Matchday 4 - Hertha Berlin AWAY (R)

Discussion in 'VfB Stuttgart' started by Vfbstuttgartfan, Aug 26, 2011.

  1. Vfbstuttgartfan

    Aug 3, 2004
    Stuttgart
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Don't forget guys, it's a Friday night game tonight as we travel to the Hauptstadt to face Hertha Berlin. It will also be the first time we face Markus Babbel as a coach against us.


    Well, after a disappointing 1 point in 2 games where we conceded just 2 goals - an invalid penalty and a poor goalkeeping error - we are left with an opportunity to get things back on track in this early season, against a newly-promoted team.

    Hertha have had a decent start to the league - gaining draws away to both Hamburg and Hannover. They did however lose their only home game thus far - 1-0 to Nuernberg on the first day.

    We have to aim for a win, nothing else will do after the last two weeks. A loss will leave a lot of people speculating over yet another 'fehlstart'. Let's not have that, boys.

    The first 11 will see changes for the first time in this season. For certain: Khalid Boulahrouz is now suspended, so Celozzi will start at right-back. A last-chance for him? He has to prove himself if he is going to try a breakthrough this season, and it will be in his interests to start immediately in this game. Should be some added pressure.

    Schieber is still unlikely to be in the match squad (a bit frustrating how long his 'Trainingsrueckstand' is taking to be recovered), but Gebhart could well feature in the match day squad. First time this season for him. I still think it will be Gentner and Harnik on the wings with Hajnal as creator, for now. But all will have to up their game if they wanna stay first 11 long-term this season.

    I really, really want a win from this one. First Auswaertssieg of the season, please!
     
  2. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Lol, vfbfan, we made the same post literally at like the same time. Sorry :)

    I didn't see one from you, so I figured you were busy for the weekend or something.
     
  3. Vfbstuttgartfan

    Aug 3, 2004
    Stuttgart
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Haha, no probs. Could some moderator please merge these?


    I read your post from the other forum - where did you get the Grygera/Boulahrouz transfer info from? I have heard nothing of any such move and it doesn't seem likely to me.



    What I really want to see in this game is a better offensive performance. Tasci and Maza have been strong in central defence in all games so far - only conceded 2 in 3, and they were both not responsible for either of these goals.

    But we have not done enough going forward.

    Last week this was especially clear, we created maybe one good chance all match. At home! It was really an awful performance. If this does not change soon, we could see a reversal to a two striker format. The loser in this scenario? Hajnal, who has had a poor start to the season. He admits this and is looking to return to his best ASAP. Tonight would be a good start, and his position will come under threat if he does not improve. The wingers are also unsafe: Gentner has been one of the better players in both the last two games, but there are still question marks over him, and Harnik was very poor last weekend. With Gebhart and Okazaki fit again, both these players will be under heavy pressure for their starting spots without a big step up today.

    So that's one to follow.

    PP will be on the bench again, Schieber still not fit enough it seems.
     
  4. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    1893 news is an excellent, honest source for info. It's a bunch of guys in Germany who tweet out information found in Bild, etc., but in English for us Americans :)

    http://twitter.com/#!/1893news

    Check out its stream, you'll see the information there. Also, if you are on Twitter, check out http://twitter.com/#!/Jens1893 -- he's really great!
     
  5. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Starting lineup:

    [LINEUP-4-5-1]Cacau,Okazaki,Kuz,Hajnal,Kvist,Harnik,Molinaro,Maza,Tasci,Celozzi,Ulreich[/LINEUP-4-5-1]

    Interesting that Okazaki got the start over Gentner. Thank you! Also, Kuz and Kvist switched sides? I always thought Kuz was the RDM and Kvist the LDM?


    Let's gooooooooo
     
  6. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Totally forgot Babel was the manager of Berlin. Crazy game coming up!
     
  7. snahdog

    snahdog Member

    Mar 31, 2006
    Atlanta
    Game is on ESPN3 for those asking in the other thread
     
  8. Carefree in Germany

    Jun 27, 2005
    Leonberg, DE
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Flashes of decent play, but a pretty boring half so far.
     
