stuttgart vs 1860 match report

[bastian]

Sunday, 14.03.2004, 17:30

VfB Stuttgart - TSV München 1860 2:0 (2:0)

Viewers: 41.000
Referee: Lutz Wagner (Hofheim)

Formations:

VfB Stuttgart TSV München 1860

1 Timo Hildebrand ------------------------------ 1 Michael Hofmann
2 Andreas Hinkel ------------------------------- 4 Marco Kurz
3 Boris Zivkovic -------------------------------- 5 Janne Saarinen
5 Marcelo José Bordon -------------------------- 7 Rodrigo Costa
6 Fernando Meira------------------------------ 11 Benjamin Lauth
7 Silvio Meißner -------------------------------- 13 Harald Cerny
9 Marco Streller-------------------------------- 15 Fernando Santos
15 Alexander Hleb ------------------------------ 19 Matthias Lehmann
20 Zvonimir Soldo(C) -----------------------------20 Markus Weissenberger
21 Philipp Lahm -------------------------------- 21 Markus Schroth (C)
22 Kevin Kuranyi ------------------------------- 23 Andreas Görlitz

Replacements:

24 Min. Horst Heldt
Alexander Hleb

40 Min. Jurica Vranjes
Zvonimir Soldo

81 Min. Heiko Gerber
Philipp Lahm


46 Min. Paul Agostino
Harald Cerny

69 Min. Daniel Baier
Matthias Lehmann

79 Min. Remo Meyer
Markus Weissenberger



Cards:

48 Min. Fernando Meira

63 Min. Silvio Meißner


32 Min. Marco Kurz

45 Min. Janne Saarinen

55 Min. Fernando Santos

65 Min. Rodrigo Costa

75 Min. Fernando Santos



goals:
1:0 32 Min. Scorer: Zvonimir Soldo (Assists: Marcelo José Bordon)

2:0 35 Min. Scorer: Marco Streller (Assists: Marcelo José Bordon)






Streller's first goal

VfB team manager make a single change to the starting line-up he fielded in the UEFA Champions League match against Chelsea FC for the Bundesliga home game against TSV 1860 München. Marco Streller, who was not eligiable in the Champions League, replaced Cacau and partnered Kevin Kuranyi up front.
With five minutes on the clock VfB were handed their first chance of the game. Fernando Meira was brought down outside the area with Silvio Meißner stepping up to take the free-kick. However, the midfielder’s shot wasn’t good enough to trouble 1860 ‘keeper Michael Hofmann.
VfB continued to look the better side and had another good chance ten minutes later. Zvonimir Soldo picked out Marco Streller on the left, but Rodrigo Costa arrived just in time to stop the VfB striker. The Swiss international was in the thick of things again only a few minutes later. Kevin Kuranyi flicked an Andreas Hinkel cross on to his partner, who hit the bar with his header. However, even if the winter signing had been on target the scores would have remained tied as the officials judged the striker to be offside.
Soldo heads home

With twenty minutes on the clock Zvonimir Soldo chipped the ball into the area and found Kevin Kuranyi’s head. However, the German international was hussled by his opponent and put his header wide of the post.
Midway through the first half Felix Magath’s side suffered a set-back. Alexander Hleb had to be taken off after being fouled my Matthias Lehmann. Horst Heldt came on to replace the Belarussian. VfB react well to the early change and continued to put the visitors under pressure. After 26 minutes Rodrigo Costa directed a Fernando Meira cross directly into the path of Silvio Meißner. The VfB midfielder dived to meet the ball with his head, but was denied by a good save from Hofmann.
With just over thirty minutes played Marco Streller was brought down by Fernando. Silvio stepped up to take the free-kick, but his effort was blocked. However, the ball fell for Marcelo José Bordon on the left. The Brazilian swept past his defender, sent a cross into the middle, where Zvonimir Soldo was waiting to head home and give Stuttgart a well deserved lead.

Streller’s first goal for Stuttgart

Three minutes later Hofmann failed to hang onto a vicious Marcelo José Bordon free-kick from long range. Marco Streller reacted quicker than the whole 1860 defence and was on target for his first goal for the club.
Everything was going as planned for Felix Magath and his side, but after 40 minutes the team manager was forced to make his second substitution. Zvonimir Soldo had to leave the field after a clash of heads that left the midfielder bleeding heavily. He later needed five stitches to seal the wound and was replaced by Jurica Vranjes.
Nothing really happened in the dying minutes of the first half and VfB took a more than deserved two goal lead into the break. The visitors even failed to create a single chance in the first 45 minutes.

Understandably Felix Magath decided against making any further changes, whereas 1860 decided to throw on another striker in Paul Agostino. Midfielder Harald Cerny stayed in the dressing room.
VfB had the first half-chance of the second half, when Andreas Hinkel made a good run down the right, dodged three 1860 defenders and squared the ball for Marco Streller. However, a fourth München defender arrived in time to beat the Swiss international to the ball and 1860 survived the danger.

