Hertha BSC Berlin - Page 4 - TalkSoccer

**Trim** · 23-02-2007, 09:25 PM

FT' Stuttgart 0-0 Hertha Berlin

Not a bad result for Hertha, considering they played a very on-form Stuttgart.
Gotta thank Hertha for making Stuttgart drop points.

**Oliver_Kahn** · 25-02-2007, 08:22 PM

23 February 2007 is a date Christopher Schorch is unlikely ever to forget, as it marked the 18-year-old Hertha Berlin player's Bundesliga debut.

Schorch came on as a 77th-minute substitute for Jerome Boateng on the right side of defence. The moment was a dream come true for the 1.89 metre tall, 80 kg defender.

Christopher Schorch came to Hertha from Nietlebener SV in July 2004.

**Trim** · 26-02-2007, 07:17 PM

Great achievement.

**Trim** · 01-03-2007, 07:47 AM

VfB Stuttgart have reached the semi-final of this season's DFB Cup after a hard fought home win over Hertha BSC.

The three times DFB Cup winners beat Hertha 2-0 in the last quarter-final to follow VfL Wolfsburg, 1. FC Nürnberg and Eintracht Frankfurt into the last four.

Cacau and Hitzlsperger score

Cacau sent the Swabians on their way to victory with a header from six yards from Ludovic Magnin's inswinging cross from the left after 38 minutes.

Thomas Hitzlsperger made sure of the win with a left-footed 20-yard drive into the roof of the net 13 minutes from time.

**Oliver_Kahn** · 01-03-2007, 01:56 PM

This outcome was expected.

Stuttgart have been very strong and consistent this season

**Trim** · 01-03-2007, 06:15 PM

Hertha's hopes of winning their first serious silverware for decades melted away in driving rain at the Gottlieb-Daimler stadium in Stuttgart on Wednesday night, as they deservedly lost 0-2 to VfB Stuttgart in the quarter final of the DFB Cup.

Two changes

A crowd of 35,000 noted that the Hertha coach Falko Götz made two changes to his side which had drawn 0-0 in the Bundesliga in the same stadium on Friday evening. Götz welcomed back his skipper Arne Friedrich who missed the Bundesliga clash though suspension. Ashkan Dejagah replaced Gilberto behind Marko Pantelic, allowing the Brazilian to revert to his favoured position on the left of midfield. Young Chinedu Ede reverted to the bench.

Torrential rain

Hertha began at a furious pace and the young midfield duo of Ebert and Dejagah showed that they meant business in the opening minutes. The visitors were much more attacking than they were on Friday night. Stuttgart wanted to the kind of form which has seen them soar to second place in the Bundesliga table over the past couple of weeks.

Early chances

The first chance of the game came on 15 minutes and fell to the visitors, as Pantelic unselfishly laid the ball off for Dejagah handily placed on the edge of the penalty box. The Wolfsburg-bound midfielder blasted the ball over the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Stuttgart took control of the game and began to create chances. Their first chance came as Cacau failed to capitalise on a defensive mix up and a good chance went begging. Eight minutes later Khedira tested the Hertha keeper Christian Fiedler with a shot from just inside the area.

Dejagah misses good chance

On 31 minutes Pantelic set up Dejagah again, but the youngster rushed his effort and the home crowd breathed easily again. Moments later the capital city side had a bit of luck as Hilbert only just failed to connect to a cross from Khedira.

Cacau opens the scoring

Hertha stuck to their task and Dejagah was foiled by the Stuttgart keeper Hildebrand after going on a mazy run(35.). Three minutes later the home fans were dancing with joy as Magnin left Arne Friedrich for dead down the right before crossing to Cacau who headed Stuttgart into the lead from an unmarked position 5 metres out. Hertha were visibly shocked and could have gone further behind on 44 minutes as the Mexican Pardo just missed with a fine shot which shaved the right hand upright. As it was, Stuttgart took a slender 1-0 lead with them into the break.

