i m neither a german soccer fan, nor a dortmund fan...but i kinda like rosicky...he is a great, young player... 
Carson35
Tuesday, April 30, 2002
Amoroso hints at Dortmund departure
BERLIN, April 30 (Reuters) - Brazilian striker Marcio Amoroso, still hoping for a World Cup call-up, threw his future with Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund into doubt on Tuesday when he hinted that he could move to Italy or Spain.
In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's online publication FAZ.net Amoroso,the Bundesliga's joint top scorer, said he does not like living in Germany, finds the language hard and dislikes the German mentality.
'In Parma I had a five-year contract and transferred to Dortmund after two years. After my good season in the Bundesliga, there may be offers from the big clubs in Italy or Spain, such as AS Roma, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
'If that turns out to be the case, we will have to talk about that with Borussia and find the best solution for the club and for me,' he said.
Amoroso, who has scored 18 league goals this season, also said he hopes to be included in Felipe Scolari's Brazil squad for the World Cup finals.
He has not played for his country since previous coach Wanderley Luxemburgo was sacked in 2000.
'I'm naturally hoping to be nominated,' he said. 'It's a dream of mine. The next World Cup in Germany will happen when I'm 32. This is probably my last chance.
'It would be super if I can go. But if not, fine, I'll step on the gas for my club. If I have to watch the World Cup on television, then I'll be a fan and cross my fingers for my friends.'
The 28-year-old has become a favourite with the Dortmund fans, and scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Cup semifinal victory against AC Milan recently.
But he said: 'My family and I have had adjustment difficulties. The German language is extremely difficult. The people are very reserved here.
'We are used to quickly being able to find friends away from football, but that is difficult in Germany.'
Amoroso, who came to Dortmund from Italian side Parma this season, also said living conditions in Germany are tough.
'In Italy, if you go shopping in the same supermarket three or four times, you develop a friendship with the sales clerk,' he said. 'Here in Germany you can go in there 500 times and there is still a level of anonymity.'
He said he speaks some German, although he and trainer Matthias Sammer, who played in Italy earlier in his career, sometimes speak to each other in Italian.
'At home we speak Portuguese and Italian,' he said. 'As far as German goes, we limit ourselves to a certain basis for everyday business, shopping and soccer. If I were still 19 or 20 I would want to learn the language.'
But Amoroso said there was one advantage of playing in Germany - it was easier to score goals.
'Italian players are better trained as far as tactics are concerned - that is particularly the case with defenders.'
soccernet
Amoroso hints at Dortmund departure
BERLIN, April 30 (Reuters) - Brazilian striker Marcio Amoroso, still hoping for a World Cup call-up, threw his future with Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund into doubt on Tuesday when he hinted that he could move to Italy or Spain.
In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's online publication FAZ.net Amoroso,the Bundesliga's joint top scorer, said he does not like living in Germany, finds the language hard and dislikes the German mentality.
'In Parma I had a five-year contract and transferred to Dortmund after two years. After my good season in the Bundesliga, there may be offers from the big clubs in Italy or Spain, such as AS Roma, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
'If that turns out to be the case, we will have to talk about that with Borussia and find the best solution for the club and for me,' he said.
Amoroso, who has scored 18 league goals this season, also said he hopes to be included in Felipe Scolari's Brazil squad for the World Cup finals.
He has not played for his country since previous coach Wanderley Luxemburgo was sacked in 2000.
'I'm naturally hoping to be nominated,' he said. 'It's a dream of mine. The next World Cup in Germany will happen when I'm 32. This is probably my last chance.
'It would be super if I can go. But if not, fine, I'll step on the gas for my club. If I have to watch the World Cup on television, then I'll be a fan and cross my fingers for my friends.'
The 28-year-old has become a favourite with the Dortmund fans, and scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Cup semifinal victory against AC Milan recently.
But he said: 'My family and I have had adjustment difficulties. The German language is extremely difficult. The people are very reserved here.
'We are used to quickly being able to find friends away from football, but that is difficult in Germany.'
Amoroso, who came to Dortmund from Italian side Parma this season, also said living conditions in Germany are tough.
'In Italy, if you go shopping in the same supermarket three or four times, you develop a friendship with the sales clerk,' he said. 'Here in Germany you can go in there 500 times and there is still a level of anonymity.'
He said he speaks some German, although he and trainer Matthias Sammer, who played in Italy earlier in his career, sometimes speak to each other in Italian.
'At home we speak Portuguese and Italian,' he said. 'As far as German goes, we limit ourselves to a certain basis for everyday business, shopping and soccer. If I were still 19 or 20 I would want to learn the language.'
But Amoroso said there was one advantage of playing in Germany - it was easier to score goals.
'Italian players are better trained as far as tactics are concerned - that is particularly the case with defenders.'
soccernet
Dortmund Repels Bremen Attack to Take Title
Borussia Dortmund - Werder Bremen | News Archive
Jan Koller celebrates his equalizer. (Reuters)
05/04/2002. Hosting this season's giant killers Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund managed to come from a goal down to win 2:1 and secure their sixth title in the club's history. In a final game day that could have concluded favorably for any of three major teams, the standings looked exactly the same as last week.
Additional incentive for Bremen to steal the game was their ongoing battle with Schalke 04 for the final UEFA Cup spot, so this was not going to be a game in which the underdog fought for the benefit of Bayern Munich or Bayer Leverkusen, though this was another facet of a complex situation that kept fans on edge right down to the end of the season.
The tension was evident from the beginning and fouls came quickly without much provocation. Bremen were determined to resist the powerful Brazilian influence of the hosts and they blocked and countered with tenacity. Mladen Krstajic, Viktor Skripnik and Frank Verlaat made their presence known and all received yellow cards in the game for their extended efforts. They were also not lacking in forward drive, particularly with Goncalves Ailton and Razundara Tjikuzu providing much of the excitement up front.
When Lars Ricken was taken down just outside the penalty box, it looked like Dortmund would have their first attempt at goal made easy for them. Goal-scoring juggernaut Marcio Amoroso took the kick and it might have been a perfect shot, but the crossbar got in the way on the right end, denying the Brazilian the glory of taking an early lead.
The opening goal would belong instead to Canadian Paul Stalteri, the result of defensive miscommunication on Dortmund's part. Ailton sent a ball through a clutch of defenders that looked like boys shivering outside a cold bath and Stalteri was there to putt in the shot, right under Jens Lehmann's legs. The crowd was stunned and it looked like Bremen was going to fulfill their role as spoilers, but Dortmund continued their onslaught, despite what increasingly appeared to be a sense of desperation. The scoreboard had already shown that both Bayern and Leverkusen were leading in their respective matches, so the pressure was really on Dortmund to reach out and take the win.
No matter what they tried, though, Dortmund's luck did not seem to be with them as shot after shot flew wide or straight into Frank Rost's hands. But persistence paid off and finally Jan Koller was the one to deliver the return blow for the team and the fans. He crossed the goal zone, feinting and halting, keeping the defense guessing, then as he reached the right end of the goal, he turned quickly back and knocked a medium speed shot right at the left corner post. The way it traveled did not give the impression that it would succeed, but Rost was off by one stride and the ball stuttered between his outstretched gloves and the post, brushing against the net to make the score 1:1 in minute 41. Huge waves of cheering scoured the air and the sense of having a real chance to win returned with only minutes left to the end of the first half, a real psychological tonic.
The second half picked up with no change in tempo or passion, in fact it stepped up a few notches. Dortmund was encouraged by Koller's goal and pushed to get the go-ahead, but the finishing touch was missing on several of their attempts. One especially notable miss was an Otto Addo shot from the right that found him with room to spare and time to line up a shot, but once again a few centimeters of accuracy were lacking and the ball hit the bottom front of the post and bounced right back into play. A real heartbreaker for all of Dortmund. Even the German foreign minister watching from the stands punched the air in frustration.
Tjikuzu and Ailton continued to break away and menace the Dortmund goal and give Jens Lehmann the sweats, but Dede was a spanner in the works in back and the right angle to shoot seemed to elude them at the last. A masterful breakthrough by Tjikuzu in minute 71 found him face to face with the mercurial goalie, but the crafty shot lofted over his head was then also denied by the crossbar and sent back onto the field. This is getting to be too much! Good shots have hit the woodwork at least four times in this game. Some force is at work to keep the score low. Are the fans sending out waves of bad luck to their opponents in competing pulses from the stadium? There are heaps of emotion to be tapped here.
Then a recently substituted Ewerthon stepped up in his first minute on the field and put in the go-ahead at the end of a fantastic chain of touches. First touch was a precision Tomas Rosicky slice that found Dede who sent it a few meters further to Ewerthon, just past the right goalpost. His touch breached a narrow opening and bumped against the inside of the post, caroming into the net and leading to a preliminary celebration on the field, at the sidelines, in the stands: 2:1.
But this is where Bremen becomes dangerous and Dortmund needs to guard against going slack. This is exactly what leads to last-minute, heartbreaking equalizers, but 34-year-old head coach Matthias Sammer would not allow it. His team settled into a guarded offensive mode and only sent up attacks in response to Bremen errata. The pressure remained high and fouls returned to the scene. Before there was much time to settle into a game-killing pattern, Bremen fought harder than ever to gain control of the game. This, then inevitably led to a second yellow card for Krstajic, a red card out, depriving his team of the last iota of force needed to perhaps get that second goal.
Chances continued to fly, but nothing was as close as the insurance-goal-that-could-have-been by Ewerthon in minute 87. His one-on-one with Rost could have sealed the game right then, but it was shot high and over. Too much pressure to impress. Disappointing, but forgiveable. Nothing of much importance happened in the remaining few minutes and with about a minute extra injury time to go, it was too late to pull out a miracle for Bremen (read: Leverkusen) and the season is over.