  9. snahdog

    snahdog Member

    Mar 31, 2006
    Atlanta
    Penalty not given :(
     
  10. Carefree in Germany

    Jun 27, 2005
    Leonberg, DE
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    I wasn't so sure about it live, but on replay it was clear the defender didn't get near the ball in the least. Should have been...
     
  11. snahdog

    snahdog Member

    Mar 31, 2006
    Atlanta
    Yeah, it would have been an unlucky foul for the defender, but he still caught Harnik enough to make him fall. The back-heel in the build-up was nice.
     
  12. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    First half thoughts by player:

    Ulreich: He's not that bad of a GK. Made a couple great plays.

    Molinaro: Very ineffective today going forward.
    Maza: So sturdy in defense, but leave the going-forward to Tasci lol
    Tasci: Great as always
    Celozzi: Has actually played ok. Not bad at all, but not great

    Kvist/Kuz: Both have been excellent controlling the game

    Okazaki: One of the better players on both sides first half. I feel like he can score one this game.
    Hajnal: Excellent free kicks as always. Not creating much on offense though.
    Harnik: Simply not a great finisher. Has had good defensive interactions though.

    Cacau: Has been Cacau.



    ----------



    Thank goodness we didn't get Ramos. He's not very good!

    Ebert has been their best player.

    Lassoga has been nonexistent.

    We should not lose. I expect to win this 1-0 or 2-1 in the second half. We've thoroughly dominated!
     
  13. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Boka on in the 60th for Celozzi. He's playing RB. Wuuuut? Celozzi must have been that bad? lol

    For what it's worth, Hertha was not that good on Celozzi's side. I thought he did ok on defense. His crosses in going forward were lacking however.
     
  14. THOMA GOL

    THOMA GOL BigSoccer Supporter

    Jul 16, 1999
    Frontier
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Stuttgart mucking around :mad: Trying to give this match away. Needed save by Ulreich
     
  15. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pogreb on for Hajnal. We are going to 4-4-2 with the mids being Okazaki-Kvist-Kuz-Harnik. More a 4-2-2-2 with no center attacking...

    We have really dominated and it's too bad we haven't scored. We keep pushing up more and more too, and Berlin is getting closer to breaking open a fast break type goal... Getting scary.
     
  16. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm sorry, but Harnik is the weakest link in attack. He just makes the worst decisions and can't finish. Some how he's always in the right spot. And some how, without fail, he makes the wrong decisions.

    We need Gebhart back.
     
  17. snahdog

    snahdog Member

    Mar 31, 2006
    Atlanta
    lol at the big Russian trying to get a cross off while the other (smaller!) VFB players are inside the box...should be the other way around.
     
  18. THOMA GOL

    THOMA GOL BigSoccer Supporter

    Jul 16, 1999
    Frontier
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    UGH!!! Point proven on that last run by Harnik. Chance killer!!! f'in pass the rock!
     
  19. Carefree in Germany

    Jun 27, 2005
    Leonberg, DE
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    saw that coming...
     
  20. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    BS goal by Berlin. Absolute BS. Poor Maza slips on the wet pitch, and they get a breakaway and a BS goal. ARGGGGGGG
     
  21. THOMA GOL

    THOMA GOL BigSoccer Supporter

    Jul 16, 1999
    Frontier
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In f'in evitable!!


    :mad::mad::mad:


    Lesson to the Russian oaf, that's how you aim a ball into a net
     
  22. snahdog

    snahdog Member

    Mar 31, 2006
    Atlanta
  23. kgosser

    kgosser New Member

    Oct 2, 2009
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We. Did. Not. Deserve. To. Lose.
     
  24. snahdog

    snahdog Member

    Mar 31, 2006
    Atlanta
    aaaaaaaaaaaaah. GET IT ON GOAL!
     
  25. Carefree in Germany

    Jun 27, 2005
    Leonberg, DE
    Club:
    VfB Stuttgart
    Really didn't deserve to win either. Had a number of opportunities, but didn't capitalize on them.
     

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