Pantelic goes close

Home coach Armin Veh left the Bundesliga top scorer Gomez (13) and Osorio in the changing room, replacing them with Streller and Meira. Hertha emerged unchanged after the break and not much changed in the game either. Both sides played in a disciplined and fair fashion and no quarter was given. Cacau tested Fiedler with a long range shot 3 minutes into the second half. Pantelic could only hit the side netting after Pardo slipped up at the back (58.).

It was end to end stuff as Hertha pushed for an equaliser and Stuttgart went in search of a second goal. First of all Hilbert went close from 16 metres before Fiedler was forced into action by Magnin (59., 60.). Only 2 minutes later, a Cacau header was well saved by the Hertha keeper.

Hitzlsperger gets his hammer out

There followed two shots by the former Aston Villa star Hitzlsperger whose nickname was " the hammer" in his PremierLeague days. Fiedler saved the first shot (68.), but was powerless as he hammered the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the area to make it 2-0 to Stuttgart (77.).

Game over...

Hertha threw everything they had at the home side, but all that came from that effort was a wayward Pantelic header on 82 minutes. Stuttgart held on and deserved to win in the end.

Bayern up next

Hertha have only a couple of days to recover before the reigning Bundesliga champions and DFB Cup holders Bayern Munich visit the Olympic stadium in Berlin in round 24 of the Bundesliga.

Match details:

VfB Stuttgart: Hildebrand - Osorio (46. Meira), Tasci, Delpierre, Magnin - Pardo, Hilbert, Khedira, Hitzlsperger - Gomez (46. Streller), Cacau (85. Lauth)

Hertha: Fiedler - Friedrich, van Burik, Simunic, Fathi (75. J. Boateng) -
Dardai, Schmidt (62. Zecke), Gilberto, Ebert, Dejagah (62. Gimenez) - Pantelic

Goals: 1-0 Cacau (38.), 2-0 Hitzlsperger (78.)

Attendance: 35,000

Referee: Dr. Markus Merk

Booked: Ebert (Hertha)

**Trim** · 03-03-2007, 05:06 PM

Hertha Berlin 2 - 3 Bayern München (Gimenez 59', van Burik 82' / Salihamidzic 30', Podolski 31', Makaay 68')

Hertha gets another home defeat. Don't get fooled by the result though, their goals don't mean they played good. It's the opposite of good.

**Trim** · 06-03-2007, 07:35 AM

Kevin Boateng (19) is expected to train with the first team on Monday. The talented Berlin-born defender had been side lined for several weeks through injury. It is nor yet known whether or not he will be able to play against Gladbach at the weekend, but it is a possibility, because the Hertha coach Falko Götz has no less than three defenders out of the round 25 Bundesliga game through suspension.

**Trim** · 06-03-2007, 07:36 AM

No light at the end of the tunnel yet, as Hertha try to find some form. The capital city side has taken only one point from a possible 12 in the Bundesliga and of course they exited the DFB Cup at the quarter final stage against Stuttgart in midweek. On Saturday, Hertha lost 2-3 at home to the Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. So what now?

Hertha will play four Bundesliga games before easter. Next weekend they travel to bottom played club Gladbach. Then in round 26 they entertain Cottbus (March 16th). Two weeks later the capital city side play away to former Hertha coach Hans Meyer's Nürnberg (March 31st), and on easter Sunday (April 7th) they play Host to Bielefeld. So three games against lower-placed sides and one away to Hans Meyer. Will those games be easier than the recent ones against Schalke, Stuttgart or Bayern?

Head coach Falko Götz is optimistic: "Yes, I know. We have only taken one point, but we have recently played some of the top sides in the Bundesliga. Now we face different opposition and we have to gather points to salvage our season. The game in Gladbach will be mega-tough. When they play they are foaming at the mouth."

Several key players are ruled out of the trip to Gladbach. Serbian striker Marko Pantelic and left back Malik Fathi are suspended. Joe Simunic was sent off in injury time of the home defeat against Bayern on Saturday and will also miss the the crucial round 25 clash next weekend.

Dick van Burik on Joes suspension: "What should I do? Should I punch him on the nose?" Manager Dieter Hoeneß: "He will not be fined by the club such things are of no use."