It's probably better this way. Dortmund worked hard all season long, as did Leverkusen, but in the end, it was Leverkusen's to win and they let it go. You don't get a second chance that late in the game. Bayern, well, it may be exaggerating, but a last–minute theft of the title might have resulted in a small-scale revolution in the streets. Their second half of the season was stilted, dismal, spotty and hardly inspired, but they are a team in transition, rebuilding for future dominance. It is enough to keep one toe in the Champions League. It still remains for Bayer to spoil the finals for centenary Real Madrid and also take the cup away from last year's consolation prize winners Schalke 04. Dortmund can ride this wave into the UEFA finals next week and make it a very sweet double. So even though the season is over, it is really just a warm-up, a snack to hold us all over until the granddaddy arrives in a few short weeks. You've got it: die FIFA Welt Meisterschaft in Korea/Japan.
Bor. Dortmund: Lehmann - Heinrich, Metzelder, Dede - Reuter, Ricken, Rosicky, Kehl - Addo, Koller, Amoroso - Trainer: Sammer
Werder Bremen: Rost - F. Baumann, Verlaat, Krstajic, Skripnik - Stalteri, F. Ernst - Frings, Lisztes, Tjikuzu - Ailton - Trainer: Schaaf
Goals: 0:1 Stalteri (17., assist Ailton), 1:1 Koller (41., assist Amoroso), 2:1 Ewerthon (74., assist Dede)
Substitutes: 74. Ewerthon for Heinrich, 78. Kohler for Ricken, 90. Stevic for Amoroso - 90. Bode for Lisztes
Yellow/Red card: Krstajic (77.)
Yellow cards: Ricken - Krstajic, Skripnik, Verlaat
Referee: Edgar Steinborn
Spectators: 68,600 (sold out)
soccerage
Borussia Dortmund - Werder Bremen | News Archive
Jan Koller celebrates his equalizer. (Reuters)
05/04/2002. Hosting this season's giant killers Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund managed to come from a goal down to win 2:1 and secure their sixth title in the club's history. In a final game day that could have concluded favorably for any of three major teams, the standings looked exactly the same as last week.
Additional incentive for Bremen to steal the game was their ongoing battle with Schalke 04 for the final UEFA Cup spot, so this was not going to be a game in which the underdog fought for the benefit of Bayern Munich or Bayer Leverkusen, though this was another facet of a complex situation that kept fans on edge right down to the end of the season.
The tension was evident from the beginning and fouls came quickly without much provocation. Bremen were determined to resist the powerful Brazilian influence of the hosts and they blocked and countered with tenacity. Mladen Krstajic, Viktor Skripnik and Frank Verlaat made their presence known and all received yellow cards in the game for their extended efforts. They were also not lacking in forward drive, particularly with Goncalves Ailton and Razundara Tjikuzu providing much of the excitement up front.
When Lars Ricken was taken down just outside the penalty box, it looked like Dortmund would have their first attempt at goal made easy for them. Goal-scoring juggernaut Marcio Amoroso took the kick and it might have been a perfect shot, but the crossbar got in the way on the right end, denying the Brazilian the glory of taking an early lead.
The opening goal would belong instead to Canadian Paul Stalteri, the result of defensive miscommunication on Dortmund's part. Ailton sent a ball through a clutch of defenders that looked like boys shivering outside a cold bath and Stalteri was there to putt in the shot, right under Jens Lehmann's legs. The crowd was stunned and it looked like Bremen was going to fulfill their role as spoilers, but Dortmund continued their onslaught, despite what increasingly appeared to be a sense of desperation. The scoreboard had already shown that both Bayern and Leverkusen were leading in their respective matches, so the pressure was really on Dortmund to reach out and take the win.
No matter what they tried, though, Dortmund's luck did not seem to be with them as shot after shot flew wide or straight into Frank Rost's hands. But persistence paid off and finally Jan Koller was the one to deliver the return blow for the team and the fans. He crossed the goal zone, feinting and halting, keeping the defense guessing, then as he reached the right end of the goal, he turned quickly back and knocked a medium speed shot right at the left corner post. The way it traveled did not give the impression that it would succeed, but Rost was off by one stride and the ball stuttered between his outstretched gloves and the post, brushing against the net to make the score 1:1 in minute 41. Huge waves of cheering scoured the air and the sense of having a real chance to win returned with only minutes left to the end of the first half, a real psychological tonic.
The second half picked up with no change in tempo or passion, in fact it stepped up a few notches. Dortmund was encouraged by Koller's goal and pushed to get the go-ahead, but the finishing touch was missing on several of their attempts. One especially notable miss was an Otto Addo shot from the right that found him with room to spare and time to line up a shot, but once again a few centimeters of accuracy were lacking and the ball hit the bottom front of the post and bounced right back into play. A real heartbreaker for all of Dortmund. Even the German foreign minister watching from the stands punched the air in frustration.
Tjikuzu and Ailton continued to break away and menace the Dortmund goal and give Jens Lehmann the sweats, but Dede was a spanner in the works in back and the right angle to shoot seemed to elude them at the last. A masterful breakthrough by Tjikuzu in minute 71 found him face to face with the mercurial goalie, but the crafty shot lofted over his head was then also denied by the crossbar and sent back onto the field. This is getting to be too much! Good shots have hit the woodwork at least four times in this game. Some force is at work to keep the score low. Are the fans sending out waves of bad luck to their opponents in competing pulses from the stadium? There are heaps of emotion to be tapped here.
Then a recently substituted Ewerthon stepped up in his first minute on the field and put in the go-ahead at the end of a fantastic chain of touches. First touch was a precision Tomas Rosicky slice that found Dede who sent it a few meters further to Ewerthon, just past the right goalpost. His touch breached a narrow opening and bumped against the inside of the post, caroming into the net and leading to a preliminary celebration on the field, at the sidelines, in the stands: 2:1.
But this is where Bremen becomes dangerous and Dortmund needs to guard against going slack. This is exactly what leads to last-minute, heartbreaking equalizers, but 34-year-old head coach Matthias Sammer would not allow it. His team settled into a guarded offensive mode and only sent up attacks in response to Bremen errata. The pressure remained high and fouls returned to the scene. Before there was much time to settle into a game-killing pattern, Bremen fought harder than ever to gain control of the game. This, then inevitably led to a second yellow card for Krstajic, a red card out, depriving his team of the last iota of force needed to perhaps get that second goal.
Chances continued to fly, but nothing was as close as the insurance-goal-that-could-have-been by Ewerthon in minute 87. His one-on-one with Rost could have sealed the game right then, but it was shot high and over. Too much pressure to impress. Disappointing, but forgiveable. Nothing of much importance happened in the remaining few minutes and with about a minute extra injury time to go, it was too late to pull out a miracle for Bremen (read: Leverkusen) and the season is over.
It's probably better this way. Dortmund worked hard all season long, as did Leverkusen, but in the end, it was Leverkusen's to win and they let it go. You don't get a second chance that late in the game. Bayern, well, it may be exaggerating, but a last–minute theft of the title might have resulted in a small-scale revolution in the streets. Their second half of the season was stilted, dismal, spotty and hardly inspired, but they are a team in transition, rebuilding for future dominance. It is enough to keep one toe in the Champions League. It still remains for Bayer to spoil the finals for centenary Real Madrid and also take the cup away from last year's consolation prize winners Schalke 04. Dortmund can ride this wave into the UEFA finals next week and make it a very sweet double. So even though the season is over, it is really just a warm-up, a snack to hold us all over until the granddaddy arrives in a few short weeks. You've got it: die FIFA Welt Meisterschaft in Korea/Japan.
Bor. Dortmund: Lehmann - Heinrich, Metzelder, Dede - Reuter, Ricken, Rosicky, Kehl - Addo, Koller, Amoroso - Trainer: Sammer
Werder Bremen: Rost - F. Baumann, Verlaat, Krstajic, Skripnik - Stalteri, F. Ernst - Frings, Lisztes, Tjikuzu - Ailton - Trainer: Schaaf
Goals: 0:1 Stalteri (17., assist Ailton), 1:1 Koller (41., assist Amoroso), 2:1 Ewerthon (74., assist Dede)
Substitutes: 74. Ewerthon for Heinrich, 78. Kohler for Ricken, 90. Stevic for Amoroso - 90. Bode for Lisztes
Yellow/Red card: Krstajic (77.)
Yellow cards: Ricken - Krstajic, Skripnik, Verlaat
Referee: Edgar Steinborn
Spectators: 68,600 (sold out)
soccerage
Good Luck, Dortmund!!!
Uefa Cup Final Preview: Feyenoord V Borussia Dortmund
Feyenoord - Borussia Dortmund | News Archive
Can Milan-bound Tomasson leave on a high? (Allsport)
05/07/2002. BACKGROUND
Feyenoord go into the UEFA Cup final against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday with the hopes of a nation on their shoulders. Holland's failure to qualify for the up-and-coming World Cup was a huge disappointment and they will now be looking towards Bert Van Marwjik's side to restore some of their dented pride.
Feyenoord survived a major scare to secure finishing third in the Eredivisie and a place in next seasons Champions League before Sunday's final match of the season, which allowed them to rest their star names ahead of their second UEFA Cup final. During the glory days of Dutch football in the Seventies Feyenoord won the European Cup in 1970 and four years later they won a two-legged UEFA Cup final against Tottenham.
While their opponents will enjoy the rare benefit of home-field advantage for a European final, Borussia Dortmund will be boosted by the fact that they managed to conquer their sixth-ever German title just four days earlier. It goes without saying that the championship success eases the pressure on Matthias Sammer's expensively-assembled squad significantly going into Wednesday's big match, as the conquest of the Uefa Cup would have been considered as absolutely essential for the 'Yellow-and-Blacks', had they failed to overhaul Bayer Leverkusen in their quest for domestic bliss. With the prize they undoubtedly coveted most now safely in the bag, the Borussen will be able to face Feyenoord brimming with certitude and swank rather than shackled by nerves and desperation.
"If we had squandered the championship it would have been incredibly hard to go to Rotterdam," admitted BVB midfielder Lars Ricken . "Now we can take all those positive feelings to the final and we can turn this year into the most successful in our history," he added.