First chance for the visitors after almost an hour

After a back pass 1860 goalie Michael Hofmann hit the ball directly at Horst Heldt with 54 minutes played. The VfB midfielder immediately picked out Kevin Kuranyi. The German international picked out Marco Streller in front of goal, but the Swiss striker missed the chance. Only a few minutes later the 1860 goalie was called into action once again when Silvio Meißner deflected another Marcelo José Bordon free-kick. However, this time Hofmann dived to make the save.
With 59 minutes played Timo Hildebrand was finally looked upon by his defence. Markus Weissenberger managed to get in behind the VfB defence and picked out Paul Agostino. The Australian fired his shot from inside the area, but Hildebrand managed to fist the ball to safety. Over at the other end Andreas Görlitz arrived just in time to stop Kevin Kuranyi getting onto the end of a Marco Streller pass.
Midway through the second half Horst Heldt picked out Jurica Vranjes making a run into the penalty area. However, the midfielder was pulled down by Markus Weissenberger, but referee Lutz Wagner refused to award a penalty. The visitors continued to look harmless when attacking and a shot from substitute Daniel Baier that went well wide was all they could come up with.

Kuranyi’s goal disallowed

Fifteen minutes from the end 1860 defender Fernando Santos brought down Marco Streller after the Swiss international had skipped around him. Referee Wagner had no other choice but to send the defender off for his second bookable offence. 1860 coach reacted to the new situation and sent on defender Remo Meyer in place of midfielder Markus Weissenberger. Towards the end of the match Felix Magath also made his final change. Philipp Lahm left the field and was replaced by Heiko Gerber.
Eight minutes from the end Kevin Kuranyi put the ball in the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed because the VfB striker was offside. Over at the other end the viositors had their second good chance of the game when Markus Schroth picked up the ball after some careless defending and squared the ball for Janne Saarinen. Timo Hildebrand quickly came to meet the 1860 defender and made the save.
Kevin Kuranyi came close once again with one minute left to play. The German international was through on his own with only Hofmann left to beat, but the VfB striker waited too long and the goalie won the battle against the hit-man.

On matchday 24 of the Bundesliga VfB booked a well deserved 2-0 win over harmless visitors from München. Felix Magath’s side laid the foundations for the win with two goals in the first half and managed to deal with the early substitutions of Alexander Hleb and Zvonimir Soldo. After the break VfB were content on defending their lead and no more was required to take all three points on the day.

[bastian]

Quotes on the match

VfB team manager Felix Magath: "It was a lot harder today than the result reveals. We had a few problems to start with against very defensive visitors. However after the two goals in quick succession the game was basically over.
Marcelo Bordon and Boris Zivkovic were absolutely outstanding today. All in all I am very pleased with the reaction the team showed to our exit from the UEFA Champions League.
Now the season is really heating up and we are still in a very good position. Werder will still have to come here. We want to challenge for the title and I think that we have still got a very good chance of winning the championship."
1860 coach Falko Götz: "We started in a very defensive manner because we didn’t want Stuttgart to play their normal game. My team tried to fight on even after falling behind, but the VfB players have gathered a lot of experience lately and therefore they managed to defend their lead."

1860 striker Benjamin Lauth: "I don’t really know what heppened. We were absolutely terrible in the first half and I can’t explain our performance. We tried our best after the break because we had nothing left to lose.
If we continue to play the way we did today it will be tough to avoid the drop."

VfB striker Marco Streller: "We have been very optimistic since the game against Schalke, because we played well and only failed to score in that game. We are confident again and are scoring goals again.
Kevin had a good game today and fought hard for the team. I am sure that he will score again soon and then he won’t stop putting the ball into the back of the net. I had a similar time when I was in Basel, but every phase comes to an end."

1860 defender Marco Kurz: "We gave up possession too early especially in the first half. We improved slightly after the break, but we never played simply, attacking football."

VfB defender Marcelo José Bordon: "We have shown an improvement in all of our last three or four games. All that was missing were the goals, but we got them today. Now we will have to think about the next match."

VfB skipper Zvonimir Soldo: "It was a very important win for us. We showed that we desperately wanted to win the match from the word go.
My injury is nothing serious. It is better to have a head injury than a foot injury."

VfB goalie Timo Hildebrand: "It was a well deserved win. We looked tidy in defence for most of the game and hardly let them create a chance.
The coach already told us this morning that he is still aiming to win the championship. Bremen have got a big lead, but we will do everything we can to catch them."

[Distant Voices]

I have to say the atmosphere yesterday was fantastic!

VFB played so well in the first half.
Soldo was absolutely magnificant until he was taken off on 40 mins!
Lahm just gets better and better-hard to believe he is only 20!
I cannot see a weakness in his game.
Hinkel is so exciting to watch-Cafu-like down the right flank (or a younger Stefan Reuter ?).
He still makes stupid mstakes like a wayward pass, he takes his eye off the ball and he made a bad defensive header which led to a Munich chance.These flaws need to be ironed out but he has so much talent and is the fittest player I have ever seen in 22 years of watching football.
Hildebrand made two world class saves in the second half as Stuttgart got a bit sloppy.
Kuranyi is playing well and just needs some luck.

Overall a great day out!

Munich were poor.Lauth is head and shoulders above the rest and seems to not bother too much.He needs to get out of there.The service to him was abysmal.
Schroth looks a decent player too.
The ex-VFB player Lehmann did an awful tackle on Hleb and was not even booked.
Still two great wins in a week.
Bring on the Bremener!