Skipper Arne Friedrich played with an infected knee against Bayern and that was a costly mistake, because the injury has worsened and he has been ruled out of the Gladbach game. Three defenders and one striker will be missing in Gladbach.

**Trim** · 07-03-2007, 08:28 AM

After spending almost six weeks out of action through injury, things are looking up for one Hertha youngster in particular: Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The right footed defender has two reasons to smile today. Firstly he has finally resumed first team training. Secondly, Kevin celebrates his 20th birthday today (6 Mar)! He would love to be in the squad for the crucial Bundesliga round 25 away clash in Gladbach on Saturday.

**Trim** · 10-03-2007, 09:19 AM

Hertha travel to the Borussia Park for a round 25 Bundesliga encounter, where they take on bottom places Borussia Mönchengladbach in what can only be described as a real "six-pointer" for both sides. Gladbach are rock bottom and five points from safety, while Hertha have only taken one from a possible 12 points and are in danger of losing touch with the lucrative UEFA Cup places.

Home coach Luhukay is without his influential German international striker Oliver Neuville for the visit of Hertha. Despite that fact, he could still opt for an attacking line -up, with Delura operating behind a two-pronged attack with the former Hertha striker Nando Fafael and the Brazilian Kahe up front. Daems and Sonck are also out through injury.

Makeshift Hertha defence
The visiting coach Falko Götz has been forced to make major changes to his starting line-up, following the 2-3 home defeat against Bayern last time out. Pantelic, Simunic and Fathi are all suspended and midfield general Yildiray Bastürk is still struggling with an injury as is Sofian Chahed. Skipper Arne Friedrich is expected to play despite carrying a slight knock. Should Friedrich fail to make the starting line-up, young Christopher Schorch or new signing Mineiro could replace him at right back. On the good news side, young defender Kevin Prince Boateng returns to the squad after an injury lay off of almost six weeks. Veteran defender Andreas Schmidt will play in the back four.

Good omen?
As the teams met earlier in the season Hertha beat Gladbach 2-1 in the Olympic stadium. On that day, a goal either side of half time by Dardai and Pantelic respectively gave the capital city side a 2-1 win. The three previous games between Gladbach and Hertha were drawn. In fact, Gladbach haven't beaten Hertha at home since the 2001/02 season (3-1).

Gladbach improving
Despite their current position in the Bundesliga table, Gladbach have greatly improved recently. As is usually the case when a team is deep in relegation trouble, they have not had much late. Last weekend they were unlucky to lose 0-1 away to VfL Wolfsburg despite being the better team for long periods of the game. In round 23, a last gasp goal by Nando Rafael gave them a creditable 2-2 home draw against the title contenders Werder Bremen.

On the border
Hungarian midfielder Pal Dardai and Brazilian utility player Gilberto are both on four yellow cards as is Gladbach's Polanski. A further booking would see the Hertha duo miss the round 26 home game against Energie Cottbus.

Possible line-ups:

Borussia Mönchengladbach: Keller - Bögelund, Gohouri, Zé Antonio, Jansen - El Fakiri - Delura, Kluge - Insua - Rafael, Kahe

Hertha: Fiedler - A. Friedrich, van Burik, A. Schmidt, J. Boateng - Mineiro, Dardai - Ebert, Dejagah, Gilberto - Gimenez

**Trim** · 10-03-2007, 04:36 PM

After loosing in their home last week against Bayern, Hertha registered another defeat, this time in their away trip to Gladbach. Two goals of Gladbach were courtesy of ex-Berliner Nando Rafael.

Monchengladbach 3-1 Hertha Berlin (32', 69' N.Rafael, 86' Delura / 56' Gimenez)

**Oliver_Kahn** · 10-03-2007, 04:49 PM

Since Pantelic stop scoring, Hertha started to lose pts.