Up until now Borussia's most glorious year arrived in 1997, when an industrious side starring current coach Matthias Sammer upset heavily-favoured Juventus to be crowned kings of Europe. Considering that Dortmund only managed to finish third in the Bundesliga that season, a league and Uefa Cup double this time around would indeed go down as the most achievement-rich campaign in the Ruhr Valley club's 91-year history.
ROAD TO THE FINALS
Feyenoord finished third in their Champions League group behind Bayern Munich and Sparta Prague. However thanks to Uefa's unpopular ruling of giving the Champions League failures a backdoor entry into the Uefa Cup their European campaign wasn't over. They entered the third round where they faced German outfit Freiburg. They won 1-0 at De Kuip and scrapped through after a 2-2 draw in Germany. The fourth round was another tight affair as they were drawn up against Scottish giants Rangers. Van Marwjik's side returned from Scotland with a 1-1 scoreline and went through 4-3 on aggregate after an epic match on their home turf. In the quarterfinals came the battle of Holland as Feyenoord faced PSV Eindhoven and yet again it was a nail biting encounter. Both legs finished 1-1, but Feyenoord held their nerve to win 5-4 on penalties. When the semi-final draw was made everyone was talking about an all-Milan final. However, both the Italian club's opponents had other ideas and Feyenoord left the San Siro with a shock 1-0 lead. The lead became 3-0 during the second leg, but Inter Milan gave it a real fight pulling the tie back to 3-2 on aggregate. Feyenoord held on though to book their place in the final.
Borussia took a long and windy road to the Uefa Cup final, which actually began with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round for the Champions League. Dortmund failed to make it past the first group phase of Europe's premier club competition, however, finishing third in a group which contained Liverpool, Boavista and Dynamo Kyiv. The end of BVB's Champions League dream marked the beginning of a new dawn in the form of the Uefa Cup, however, though Sammer's made hard work of getting past their third relatively unfashionable third round opponents FC Copenhagen. They had an even tougher go of it against Lille but managed to squeak through by virtue of the away goal rule. Short work was made out of Slovan Liberec before Borussia were paired up with Serie A giants AC Milan in the semifinals. Borussia almost contrived to blow a four goal advantage going into the second-leg in the San Siro, but eventually booked their ticket to Rotterdam with a 'too-close-for-comfort' 5-3 aggregate success.
TEAM NEWS
Feyenoord's appeal against Brett Emerton's suspension was rejected by Uefa, denying the Australian star a place in the biggest match of his career. Emerton was unfairly shown a second yellow card of the competition for time wasting in the second leg of their semifinal against Inter. Euzebiusz Smolarek is also unavailable having been suspended following a failed drugs test.
Dortmund will be missing two of their young stars for the showdown in the Stadium de Kuip, as former Freiburg defender Sebastian Kehl is cup-tied, while his fellow Germany international Christoph Metzelder is suspended. Borussia's strike-cover, in the meanwhile, will be compromised by the injury-forced absences of Herrlich and Reina. Sammer is expected to reshuffle his starting XI from Saturday, with Ricken moving up from midfield to the detriment of Otto Addo, but to the benefit of Sunday Oliseh, while Woerns and Kohler slot into the side in place of Kehl and Metzelder.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Feyenoord's 32-year-old captain Paul Bosvelt is key to the Dutch sides stability. The tough tackling former Dutch international has recovered from an injury nightmare to play an influential part in the Uefa Cup campaign.
Pierre Van Hooijdonk is certainly a potential match winner, but the focus will be on his strike partner Jon Dahl Tomasson. The Danish striker's final match for Feyenoord will be the final against Dortmund, as he has agreed to join AC Milan for next season. There isn't many better ways to finish your time with a certain club than to win a European trophy!
Legendary German defender Juergen Kohler will be very much in the spotlight for Borussia on Wednesday, as the Uefa Cup final represents the tough-tackling 36-year-old's last as a professional player. Kohler wept unabashedly as the adoring Dortmund fans paid him tribute before his final game in the Westfalenstadion, and he would like nothing better than to help give them the Uefa Cup as his parting gift.
Brazilian bomber Marcio Amoroso will be looking to get over the disappointment of his World Cup snub by banging in a couple out of frustration in Rotterdam on Wednesday. The former Parma star topped all Bundesliga scorers with 18 goals this season, an impressive feat which has allegedly put him high on the shopping lists of Juventus, AS Roma and Barcelona.
FORMGUIDE
Feyenoord last 6 matches (all competitions): WLLWWW
Defeats away from home against De Graafschap and PSV ended Feynoord's title hopes and almost saw them miss out on a top three finish as well. A topsy-turvy clash with Heerenveen finally confirmed their place in the Champions League and allowed them to relax in their end of the season encounter against Willem II. What was effectively their reserve team fought out a goalless draw.
Dortmund last 6 matches (all competitions): WLLWWW
The formguide pretty much goes out of the window when you've just succeeded in clinching a title, but for the sake of the statisticians Borussia will be chasing their fourth straight victory on Wednesday night. It also bears mentioning that one of the losses in Dortmund's previous six matches is slightly misleading, as it arrived in Milan at the tail-end of BVB's 5-3 aggregate success.
Feyenoord last 6 matches (all competitions): DLWLWD
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Feyenoord: Zoetebier - Loovens, Wan Vonderen, Paauwe, Aros - Kalou, Bosvelt, Elmander, Persie - Tomasson, Van Hooijdonk.
Borussia: Lehmann - Wörns, Kohler, Dede - Reuter, Oliseh, Heinrich - Rosicky - Ricken, Koller, Amoroso.
soccerage
Uefa Cup Final Preview: Feyenoord V Borussia Dortmund
Feyenoord - Borussia Dortmund | News Archive
Can Milan-bound Tomasson leave on a high? (Allsport)
05/07/2002. BACKGROUND
Feyenoord go into the UEFA Cup final against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday with the hopes of a nation on their shoulders. Holland's failure to qualify for the up-and-coming World Cup was a huge disappointment and they will now be looking towards Bert Van Marwjik's side to restore some of their dented pride.
Feyenoord survived a major scare to secure finishing third in the Eredivisie and a place in next seasons Champions League before Sunday's final match of the season, which allowed them to rest their star names ahead of their second UEFA Cup final. During the glory days of Dutch football in the Seventies Feyenoord won the European Cup in 1970 and four years later they won a two-legged UEFA Cup final against Tottenham.
While their opponents will enjoy the rare benefit of home-field advantage for a European final, Borussia Dortmund will be boosted by the fact that they managed to conquer their sixth-ever German title just four days earlier. It goes without saying that the championship success eases the pressure on Matthias Sammer's expensively-assembled squad significantly going into Wednesday's big match, as the conquest of the Uefa Cup would have been considered as absolutely essential for the 'Yellow-and-Blacks', had they failed to overhaul Bayer Leverkusen in their quest for domestic bliss. With the prize they undoubtedly coveted most now safely in the bag, the Borussen will be able to face Feyenoord brimming with certitude and swank rather than shackled by nerves and desperation.
"If we had squandered the championship it would have been incredibly hard to go to Rotterdam," admitted BVB midfielder Lars Ricken . "Now we can take all those positive feelings to the final and we can turn this year into the most successful in our history," he added.
Up until now Borussia's most glorious year arrived in 1997, when an industrious side starring current coach Matthias Sammer upset heavily-favoured Juventus to be crowned kings of Europe. Considering that Dortmund only managed to finish third in the Bundesliga that season, a league and Uefa Cup double this time around would indeed go down as the most achievement-rich campaign in the Ruhr Valley club's 91-year history.
ROAD TO THE FINALS
Feyenoord finished third in their Champions League group behind Bayern Munich and Sparta Prague. However thanks to Uefa's unpopular ruling of giving the Champions League failures a backdoor entry into the Uefa Cup their European campaign wasn't over. They entered the third round where they faced German outfit Freiburg. They won 1-0 at De Kuip and scrapped through after a 2-2 draw in Germany. The fourth round was another tight affair as they were drawn up against Scottish giants Rangers. Van Marwjik's side returned from Scotland with a 1-1 scoreline and went through 4-3 on aggregate after an epic match on their home turf. In the quarterfinals came the battle of Holland as Feyenoord faced PSV Eindhoven and yet again it was a nail biting encounter. Both legs finished 1-1, but Feyenoord held their nerve to win 5-4 on penalties. When the semi-final draw was made everyone was talking about an all-Milan final. However, both the Italian club's opponents had other ideas and Feyenoord left the San Siro with a shock 1-0 lead. The lead became 3-0 during the second leg, but Inter Milan gave it a real fight pulling the tie back to 3-2 on aggregate. Feyenoord held on though to book their place in the final.
Borussia took a long and windy road to the Uefa Cup final, which actually began with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round for the Champions League. Dortmund failed to make it past the first group phase of Europe's premier club competition, however, finishing third in a group which contained Liverpool, Boavista and Dynamo Kyiv. The end of BVB's Champions League dream marked the beginning of a new dawn in the form of the Uefa Cup, however, though Sammer's made hard work of getting past their third relatively unfashionable third round opponents FC Copenhagen. They had an even tougher go of it against Lille but managed to squeak through by virtue of the away goal rule. Short work was made out of Slovan Liberec before Borussia were paired up with Serie A giants AC Milan in the semifinals. Borussia almost contrived to blow a four goal advantage going into the second-leg in the San Siro, but eventually booked their ticket to Rotterdam with a 'too-close-for-comfort' 5-3 aggregate success.
TEAM NEWS
Feyenoord's appeal against Brett Emerton's suspension was rejected by Uefa, denying the Australian star a place in the biggest match of his career. Emerton was unfairly shown a second yellow card of the competition for time wasting in the second leg of their semifinal against Inter. Euzebiusz Smolarek is also unavailable having been suspended following a failed drugs test.
