stuttgart-koln match report

[bastian]

Saturday, 20.03.2004, 15:30

1. FC Köln - VfB Stuttgart 2:2 (1:1)

Viewers: 50.200
Referee: Lutz Michael Fröhlich (Berlin)

Formations:

1. FC Köln VfB Stuttgart

33 Stefan Wessels-------------------------- 1 Timo Hildebrand
4 Moses Sichone ---------------------------- 3 Boris Zivkovic
7 Florian Kringe----------------------------- 5 Marcelo José Bordon
8 Matthias Scherz--------------------------- 6 Fernando Meira
15 Christian Springer ------------------------ 7 Silvio Meißner
17 Jörg Heinrich ----------------------------- 9 Marco Streller
19 Albert Streit----------------------------- 15 Alexander Hleb
20 Thomas Cichon---------------------------16 Horst Heldt
22 Mustafa Dogan -------------------------- 20 Zvonimir Soldo (C)
23 Markus Feulner --------------------------- 21 Philipp Lahm
30 Dirk Lottner (C)--------------------------- 22 Kevin Kuranyi

Replacements:

69 Min. Lukas Podolski
Florian Kringe

80 Min. Vladan Grujic
Christian Springer

87 Min. Giovanni Federico
Dirk Lottner


63 Min. Heiko Gerber
Horst Heldt

65 Min. Imre Szabics
Marco Streller

74 Min. Hakan Yakin
Silvio Meißner



Cards:

67 Min. Albert Streit




goals:
0:1 28 Min. Scorer: Silvio Meißner (Assists: Horst Heldt)

1:1 45 Min. Scorer: Florian Kringe (Assists: Matthias Scherz)

2:1 71 Min. Scorer: Markus Feulner

2:2 72 Min. Scorer: Matthias Scherz (Eigentor) (Assists: Silvio Meißner)






Draw in Köln

VfB team manager was forced to make a change to the starting line-up that he picked for the match against 1860 München last week for the away game in Köln. Andreas Hinkel had to be left out after damaging two ankle ligaments. The vacant spot in the starting line-up was handed to Horst Heldt. Because of Hinkel’s injury Magath was forced to reshuffle his defence. Boris Zivkovic moved over to the right, Fernando Meira dropped back into central defence from midfield and Heldt to his place in the centre of the park.
Marco Streller set-up the first half-chance of the game with two minutes on the clock. The Swiss international left Mustafa Dogan standing and sent a cross into the area. Kevin Kuranyi was waiting for the ball, but just when he made his jump to meet the cross he was hussled by a Köln defender and failed to make contact.
It took about ten more minutes before the 50,200 spectators in the Rhein-Energie-Stadion were treated to another good move. Köln’s playmaker Dirk Lottner picked out Matthias Scherz and the striker, who was left unmarked, unleashed a shot, but his effort only found the post. From there the ball fell for Timo Hildebrand and VfB escaped unpunished. The host continued to look the better side in the following minutes, but at times they weren’t accurate enough to trouble the VfB defence. Felix Magath’s side concentrated of tight defending and waited for chances on the break. With fifteen minutes on the clock VfB were awarded a free-kick after Marco Streller was brought down on the left. Philipp Lahm sent the ball into the area, where Silvio Meißner was waiting. The midfielder managed to reach the cross, but put his header over the bar.
Meißner gives Stuttgart the lead

Köln’s pressure of the opening minutes soon faded away. The hosts decided to sit back in defence and wait for their chances on the break, but Felix Magath’s side didn’t do them the favour of throwing too many players forward. Stuttgart had more possession in the minutes to come, but couldn’t really come up with anything dangerous. Therefore Köln ‘keeper Stefan Wessels had little to do until the 27th minute. Alexander Hleb took on and rounded two Köln defenders on the right wing and squared the ball for Zvonimir Soldo. However, the Croatian failed to trouble Wessels with his shot from the edge of the area. One minute later Wessels was beaten. Horst Heldt skipped around Mustafa Dogan on the left wing, picked out Silvio Meißner in the area and the midfielder fired the ball into the back of the net. The hosts didn’t looked shocked after falling behind and former German international Jörg Heinrich had a good chance to level the scores only seconds later, but in the end he put his shot wide. Köln failed to come up with any ideas in the following minutes and when the strikers got the ball they failed to trouble Timo Hildebrand. Just before the break the home side got an equaliser out of nowhere. Dirk Lottner picked out Matthias Scherz, he squared the ball for Florian Kringe and the midfielder make no mistake from close range.

Köln increase the pressure after the break

In additional time of the first half both teams had a chance to take the lead. First Albert Streit was surprised to get onto the end of a Dirk Lottner cross and put his shot wide. Over at the other end Silvio Meißner was left unmarked, but he failed to head a Streeler cross home and the teams went into the break with the scores tied.

Both sides returned to the field unchanged for the second half. VfB started the second 45 minutes with a mistake. Marcelo José Bordon tried to square a free-kick, but the ball was picked off and Köln had a chance on the break. However, in the end Matthias Scherz and Markus Feulner obstructed each other. Only a few minutes later VfB looked in trouble after Albert Streit mishit a cross and the ball dipped towards the VfB goal. In the end the ball went over the bar and VfB escaped again.
Köln increased the pressure at the start of the second half and pushed Stuttgart back into defence, but the hosts failed to create any real danger. Felix Magath’s side had to wait until the 62nd minute before they had their next. Alexander Hleb found Kevin Kuranyi on the edge of the area, but the German international’s shot went wide.
A few minutes later VfB team manager Felix Magath decided to make his first substitution. Heiko Gerber replaced Horst Heldt, which meant changes to the formation. Gerber defended on the left, Philipp Lahm moved over to the right, Boris Zivkovic moved from the right to central defence and Fernando Meira moved into midfield from central defence. Imre Szabics also came on fro Marco Streller up front. Only seconds after Magath had made the changes the hosts had a lucky escape. A deflected Bordon free-kick almost fell for Kevin Kuranyi, but in the end the ball went wide.

Köln take the lead and concede an own goal

Over at the other end Köln suddenly struck. Mustafa Dogan sent a free-kick towards the area, Marcelo José Bordon won the header, but the ball fell for Markus Feulner, who immediately unleashed a vicious shot that beat Timo Hildebrand. However, the hosts couldn’t celebrate for long, because only seconds later VfB were back on level terms. Silvio Meißner made connection with an Alexander Hleb corner, Matthias Scherz tried to clear the ball with his head, but put the ball into the back of his own net to give Stuttgart an equaliser.
With fifteen minutes left to play Felix Magath made his third change and sent on Hakan Yakin for Silvio Meißner and only seconds later the Swiss international fed Imre Szabics. The Hungarian international tried his luck from outside the area, but failed to trouble FC goalie Stefan Wessels. Ten minutes from the end Fernando Meira came close with his shot after an Alexander Hleb corner, but in the end the defender sent his effort over the bar. VfB threw players forward in the desperate attempt to get the winning goal in the dying minutes, but both Kevin Kuranyi and Zvonimir Soldo were denied. Over at the other end Matthias Scherz had two good chances to give the hosts all three points, but missed both headers.

VfB only managed to get a point from the match in Köln. Stuttgart failed to win because they only concentrated on defending their lead in the first half and were punished for it just before the break. In the second hald VfB didn’t wake up until they fell behind. Stuttgart looked the better side after getting an equaliser, but couldn’t create enough pressure or enough chances. Over at the other end Matthias Scherz had two chances to give Köln the win, but missed them and therefore the two teams shared the spoils.