They are a one man team

**Trim** · 11-03-2007, 08:27 AM

Hertha dropped to 8th place in the Bundesliga table on Saturday afternoon, as they lost 1-3 away to bottom-placed side Borussia Mönchengladbach, in front of 40,515 in the Borussia Park. Two goals by the former Hertha striker Nando Rafael and a further strike by Delura made sure that Hertha's miserable run of results continue. Christian Gimenez equalised on 51 minutes through his 8th goal of the season. Hertha have now taken one point from a possible 15 points in their last five games.

Things looked promising for the Hertha coach Falko Götz ahead of kick off. Skipper Arne Friedrich had become fit in time to play, while Yildiray Bastürk and Kevin Boateng sat on the bench, waiting for a short appearance towards the end of the game. Götz opted for a sole striker and put Gimenez up front. First choice striker Marko Pantelic was suspended as was Croatian defender Joe Simunic as well as Malik Fathi. The youngsters Chinedu Ede, Ashkan Dejagah and Patrick Ebert were all in the starting line up.

Early chances
The relegation-haunted home side set off at a furious pace, and looked as if they wanted to steamroller Hertha from the off. A 2nd minute header into the arms of Fiedler was all they had to show from their opening onslaught. Hertha began to settle down and on 5 minutes Gimenez shot well wide on the turn. The visitors had to wait a while for their next opportunity, but it was worth waiting for.

Dejagah misses big chance
On 18 minutes, Ebert curled a corner into the path of the advancing Dejagah. The Wolfsburg-bound midfielder headed agonisingly over the bar. It was to be the best but not only Hertha chance before the break. On 22 minutes, Ede broke down the left wing from where he played a square ball towards Dejagah, who failed to connect with the ball. Ebert was lurking in the area, but his weak left foot shot was food and drink for the experienced Gladbach keeper Keller.

More missed chances
On 26 minutes the home side fought back as Kluge passed to Degen on the edge of the area, from where he blasted the ball well wide of target. Moments later Gilberto wasted a half chance as did Dejagah only 3 minutes later. The game was about to take a dramatic turn...

Rafael haunts his former team
Gladbach hit Hertha on the counter attack following a Berlin corner. All of a sudden, Insua ran alone towards Fiedler, his shot came back to Bögelund off a post, and he crossed into the middle, where Rafael scored with a diving header to put Gladbach ahead. The home side led 1-0 at the break.

Gimenez heads Hertha level
The visitors needed around 10 minutes to find their rhythm after half time.Gilberto broke down the left from where he crossed to the far post. Gimenez was unmarked as he easily headed his team level (56.). Shortly afterwards, Yildiray Bastürk made his long awaited return to the first team (63.). The dynamic midfielder caused havoc in the Gladbach defence as he played a one two with Ede who seemed to lose the ball, but gained possession again and got a shot on goal which forced the Gladbach keeper into a fine reflex save (67.).

Caught on the break
It was a crucial stop by Keller, and two minutes later Gilberto lost the ball to Kluge inside the Hertha half. Kluge crossed to Nando who scored his second goal of the game and his 3rd of the season with another header on 69 minutes. Young Hertha defender Kevin Boateng came on after 74 minutes. It was his first appearance in a Hertha shirt for six weeks. The 20 year old youngster talented though he is, was unable to make any kind of impact on the game. Hertha threw everything forward and were caught out at the back on 86 minutes as Delura fired in a shot to make the final score 3-1 to Gladbach.

Friedrich: "We lack determination at the moment "
Hertha have now gone five Bundesliga games without a win. Skipper Arne Friedrich said after the final whistle had been blown: "We lack determination at the moment, and we are not doing enough." On the good news side, the comeback of Bastürk and Boateng will give Hertha fans hope ahead of the visit of Energie Cottbus to the Olympic stadium in Berlin on Friday night (16.03.07, kick off 8.30 pm).

Match details:

Gladbach: Keller - Bögelund, Gohouri, Zé Antonio, Jansen - El Fakiri - D. Degen, Kluge - Delura - Rafael, Insua

Hertha: Fiedler - J. Boateng, A. Friedrich, van Burik, Gilberto - Mineiro, Dardai - Ebert, Ede - Dejagah - Gimenez

Attendance: 40,515

Referee: Perl (Munich)

Booked: Degen / J.Boateng