Dortmund will be missing two of their young stars for the showdown in the Stadium de Kuip, as former Freiburg defender Sebastian Kehl is cup-tied, while his fellow Germany international Christoph Metzelder is suspended. Borussia's strike-cover, in the meanwhile, will be compromised by the injury-forced absences of Herrlich and Reina. Sammer is expected to reshuffle his starting XI from Saturday, with Ricken moving up from midfield to the detriment of Otto Addo, but to the benefit of Sunday Oliseh, while Woerns and Kohler slot into the side in place of Kehl and Metzelder.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Feyenoord's 32-year-old captain Paul Bosvelt is key to the Dutch sides stability. The tough tackling former Dutch international has recovered from an injury nightmare to play an influential part in the Uefa Cup campaign.
Pierre Van Hooijdonk is certainly a potential match winner, but the focus will be on his strike partner Jon Dahl Tomasson. The Danish striker's final match for Feyenoord will be the final against Dortmund, as he has agreed to join AC Milan for next season. There isn't many better ways to finish your time with a certain club than to win a European trophy!
Legendary German defender Juergen Kohler will be very much in the spotlight for Borussia on Wednesday, as the Uefa Cup final represents the tough-tackling 36-year-old's last as a professional player. Kohler wept unabashedly as the adoring Dortmund fans paid him tribute before his final game in the Westfalenstadion, and he would like nothing better than to help give them the Uefa Cup as his parting gift.
Brazilian bomber Marcio Amoroso will be looking to get over the disappointment of his World Cup snub by banging in a couple out of frustration in Rotterdam on Wednesday. The former Parma star topped all Bundesliga scorers with 18 goals this season, an impressive feat which has allegedly put him high on the shopping lists of Juventus, AS Roma and Barcelona.
FORMGUIDE
Feyenoord last 6 matches (all competitions): WLLWWW
Defeats away from home against De Graafschap and PSV ended Feynoord's title hopes and almost saw them miss out on a top three finish as well. A topsy-turvy clash with Heerenveen finally confirmed their place in the Champions League and allowed them to relax in their end of the season encounter against Willem II. What was effectively their reserve team fought out a goalless draw.
Dortmund last 6 matches (all competitions): WLLWWW
The formguide pretty much goes out of the window when you've just succeeded in clinching a title, but for the sake of the statisticians Borussia will be chasing their fourth straight victory on Wednesday night. It also bears mentioning that one of the losses in Dortmund's previous six matches is slightly misleading, as it arrived in Milan at the tail-end of BVB's 5-3 aggregate success.
Feyenoord last 6 matches (all competitions): DLWLWD
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Feyenoord: Zoetebier - Loovens, Wan Vonderen, Paauwe, Aros - Kalou, Bosvelt, Elmander, Persie - Tomasson, Van Hooijdonk.
Borussia: Lehmann - Wörns, Kohler, Dede - Reuter, Oliseh, Heinrich - Rosicky - Ricken, Koller, Amoroso.
soccerage
ANALYSIS Dortmund fired by Sammer ambition
Tuesday 7th May 2002
As Borussia Dortmund look to complete a famous league and Uefa Cup double by beating Feyenoord in Rotterdam on Wednesday, their coach Matthias Sammer will already be looking ahead to the future.
"I am surprised that we have been successful in such a short time, but the club still has some way to go. The development is just beginning," announced Sammer after seeing Dortmund clinch the Bundesliga title with a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday.
The former European Footballer of the Year has made giant strides at Dortmund since taking charge in April 2000, albeit with the help some serious financial backing from the club.
However, Sammer the coach possesses a similarly strong desire to be the best as Sammer the player used to, and he will not feel as though his work is done until Dortmund are crowned Champions' League winners.
Bayern Munich boss, Ottmar Hitzfeld, who coached Sammer during his time at Dortmund, knows he has a job on his hands to ensure that the Westfalen club do not go on to take Bayern's mantle as the dominating force in the German game.
"Matthias Sammer was arguably the most ambitious player I have ever dealt with," explained Hitzfeld. "Already, in his coaching career, that ambition is rubbing off on his team."
When Sammer took charge of Dortmund in April 2000, both he and the club had reached a low.
Dortmund were struggling against relegation from the Bundesliga, while Sammer had been forced to bring the curtain down on his playing career after losing a three-year fight against a knee infection.
That Dortmund were prepared to take a gamble on Sammer - a man with no previous managerial experience - with the club so precariously placed is testament to the belief they had in the former Germany international.
Dortmund president Gerd Niebaum admittedly drafted in the veteran coach Udo Lattek to overlook the novice for the final six weeks of the season, but it was Sammer who had been appointed to safeguard the club's future.
It took all of Lattek's know-how and Sammer's sense of Prussian discipline to ensure that Dortmund stayed up. "It was not easy," recalled Sammer. "Even the established players were afraid and most observers felt the club were doomed for the drop."
The following season, Lattek returned to retirement, leaving Sammer to stamp his authority on the club.
He had no qualms in offloading renowned troublemaker Andreas Moller - even though the two played together in the national team on numerous occasions. Moller still had plenty to offer, as he proved at Schalke 04, but - like Bosnian midfielder Sergej Barbarez and defender Carsten Baumann - he was considered a disruptive influence and shown the door.
Sammer spent the early months using his defensive expertise to stiffen the Dortmund back line. Germany international Jorg Heinrich was brought back to the club, while Sammer also recruited little-known teenager Christoph Metzelder.
The pair went a long way to stabilising the Dortmund ship and, in October 2000, the board of directors decided to take a revolutionary step for German football by floating on the stock market.
An estimated £100 million was raised - a significant percentage of which was tossed into the transfer kitty.
In December of that year, Sammer outlined the extent of his ambition by splashing out a German record £10 million to land Czech wonderkid Tomas Rosicky from under the nose of arch-rivals Bayern.
The signing of Rosicky, 20 years old and unproven on the international circuit, was a major gamble.
But it proved an inspired one. The diminutive playmaker was a breath of fresh air in his first season in Germany. Full of running, he was capable of turning matches with a deft flick, a clever through ball or a curling shot, and brought those around him to life.
The career of Germany international Lars Ricken appeared to be stagnating before Rosicky's arrival, while Brazilian winger Dede also found a new lease of life playing outside the brilliant Czech.
Dortmund created more chances than any side during the 2000-01 season, but dropped out of the title race prematurely due to their lack of firepower. Sammer consequently turned his attentions to the attack in the summer of 2001, again choosing to spend big, and again spending wisely.
Another Czech international Jan Koller arrived from Anderlecht for £8 million, while Brazilian hitman Marcio Amoroso signed from Parma in a record £16 million deal.
Eyebrows were raised, with many German experts accusing the club directors of having more money than sense.
The cumbersome-looking Koller had been mocked for missing several gilt-edged chances in the Champions' League for Anderlecht, while Amoroso, top scorer in Italy in 1999, had spent much of the past season sidelined with a knee injury.
However, Sammer was once again vindicated as the pair proved to be an ideal foil for one another. Koller's physical presence and tireless running caused Bundesliga defences problems, while the predatory Amoroso was invariably on hand to pick up the pieces.
Amoroso is certainly not a typical Sammer signing. On arriving at the Westfalen, he warned the ginger-haired coach: "I am an artist and I must be treated differently from the other players".
Sammer did not take kindly to the Brazilian's individualistic attitude and the pair clashed on numerous occasions. But the coach's man-management skills improved throughout the season, and by May he had the striker's full backing.
Dede explained that the Dortmund boss has accepted the fact that not every player will go play with his heart on his sleeve as Sammer once did.
"He is hard on us, but then he is like a friend again," explained Dede. "He knows that for the sake of the team, he has to accept us the way we are. Sammer is our 'Commandante'."
The Amoroso-Koller combination of grit and flair is reflected throughout the team. An all-German defence of Christian Worns, Stefan Reuter, Metzelder and Heinrich have provided Dortmund with a solid base, while the impressive Sebastian Kehl plays the holding midfield role as well as any other Bundesliga player.
The Brazilian trio of Dede, Ewerthon, Evanilson give the Dortmund midfield a vital injection of pace and flair, while Rosicky conducts the orchestra with all the skill and poise of a seasoned pro.
There is no doubt Sammer is showing signs that he has the potential to match the dizzy heights that he reached as a player during his coaching career.
And if the Dortmund board continue to supply with the sort money he has had to play with in the 18 months, then that Champions' League dream may not be quite so distant.
onefootball
Tuesday 7th May 2002
As Borussia Dortmund look to complete a famous league and Uefa Cup double by beating Feyenoord in Rotterdam on Wednesday, their coach Matthias Sammer will already be looking ahead to the future.
"I am surprised that we have been successful in such a short time, but the club still has some way to go. The development is just beginning," announced Sammer after seeing Dortmund clinch the Bundesliga title with a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen on Saturday.
The former European Footballer of the Year has made giant strides at Dortmund since taking charge in April 2000, albeit with the help some serious financial backing from the club.
However, Sammer the coach possesses a similarly strong desire to be the best as Sammer the player used to, and he will not feel as though his work is done until Dortmund are crowned Champions' League winners.
Bayern Munich boss, Ottmar Hitzfeld, who coached Sammer during his time at Dortmund, knows he has a job on his hands to ensure that the Westfalen club do not go on to take Bayern's mantle as the dominating force in the German game.
"Matthias Sammer was arguably the most ambitious player I have ever dealt with," explained Hitzfeld. "Already, in his coaching career, that ambition is rubbing off on his team."
When Sammer took charge of Dortmund in April 2000, both he and the club had reached a low.
Dortmund were struggling against relegation from the Bundesliga, while Sammer had been forced to bring the curtain down on his playing career after losing a three-year fight against a knee infection.
That Dortmund were prepared to take a gamble on Sammer - a man with no previous managerial experience - with the club so precariously placed is testament to the belief they had in the former Germany international.
Dortmund president Gerd Niebaum admittedly drafted in the veteran coach Udo Lattek to overlook the novice for the final six weeks of the season, but it was Sammer who had been appointed to safeguard the club's future.
