like this.”

Union could simply not find a way through, and they should have been 2-0 down when Wörl set up Andre Becker with 69 minutes played. He was through on goal and only had Rönnow to beat, yet the ball got caught up as he tried to touch it first with his left before firing well wide with his right.

He would make up for it almost immediately. The superb Wörl robbed Leite and took a touch, finding Kaito Mizuta, before receiving the ball back and laying it into the middle, this time for Becker – he finished emphatically this time around and even though Rönnow managed to get a foot to it, he did not stand a chance.

Union were heading out – Svensson rolled his final dice, bringing on Benedict Hollerbach for Bénes, followed by Kevin Volland for Vogt. Volland would have his first chance soon enough as he stabbed his shot with little back lift towards goal, but too close to Kersken to trouble the keeper. Jordan couldn’t get any direction on a header from another long ball; Hollerbach saw his side-footed shot deflected wide and the one with his laces saved comfortably; Kersken came off his line to claim Haberer’s next cross into the box with preternatural calmness, claiming the ball above his head before cradling it into his arms.

Union spent the final five minutes throwing everything they had at Bielefeld, however their efforts were summed up by the sight of Kersken, throwing himself across goal to fingertip the ball off the line after it had come off the head of his own player – Lukas Kunze.

Svensson took it on the chin after the final whistle. He knows the ephemeral nature of existence in the cup as well as anyone. “We want to and will analyse our mistakes in order to then rectify them. Today, however, we have to admit defeat on the day.”