They just played their 18th game, but without the Winter break it just went over my head that we should have posted last week's game in this new thread. Oopsies! Hopefully, VfB can do as well in the Rückrunde, as they started out in the Hinrunde.
Matarazzo starting two strikers in the match against Mainz. Gonzalez, Kalajdzic Sosa, Castro, Wamangituka Mangala, Endo Kempf, Anton, Mavropanos Kobel
Sosa came off with an injury and Massimo came on as sub. Silas went to left back/left wing position and Massimo is on the right.
72' Silas picks up the ball at the edge of the VfB defensive box, races downfield all the way to offensive box and slots the ball past the goalkeeper, 2-0.
Him and Sosa. This was Sosa's 4th assist. He brings the offense down that left side and is decent defensively also. I can't imagine there are not teams watching him along with Silas.
Week 19: 6-7-6 25 points Home win over FC Mainz 2-0. Struggled in the first half to create offense, but in the second half a Sosa cross was headed in by Kalajdzic for the 1-0. Wamangituka picked up a ball in the defensive zone and ran 80 meters to slot past the Mainz keeper for the 2-0. Kobel with a clean sheet. Goals - Assists Wamangituka 11 - 3 Kalajdzic 6 - 3 Gonzalez 6 - 2 Didavi 2 - 3 Castro 3 - 1 Sosa 0 - 4 Mangala 1 - 2 Kempf 2 - 0 Coulibaly 2 - 0 Klimowicz 1 - 1 Klement 0 - 2 Forster 1 - 0 Endo 0 - 1 Anton 0 - 1 Goals scored: 35 Goals conceded: 29 Clean sheets: 2
VfB Lineup for the Pokal match vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach: TEAM NEWS 🤍❤️Here is the #VfB Starting XI for #VfBBMG: 33 Bredlow2 Anton3 @wataru0209 ©️4 Kempf5 @DMavropanos 9 Kalajdzic10 Didavi14 Wamangituka22 @nicoivang19 23 @JMangala_8 24 Sosa#DFBPokal #VfB #VfBBMG pic.twitter.com/wdkK13QNCJ— VfB Stuttgart_int (@VfB_int) February 3, 2021
Bad play by Bredlow (too far out of goal, tried to retreat) to allow MGB to go ahead in the 50th minute.
Stuttgart lose 1-2, but had a great argument for a handball PK in the 92nd minute, that was ignored by the ref, which would have tied the score. They're out of the Pokal now, and must concentrate on the regular season and staying in the middle of the table, if not finishing a bit higher.
Yeah, I knew that they had this match today, but ESPN+ doesn't carry the DFB Pokal matches so I wasn't able to watch it. Thanks for the running commentary. I agree that staying in the middle of the table is a worthwhile goal for this season. That, and keeping their star players who are now starting to show their worth: Wamangituka, Sosa, Endo, Kobel, and etc. If they can keep these young players, and add in some better defenders next season, they could finish in the Top Six next season and qualify for Europe.
VfB visit Leverkusen tomorrow for a match against club Bayer. Expected lineup: Stuttgart: Kobel - Stenzel, Anton, Kempf (c) - Silas, Mangala, Endo, Sosa - Förster, Gonzalez - Kalajdzic Castro out with an injury, and Mavropanos and Didavi are doubtful for the bench.
Starting lineup: Gonzalez, Klimowicz, Massimo Forster, Mangala, Endo, Wamangituka Kempf, Anton, Mavropanos Kobel
31' Bayer through ball sends player in alone to slot under Kobel for the 2-0. Bayer Leverkusen lost mid-week to 4th table side Rot Weiss Essen, which is pretty shameful; thus, taking revenge on our VfB side.