It took all of Lattek's know-how and Sammer's sense of Prussian discipline to ensure that Dortmund stayed up. "It was not easy," recalled Sammer. "Even the established players were afraid and most observers felt the club were doomed for the drop."
The following season, Lattek returned to retirement, leaving Sammer to stamp his authority on the club.
He had no qualms in offloading renowned troublemaker Andreas Moller - even though the two played together in the national team on numerous occasions. Moller still had plenty to offer, as he proved at Schalke 04, but - like Bosnian midfielder Sergej Barbarez and defender Carsten Baumann - he was considered a disruptive influence and shown the door.
Sammer spent the early months using his defensive expertise to stiffen the Dortmund back line. Germany international Jorg Heinrich was brought back to the club, while Sammer also recruited little-known teenager Christoph Metzelder.
The pair went a long way to stabilising the Dortmund ship and, in October 2000, the board of directors decided to take a revolutionary step for German football by floating on the stock market.
An estimated £100 million was raised - a significant percentage of which was tossed into the transfer kitty.
In December of that year, Sammer outlined the extent of his ambition by splashing out a German record £10 million to land Czech wonderkid Tomas Rosicky from under the nose of arch-rivals Bayern.
The signing of Rosicky, 20 years old and unproven on the international circuit, was a major gamble.
But it proved an inspired one. The diminutive playmaker was a breath of fresh air in his first season in Germany. Full of running, he was capable of turning matches with a deft flick, a clever through ball or a curling shot, and brought those around him to life.
The career of Germany international Lars Ricken appeared to be stagnating before Rosicky's arrival, while Brazilian winger Dede also found a new lease of life playing outside the brilliant Czech.
Dortmund created more chances than any side during the 2000-01 season, but dropped out of the title race prematurely due to their lack of firepower. Sammer consequently turned his attentions to the attack in the summer of 2001, again choosing to spend big, and again spending wisely.
Another Czech international Jan Koller arrived from Anderlecht for £8 million, while Brazilian hitman Marcio Amoroso signed from Parma in a record £16 million deal.
Eyebrows were raised, with many German experts accusing the club directors of having more money than sense.
The cumbersome-looking Koller had been mocked for missing several gilt-edged chances in the Champions' League for Anderlecht, while Amoroso, top scorer in Italy in 1999, had spent much of the past season sidelined with a knee injury.
However, Sammer was once again vindicated as the pair proved to be an ideal foil for one another. Koller's physical presence and tireless running caused Bundesliga defences problems, while the predatory Amoroso was invariably on hand to pick up the pieces.
Amoroso is certainly not a typical Sammer signing. On arriving at the Westfalen, he warned the ginger-haired coach: "I am an artist and I must be treated differently from the other players".
Sammer did not take kindly to the Brazilian's individualistic attitude and the pair clashed on numerous occasions. But the coach's man-management skills improved throughout the season, and by May he had the striker's full backing.
Dede explained that the Dortmund boss has accepted the fact that not every player will go play with his heart on his sleeve as Sammer once did.
"He is hard on us, but then he is like a friend again," explained Dede. "He knows that for the sake of the team, he has to accept us the way we are. Sammer is our 'Commandante'."
The Amoroso-Koller combination of grit and flair is reflected throughout the team. An all-German defence of Christian Worns, Stefan Reuter, Metzelder and Heinrich have provided Dortmund with a solid base, while the impressive Sebastian Kehl plays the holding midfield role as well as any other Bundesliga player.
The Brazilian trio of Dede, Ewerthon, Evanilson give the Dortmund midfield a vital injection of pace and flair, while Rosicky conducts the orchestra with all the skill and poise of a seasoned pro.
There is no doubt Sammer is showing signs that he has the potential to match the dizzy heights that he reached as a player during his coaching career.
And if the Dortmund board continue to supply with the sort money he has had to play with in the 18 months, then that Champions' League dream may not be quite so distant.
onefootball
what a bad news...
Wednesday, May 8, 2002
Feyenoord 3 - 2 Borussia Dortmund
Soccernet.com
ROTTERDAM, May 8 (UEFA Cup) - A Pierre van Hooijdonk double inspired Feyenoord to UEFA Cup glory tonight after an enthralling battle with 10-man Borussia Dortmund.
Pierre van Hooijdonck opens the scoring at the De Kuip
(PhilCole/Allsport)
AC Milan-bound Jon Dahl Tomasson grabbed what turned out to be the match winner to render Marcio Amoroso's penalty and Jan Koller's super strike obsolete.
You could hardly have asked for anything more as a neutral as the newly-crowned German champions fought admirably after having veteran defender Jurgen Kohler, playing his last game before retirement, sent-off after half an hour.
Matthias Sammer's men travelled to De Kuip home of their rivals intent on making it a full set of European trophies.
Instead, it was the Rotterdammers who reclaimed the title 28 years after their last.
They may have been outnumbered in De Kuip stands, but how the Dortmund fans opened their lungs.
The home faithful struggled to live with the German decibels but on the pitch the Dutchmen settled well early on.
AC Milan-bound Tomasson almost latched on to a long ball but Christian Worns was alert to clear.
Robin Van Persie won the early battles with Brazilian wing-back Evanilson, who looked anxious not to make a mistake.
Van Persie turned the Dortmund star in knots before crossing too strong and minutes later delivered a dangerous low ball that goalkeeper Jens Lehmann cleared straight to Japanese international Shinji Ono - who chose precision over power with his return.
At the other end the German side looked slick with their passes, twice carving open the Feyenoord midfield only for the final ball to be wasteful.
Their first real opportunity came after 14 minutes, Czech international Tomas Rosicky twisting and turning on the right edge of the box before firing the ball into keeper Edwin Zoetebier's body.
The opening goal almost came four minutes later. Dutch international striker Van Hooijdonk lined up one of his trademark free-kicks from over 30 yards out, as the Rotterdammers stamped their approval in De Kuip seats.
Van Hooijdonk's response was equally as thunderous, the ball crashing back off the post as Lehmann looked on motionless.
Dortmund rallied and carved open the Feyenoord rearguard again three minutes later but Evanilson could only slice the ball high and wide under challenge.
The game was to turn in dramatic fashion on the half-hour mark. Kohler came into the game looking to celebrate his retirement with a UEFA Cup winners' medal to add to the Bundesliga crown he claimed at the weekend.
One mistimed tackle later and as Tomasson lay writhing inside the box, Kohler was on his way back to the dressing room after Portuguese referee Vitor Manuel Melo Pereira deemed it a professional foul.
The fairytale that Sammer had wished on his veteran defender was turning into the scene of a horror movie.
Van Hooijdonk kept his composure and slotted in the penalty and De Kuip was a sea of red light as the fireworks shone in celebration.
Jens Lehmann consoles team-mate Jan Koller
(PhilCole/Allsport)
Van Hooijdonk was given the opportunity to try his luck again five minutes later after the Germans gave away another free-kick, a couple of yards closer than the first.
Same corner, more swerve, 2-0. Van Hooijdonk galloped away to his fanatical supporters, bare chested and on a UEFA Cup final hat-trick.
Whatever Sammer's thoughts on the referee's first-half decisions, he was applauding the official within seconds of the restart.
Brazilian striker Amoroso went shoulder to shoulder with Patrick Paauwe and as the frontman tumbled, Pereira pointed to the spot.
Amoroso drilled the ball past Zoetebier to give Dortmund a lifeline.
Two minutes later Amoroso was booked for falling a little to easily in the same situation.
Within a minute though the two-goal cushion was restored and again it was tinged with controversy.
Van Hooijdonk looked to be clearly offside as the ball was lobbed over the static Dortmund defence but Tomasson strode on, controlling the ball in his path before lashing it past Lehmann.
Tomasson then volleyed over after 54 minutes as Feyenoord looked to kill the match but his profligacy was punished three minutes later in magnificent fashion.
Giant Czech striker Koller dropped off the Dutch defence on the right edge of the area and chested the ball down, timing his half-volley to perfection as it looped high into the far corner.
It was virtually impossible to keep track of the tie as the momentum swung from one team to another, Van Hooijdonk this time guilty of wastefulness, snatching at his shot after finding a yard on the right.
The extra man did not appear to be helping the Dutch and Koller's movement was stretching their defence.
Van Hooijdonk could have been forgiven for chasing his treble, one shot blocked by a late lunge and a header tamely headed wide from a corner.
It was a case of all or nothing for the Germans now and Feyenoord looked to slow the game down and play at their own pace, picking off the spaces.
It was at times desperate and 84th-minute substitute Ferry de Haan was booked before he had even touched the ball.
From the resulting free-kick Evanilson's flighted cross was almost touched in by three flailing Dortmund bodies before drifting wide for a goal kick.
Van Hooijdonk was penalised for a foul on Rosicky just outside the box with three minutes to go but Zoetebier cleared bravely.
As Dortmund continued to pressurise, Lehmann came up for a corner with a minute to go as the fourth official signalled just one minute of added time.
It was to be the last hurrah, the Dutch had done it.
Tomasson was named man of the match in his final competitive fixture beforeheading to the San Siro.
The disconsolate Germans collected their losers' medals before Feyenoord skipper Paul Bosvelt thrust the UEFA Cup high into De Kuip night.
soccernet
Wednesday, May 8, 2002
Feyenoord 3 - 2 Borussia Dortmund
Soccernet.com
ROTTERDAM, May 8 (UEFA Cup) - A Pierre van Hooijdonk double inspired Feyenoord to UEFA Cup glory tonight after an enthralling battle with 10-man Borussia Dortmund.
Pierre van Hooijdonck opens the scoring at the De Kuip
(PhilCole/Allsport)
AC Milan-bound Jon Dahl Tomasson grabbed what turned out to be the match winner to render Marcio Amoroso's penalty and Jan Koller's super strike obsolete.
You could hardly have asked for anything more as a neutral as the newly-crowned German champions fought admirably after having veteran defender Jurgen Kohler, playing his last game before retirement, sent-off after half an hour.
Matthias Sammer's men travelled to De Kuip home of their rivals intent on making it a full set of European trophies.
Instead, it was the Rotterdammers who reclaimed the title 28 years after their last.
They may have been outnumbered in De Kuip stands, but how the Dortmund fans opened their lungs.
The home faithful struggled to live with the German decibels but on the pitch the Dutchmen settled well early on.
AC Milan-bound Tomasson almost latched on to a long ball but Christian Worns was alert to clear.
Robin Van Persie won the early battles with Brazilian wing-back Evanilson, who looked anxious not to make a mistake.
Van Persie turned the Dortmund star in knots before crossing too strong and minutes later delivered a dangerous low ball that goalkeeper Jens Lehmann cleared straight to Japanese international Shinji Ono - who chose precision over power with his return.
At the other end the German side looked slick with their passes, twice carving open the Feyenoord midfield only for the final ball to be wasteful.
Their first real opportunity came after 14 minutes, Czech international Tomas Rosicky twisting and turning on the right edge of the box before firing the ball into keeper Edwin Zoetebier's body.
The opening goal almost came four minutes later. Dutch international striker Van Hooijdonk lined up one of his trademark free-kicks from over 30 yards out, as the Rotterdammers stamped their approval in De Kuip seats.
Van Hooijdonk's response was equally as thunderous, the ball crashing back off the post as Lehmann looked on motionless.
Dortmund rallied and carved open the Feyenoord rearguard again three minutes later but Evanilson could only slice the ball high and wide under challenge.
The game was to turn in dramatic fashion on the half-hour mark. Kohler came into the game looking to celebrate his retirement with a UEFA Cup winners' medal to add to the Bundesliga crown he claimed at the weekend.
One mistimed tackle later and as Tomasson lay writhing inside the box, Kohler was on his way back to the dressing room after Portuguese referee Vitor Manuel Melo Pereira deemed it a professional foul.
The fairytale that Sammer had wished on his veteran defender was turning into the scene of a horror movie.
Van Hooijdonk kept his composure and slotted in the penalty and De Kuip was a sea of red light as the fireworks shone in celebration.
Jens Lehmann consoles team-mate Jan Koller
(PhilCole/Allsport)
Van Hooijdonk was given the opportunity to try his luck again five minutes later after the Germans gave away another free-kick, a couple of yards closer than the first.
Same corner, more swerve, 2-0. Van Hooijdonk galloped away to his fanatical supporters, bare chested and on a UEFA Cup final hat-trick.
Whatever Sammer's thoughts on the referee's first-half decisions, he was applauding the official within seconds of the restart.
Brazilian striker Amoroso went shoulder to shoulder with Patrick Paauwe and as the frontman tumbled, Pereira pointed to the spot.
Amoroso drilled the ball past Zoetebier to give Dortmund a lifeline.
Two minutes later Amoroso was booked for falling a little to easily in the same situation.
Within a minute though the two-goal cushion was restored and again it was tinged with controversy.
Van Hooijdonk looked to be clearly offside as the ball was lobbed over the static Dortmund defence but Tomasson strode on, controlling the ball in his path before lashing it past Lehmann.
Tomasson then volleyed over after 54 minutes as Feyenoord looked to kill the match but his profligacy was punished three minutes later in magnificent fashion.
Giant Czech striker Koller dropped off the Dutch defence on the right edge of the area and chested the ball down, timing his half-volley to perfection as it looped high into the far corner.
It was virtually impossible to keep track of the tie as the momentum swung from one team to another, Van Hooijdonk this time guilty of wastefulness, snatching at his shot after finding a yard on the right.
The extra man did not appear to be helping the Dutch and Koller's movement was stretching their defence.
Van Hooijdonk could have been forgiven for chasing his treble, one shot blocked by a late lunge and a header tamely headed wide from a corner.
It was a case of all or nothing for the Germans now and Feyenoord looked to slow the game down and play at their own pace, picking off the spaces.
It was at times desperate and 84th-minute substitute Ferry de Haan was booked before he had even touched the ball.
From the resulting free-kick Evanilson's flighted cross was almost touched in by three flailing Dortmund bodies before drifting wide for a goal kick.
Van Hooijdonk was penalised for a foul on Rosicky just outside the box with three minutes to go but Zoetebier cleared bravely.
As Dortmund continued to pressurise, Lehmann came up for a corner with a minute to go as the fourth official signalled just one minute of added time.
It was to be the last hurrah, the Dutch had done it.
Tomasson was named man of the match in his final competitive fixture beforeheading to the San Siro.
The disconsolate Germans collected their losers' medals before Feyenoord skipper Paul Bosvelt thrust the UEFA Cup high into De Kuip night.
soccernet
Sammer to ditch Sorensen
Monday 27th May 2002
German champions Borussia Dortmund have told ex-Norway international Jan Derek Sorensen he is no longer needed.
"Sorensen is a very good player, but he has failed to cope with the intense competion for his position," said coach Matthias Sammer. "He should look for a new club."
The 31-year-old Norwegian winger is under contract until 2004, but Sammer is adamant that he has no future at the Westfalenstadion.
Sorensen has struggled to make an impact with the black and yellows since joining the club following an impressive run with Norwegian outfit Rosenborg in the Champions' League in 2000.
He hardly made the best of first impressions either, as it emerged he had also signed a pre-contract with Bundesliga rivals 1860 Munich.
A fiery argument between the two clubs entertained the German public in the summer 2000 with Fifa threatening to step in. The affair was finally settled when BVB paid their rivals £600,000 in compensation.
Sorensen, though, did little to justify the pay-out, and as his confidence evaporated a host of missed chances didn't endear him to Dortmund fans.
With Ghanaian international Otto Addo and Billy Reina back after long-term injuries, and 20-year-old Brazilian Ewerthon an emerging force on the right, Sammer's feels that Sorensen is surplus to requirements.
He is not expected to command a large transfer fee.
Monday 27th May 2002
German champions Borussia Dortmund have told ex-Norway international Jan Derek Sorensen he is no longer needed.
"Sorensen is a very good player, but he has failed to cope with the intense competion for his position," said coach Matthias Sammer. "He should look for a new club."
The 31-year-old Norwegian winger is under contract until 2004, but Sammer is adamant that he has no future at the Westfalenstadion.
Sorensen has struggled to make an impact with the black and yellows since joining the club following an impressive run with Norwegian outfit Rosenborg in the Champions' League in 2000.
He hardly made the best of first impressions either, as it emerged he had also signed a pre-contract with Bundesliga rivals 1860 Munich.
A fiery argument between the two clubs entertained the German public in the summer 2000 with Fifa threatening to step in. The affair was finally settled when BVB paid their rivals £600,000 in compensation.
Sorensen, though, did little to justify the pay-out, and as his confidence evaporated a host of missed chances didn't endear him to Dortmund fans.
With Ghanaian international Otto Addo and Billy Reina back after long-term injuries, and 20-year-old Brazilian Ewerthon an emerging force on the right, Sammer's feels that Sorensen is surplus to requirements.
He is not expected to command a large transfer fee.
Germany International Frings Joins Bundesliga Champs Borussia
News Archive
06/03/2002. German international midfielder Torsten Frings transfer from Werder Bremen to Borussia Dortmund was confirmed today.
The annoucment was made by Werder Bremen's official website.
Last week it appeared as if the move wouldn't go through because the two clubs couldn't agree on the transfer fee, but Werder finally accepted Borussia's nine million euro bid.
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News Archive
06/03/2002. German international midfielder Torsten Frings transfer from Werder Bremen to Borussia Dortmund was confirmed today.
The annoucment was made by Werder Bremen's official website.
Last week it appeared as if the move wouldn't go through because the two clubs couldn't agree on the transfer fee, but Werder finally accepted Borussia's nine million euro bid.
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Metzelder Is Staying In Dortmund, Insists Sammer
News Archive
Not going anywhere...Christoph Metzelder in action against Paraguay (Allsport)
07/06/2002. Borussia Dortmund boss Matthias Sammer has reacted to recent rumours linking the club's defensive star Christoph Metzelder to a move to Real Madrid by insisting that the towering 21-year-old defender is not for sale.
"We won't sell him," boomed Sammer, in reaction to Real coach Vicente Del Bosque's admission that Metzelder is a top transfer target of the Royal Club.
The 6'4" Metzelder, himself, has let it be known that he has no intention of leaving the Westfalenstadion at this point in his career.
The Germany starlet shot to prominence on the strength of some outstanding performances in both the heart and the left of Deutschland's backline during the World Cup. It was just two short years ago that Metzelder arrived in Dortmund as a prospect from third division side Preussen Munster for the miserly sum of just ?30,000.
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News Archive
Not going anywhere...Christoph Metzelder in action against Paraguay (Allsport)
07/06/2002. Borussia Dortmund boss Matthias Sammer has reacted to recent rumours linking the club's defensive star Christoph Metzelder to a move to Real Madrid by insisting that the towering 21-year-old defender is not for sale.
"We won't sell him," boomed Sammer, in reaction to Real coach Vicente Del Bosque's admission that Metzelder is a top transfer target of the Royal Club.
The 6'4" Metzelder, himself, has let it be known that he has no intention of leaving the Westfalenstadion at this point in his career.
The Germany starlet shot to prominence on the strength of some outstanding performances in both the heart and the left of Deutschland's backline during the World Cup. It was just two short years ago that Metzelder arrived in Dortmund as a prospect from third division side Preussen Munster for the miserly sum of just ?30,000.
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Dortmund Handed Massive Amoroso Blow
Latest News | News Archive
Amoroso will be sorely missed (AP)
08/02/2002. Borussia Dortmund's hopes of retaining the Bundelsiga title have been dealt a massive blow with the news that star striker Marcio Amoroso will miss the first three months of the season.
The club have revealed that the Brazilian international has an Achilles tendon inflammation.
The striker netted 18 league goals last season to help Dortmund to their first Bundesliga title since 1996.
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Latest News | News Archive
Amoroso will be sorely missed (AP)
08/02/2002. Borussia Dortmund's hopes of retaining the Bundelsiga title have been dealt a massive blow with the news that star striker Marcio Amoroso will miss the first three months of the season.
The club have revealed that the Brazilian international has an Achilles tendon inflammation.
The striker netted 18 league goals last season to help Dortmund to their first Bundesliga title since 1996.
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Dortmund Set To Release Ikpeba
Latest News | News Archive
No future at the Westfalenstadion (Allsport)
08/05/2002. Victor Ikpeba has been told to clear his locker by Borussia Dortmund, according to reports from Germany. The former Monaco star last played for the Gelb-Schwarz in February of last year, before being loaned out to Spanish club Betis. However poor form and a tendency to put on weight marred his Spanish spell. The 29-year old has a contract running until June 2003 with Dortmund.
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Latest News | News Archive
No future at the Westfalenstadion (Allsport)
08/05/2002. Victor Ikpeba has been told to clear his locker by Borussia Dortmund, according to reports from Germany. The former Monaco star last played for the Gelb-Schwarz in February of last year, before being loaned out to Spanish club Betis. However poor form and a tendency to put on weight marred his Spanish spell. The 29-year old has a contract running until June 2003 with Dortmund.
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Laux Leaves Dortmund For Second Division Braunschweig
Latest News | News Archive
08/08/2002. Philipp Laux has completed a transfer form Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund to newly-promoted German second division side Eintracht Braunschweig.
The 29-year-old former SSV Ulm shot-stopper did not see a future for himself at the Westfalenstadion following the recent contract extension of BVB No. 1 Jens Lehmann, as well as the confirmation of young Roman Weidenfeller as Lehmann's first-choice backup.
No details of the deal have yet been revealed.
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Latest News | News Archive
08/08/2002. Philipp Laux has completed a transfer form Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund to newly-promoted German second division side Eintracht Braunschweig.
The 29-year-old former SSV Ulm shot-stopper did not see a future for himself at the Westfalenstadion following the recent contract extension of BVB No. 1 Jens Lehmann, as well as the confirmation of young Roman Weidenfeller as Lehmann's first-choice backup.
No details of the deal have yet been revealed.
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Bundesliga Preview: Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin
Borussia Dortmund - Hertha BSC Berlin Latest News | | News Archive
Amoroso's injury has upped the pressure on Koller (Reuters)
08/08/2002. BACKGROUND
German champions Borussia Dortmund will kick off what we confidently hope will be yet another epic Bundesliga season when they entertain Hertha Berlin in the Westfalenstadion on Friday night.
As is the trend around Europe, Borussia Dortmund have been relatively frugal in their transfer dealings, though the signing of versatile Germany international Torsten Frings from Werder Bremen can be rightfully regarded as something of a transfer coup. Most importantly, the core of the championship winning team has been maintained with the only notable departures being the retirement of Jurgen Kohler and the recently completed transfer of Miroslav Stevic to Fenerbahce.
Much is expected of the success-starved capital club this season, the optimism ?and consequently the pressure ?surrounding the side having been upped significantly by their recent 4-1 victory over Schalke 04 in the final of the German league cup (Ligapokal). Hertha's pre-existing Brazilian strike duo of Alex Alves and Marcelinho looked to be in irresistible form during the course of that prestigious preseason tournament and there is great hope that freshly-crowned World Champion Luizao will have a massive impact on German football. The summer recruit from Gremio represents Hertha's biggest acquisition in an off-season which notably saw them lose former Goldenboy Sebastian Deisler to Bayern Munich.
LATEST TEAM NEWS
Matthias Sammer's side have been rocked by the injury to their star striker Marcio Amoroso, who stands to miss the first three months of the season with the inflammation of an Achilles tendon. Key defender Christian Woerns is yet to recover from a knee injury which kept him out of the World Cup, while Giuseppe Reina is similarly also on the comeback trail. Another important figure missing on Friday will be newly-appointed skipper Lars Ricken, though he should be back in time for round 2. Positive news for the BVB arrives in the form of the timely return to fitness of inspirational leader Stefan Reuter as well Germany midfielder Sebastian Kehl.
New Hertha coach Huub Stevens won't be able to call on new boy Luizao, as his fitness is still not up to snuff following his recent arrival from Brazil. There are some concerns surrounding a minor injury to Alves, though he is expected to be declared fit in time for the opener. Players definitely unavailable to the capital club through injury or lack of fitness are Lapaczinski, van Burik, Sverrisson, Beinlich and Rehmer.
PROBABLES
Borussia: 1 Lehmann - 6 Heinrich, 7 Reuter, 21 Metzelder, 17 Dede - 8 Frings, 10 Rosicky, 5 Kehl - 19 Addo, 9 Koller, 12 Ewerthon
Hertha: 1 Kiraly - 19 Schmidt, 3 Friedrich, 14 Simunic, 21 Hartmann - 32 Marx, 5 Konstantinidis - 13 Karwan, 10 Marcelinho, 8 Goor - 7 Alves
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Borussia Dortmund - Hertha BSC Berlin Latest News | | News Archive
Amoroso's injury has upped the pressure on Koller (Reuters)
08/08/2002. BACKGROUND
German champions Borussia Dortmund will kick off what we confidently hope will be yet another epic Bundesliga season when they entertain Hertha Berlin in the Westfalenstadion on Friday night.
As is the trend around Europe, Borussia Dortmund have been relatively frugal in their transfer dealings, though the signing of versatile Germany international Torsten Frings from Werder Bremen can be rightfully regarded as something of a transfer coup. Most importantly, the core of the championship winning team has been maintained with the only notable departures being the retirement of Jurgen Kohler and the recently completed transfer of Miroslav Stevic to Fenerbahce.
Much is expected of the success-starved capital club this season, the optimism ?and consequently the pressure ?surrounding the side having been upped significantly by their recent 4-1 victory over Schalke 04 in the final of the German league cup (Ligapokal). Hertha's pre-existing Brazilian strike duo of Alex Alves and Marcelinho looked to be in irresistible form during the course of that prestigious preseason tournament and there is great hope that freshly-crowned World Champion Luizao will have a massive impact on German football. The summer recruit from Gremio represents Hertha's biggest acquisition in an off-season which notably saw them lose former Goldenboy Sebastian Deisler to Bayern Munich.
LATEST TEAM NEWS
Matthias Sammer's side have been rocked by the injury to their star striker Marcio Amoroso, who stands to miss the first three months of the season with the inflammation of an Achilles tendon. Key defender Christian Woerns is yet to recover from a knee injury which kept him out of the World Cup, while Giuseppe Reina is similarly also on the comeback trail. Another important figure missing on Friday will be newly-appointed skipper Lars Ricken, though he should be back in time for round 2. Positive news for the BVB arrives in the form of the timely return to fitness of inspirational leader Stefan Reuter as well Germany midfielder Sebastian Kehl.
New Hertha coach Huub Stevens won't be able to call on new boy Luizao, as his fitness is still not up to snuff following his recent arrival from Brazil. There are some concerns surrounding a minor injury to Alves, though he is expected to be declared fit in time for the opener. Players definitely unavailable to the capital club through injury or lack of fitness are Lapaczinski, van Burik, Sverrisson, Beinlich and Rehmer.
PROBABLES
Borussia: 1 Lehmann - 6 Heinrich, 7 Reuter, 21 Metzelder, 17 Dede - 8 Frings, 10 Rosicky, 5 Kehl - 19 Addo, 9 Koller, 12 Ewerthon
Hertha: 1 Kiraly - 19 Schmidt, 3 Friedrich, 14 Simunic, 21 Hartmann - 32 Marx, 5 Konstantinidis - 13 Karwan, 10 Marcelinho, 8 Goor - 7 Alves
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Fenerbahce Sign Stevic From Dortmund
Latest News | News Archive
08/08/2002. Fenerbahce manager Werner Lorant has completed the signing of Miroslav Stevic from Borussia Dortmund, a player who he managed for five years while in charge of the German outfit.
Lorant revealed last week that he would either sign Kahveci Nihat from Sociedad or Stevic before tomorrow's Champions League deadline, and After Nihat's transfer collapsed Fener made their move for Stevic today.
The 32-year old Yugoslavian player arrived in Istanbul today and signed a one year contract with the Turkish giants.
Fenerbahce have now reached the maximum number of foreign players, which is 8. They have Ortega, Revivo, Rapajic, Washington, Mirkovic, Simao, Johnson, Stevic.
The question will be whether Stevic will get many chances to play as the Turkish federation only allow five foreigners to play at once and many of the previously mentioned stars will be above him in the pecking order.
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Latest News | News Archive
08/08/2002. Fenerbahce manager Werner Lorant has completed the signing of Miroslav Stevic from Borussia Dortmund, a player who he managed for five years while in charge of the German outfit.
Lorant revealed last week that he would either sign Kahveci Nihat from Sociedad or Stevic before tomorrow's Champions League deadline, and After Nihat's transfer collapsed Fener made their move for Stevic today.
The 32-year old Yugoslavian player arrived in Istanbul today and signed a one year contract with the Turkish giants.
Fenerbahce have now reached the maximum number of foreign players, which is 8. They have Ortega, Revivo, Rapajic, Washington, Mirkovic, Simao, Johnson, Stevic.
The question will be whether Stevic will get many chances to play as the Turkish federation only allow five foreigners to play at once and many of the previously mentioned stars will be above him in the pecking order.
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Bundesliga Report: Borussia And Hertha Split Honors In Season Opener
Borussia Dortmund - Hertha BSC Berlin Latest News | | News Archive
Ewerthon got his name on the scoresheet (Reuters)
08/09/2002. Defending champs Borussia Dortmund may rightfully feel somewhat aggrieved to have only taken a point from their season opener at home to Hertha Berlin, as a 2-2 was perhaps a little bit kind on the visiting capital club.
The Borussen controlled the proceedings for most of the match but went down a goal as early as the 2nd minute when Bart Goor capitalized on confusion in the box to fire home the shock opener.
It did not take but two more minutes for the hosts to level matters, however, as former Werder Bremen star Thorsten Frings grabbed his first goal in a yellow-and-black shirt within four minutes of his official debut. Jan Koller created the opportunity by forcing Gabor Kiraly out of his net and the gigantic Czech got a lucky bounce of the ball before squaring it for Frings for the easiest of tap-ins.
The constant ebb-and-flow and goal-mouth action of the opening 25 minutes was truly a joy to behold until the defenses eventually began to come to grips allowing everybody in the Westfalenstadion to catch their breath a little.
Just when it looked the match was going to mellow it Ewerthon put Borussia ahead by somewhat fortuitously polishing off a corner on the half-hour mark. The Brazilian's header cannoned off one inner-post then on to another before falling to his feet on the doorstep.
The go-ahead goal injected further confidence into Matthias Sammer's side, who were missing their star striker Marcio Amoroso due to his long-term injury. Dortmund bossed the game throughout the second-half and were desperately unlucky on several occasions not to add to their lead. The ever-sprightly Tomas Rosicky had the two best occasions of the second 45 but his wonderfully struck freekick struck wood on 48 minutes while Kiraly did extremely well to deny him in a one-on-one situation on the hour-mark.
With five minutes remaining, and against the run of play, the visitors managed to salvage a point courtesy of an opportunistic finish by Neuendorf.
Frings then passed up a golden opportunity to grab a famous winner in the final minute of regulation time but his miss with the goal at his mercy ultimately ensured the 2-2 end-result.
Bor. Dortmund: Lehmann - Evanilson, Metzelder, Fernandez - Frings, Kehl, Heinrich - Rosicky - Ewerthon, Koller, Addo - Trainer: Sammer
Hertha BSC: Kiraly - Schmidt, A. Friedrich, Simunic, Neuendorf - Marx, Dardai, Goor - Marcelinho - Alves, Preetz - Trainer: Stevens
Substitutes: 74. Oliseh for Ewerthon, 89. Odonkor for Addo - 66. Pinto for Dardai
Referee: Merk, Dr.
Attendance: 67000
Booked: Rosicky, Fernandez - Marx, A. Friedrich, Schmidt, Marcelinho
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Borussia Dortmund - Hertha BSC Berlin Latest News | | News Archive
Ewerthon got his name on the scoresheet (Reuters)
08/09/2002. Defending champs Borussia Dortmund may rightfully feel somewhat aggrieved to have only taken a point from their season opener at home to Hertha Berlin, as a 2-2 was perhaps a little bit kind on the visiting capital club.
The Borussen controlled the proceedings for most of the match but went down a goal as early as the 2nd minute when Bart Goor capitalized on confusion in the box to fire home the shock opener.
It did not take but two more minutes for the hosts to level matters, however, as former Werder Bremen star Thorsten Frings grabbed his first goal in a yellow-and-black shirt within four minutes of his official debut. Jan Koller created the opportunity by forcing Gabor Kiraly out of his net and the gigantic Czech got a lucky bounce of the ball before squaring it for Frings for the easiest of tap-ins.
The constant ebb-and-flow and goal-mouth action of the opening 25 minutes was truly a joy to behold until the defenses eventually began to come to grips allowing everybody in the Westfalenstadion to catch their breath a little.
Just when it looked the match was going to mellow it Ewerthon put Borussia ahead by somewhat fortuitously polishing off a corner on the half-hour mark. The Brazilian's header cannoned off one inner-post then on to another before falling to his feet on the doorstep.
The go-ahead goal injected further confidence into Matthias Sammer's side, who were missing their star striker Marcio Amoroso due to his long-term injury. Dortmund bossed the game throughout the second-half and were desperately unlucky on several occasions not to add to their lead. The ever-sprightly Tomas Rosicky had the two best occasions of the second 45 but his wonderfully struck freekick struck wood on 48 minutes while Kiraly did extremely well to deny him in a one-on-one situation on the hour-mark.
With five minutes remaining, and against the run of play, the visitors managed to salvage a point courtesy of an opportunistic finish by Neuendorf.
Frings then passed up a golden opportunity to grab a famous winner in the final minute of regulation time but his miss with the goal at his mercy ultimately ensured the 2-2 end-result.
Bor. Dortmund: Lehmann - Evanilson, Metzelder, Fernandez - Frings, Kehl, Heinrich - Rosicky - Ewerthon, Koller, Addo - Trainer: Sammer
Hertha BSC: Kiraly - Schmidt, A. Friedrich, Simunic, Neuendorf - Marx, Dardai, Goor - Marcelinho - Alves, Preetz - Trainer: Stevens
Substitutes: 74. Oliseh for Ewerthon, 89. Odonkor for Addo - 66. Pinto for Dardai
Referee: Merk, Dr.
Attendance: 67000
Booked: Rosicky, Fernandez - Marx, A. Friedrich, Schmidt, Marcelinho
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Bundesliga Preview: Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen - Borussia Dortmund Latest News | | News Archive
Back to lead the attack...Oliver Neuville (AP)
08/16/2002. BACKGROUND
We didn't have to wait long for a mouthwatering matchup in the Bundesliga as the reigning champs Borussia Dortmund are set to wage battle against last year's luckless runners-up Bayer Leverkusen at the Bayarena on Saturday.
Both teams endured a rather unsatisfactory opening day experience last week as Matthias Sammer's fluffed their lines in the final minutes of an eventual 2-2 at home to Hertha Berlin, while Klaus Toppmoeller's troops were held to an under-whelming 1-1 draw away to relegation candidates Energie Cottbus. Both sets of managers were heard to have blamed the post-World Cup exhaustion of their many international players as the reason for the indifferent first round results.
Saturday's showdown could very well have huge psychological implications as the Borussen will be desperate to prove to themselves and the contenders to their crown that they are still the team to beat this season, while the Leverkuseners will be just as determined to show that they are as good - if not better - than they were last year, despite the sales of Ballack and Ze Roberto to Bayern.
LATEST TEAM NEWS
Leverkusen's leader Jens Nowotny is still a long way from recovering from the injury that kept him out of the World Cup, while big summer signing Franca and the versatile Sebescen are not quite match-fit. Encouraging news arrives in the form of Oliver Neuville's recovery from a nagging foot injury. The pint-sized Germany star is expected to replace Dimitar Berbatov in the starting lineup as the lone-striker.
Christian Wörns, Marcio Amoroso, Lars Ricken und Giuseppe Reina are all injury-forced absences for the BVB, but Sebastian Kehl, Juan Ramon Fernandez, Stefan Reuter and Dede are all available for selection despite carrying minor knocks.
PROBABLES
Leverkusen (4-5-1): H. Butt - B. Zivkovic, F. Lucio, S. Juan, D. Placente - B. Schneider, H. Balitsch, Y. Bastürk, C. Ramelow, J. Simak - O. Neuville
Dortmund (4-3-3): J. Lehmann - A. Evanilson, J. Heinrich, C. Metzelder, L. Dede - T. Frings, T. Rosicky, S. Kehl - O. Addo, J. Koller, H. Ewerthon
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Bayer Leverkusen - Borussia Dortmund Latest News | | News Archive
Back to lead the attack...Oliver Neuville (AP)
08/16/2002. BACKGROUND
We didn't have to wait long for a mouthwatering matchup in the Bundesliga as the reigning champs Borussia Dortmund are set to wage battle against last year's luckless runners-up Bayer Leverkusen at the Bayarena on Saturday.
Both teams endured a rather unsatisfactory opening day experience last week as Matthias Sammer's fluffed their lines in the final minutes of an eventual 2-2 at home to Hertha Berlin, while Klaus Toppmoeller's troops were held to an under-whelming 1-1 draw away to relegation candidates Energie Cottbus. Both sets of managers were heard to have blamed the post-World Cup exhaustion of their many international players as the reason for the indifferent first round results.
Saturday's showdown could very well have huge psychological implications as the Borussen will be desperate to prove to themselves and the contenders to their crown that they are still the team to beat this season, while the Leverkuseners will be just as determined to show that they are as good - if not better - than they were last year, despite the sales of Ballack and Ze Roberto to Bayern.
LATEST TEAM NEWS
Leverkusen's leader Jens Nowotny is still a long way from recovering from the injury that kept him out of the World Cup, while big summer signing Franca and the versatile Sebescen are not quite match-fit. Encouraging news arrives in the form of Oliver Neuville's recovery from a nagging foot injury. The pint-sized Germany star is expected to replace Dimitar Berbatov in the starting lineup as the lone-striker.
Christian Wörns, Marcio Amoroso, Lars Ricken und Giuseppe Reina are all injury-forced absences for the BVB, but Sebastian Kehl, Juan Ramon Fernandez, Stefan Reuter and Dede are all available for selection despite carrying minor knocks.
PROBABLES
Leverkusen (4-5-1): H. Butt - B. Zivkovic, F. Lucio, S. Juan, D. Placente - B. Schneider, H. Balitsch, Y. Bastürk, C. Ramelow, J. Simak - O. Neuville
Dortmund (4-3-3): J. Lehmann - A. Evanilson, J. Heinrich, C. Metzelder, L. Dede - T. Frings, T. Rosicky, S. Kehl - O. Addo, J. Koller, H. Ewerthon
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Leverkusen and Dortmund Share Spoils
Bayer Leverkusen - Borussia Dortmund Latest News | | News Archive
08/17/2002. Last season's numbers one and two meet in Leverkusen, where the home team gave the eventual champions a definitive 4-0 spanking last February. The game begins with immediate and energetic wrangling in midfield, mainly in Leverkusen's half.
Oliver Neuville makes his presence known early and often in the early stage of the game. He pushes close to the goalmouth in minute four, but intense double-teaming forces him to shoot wide. Two minutes later a certain goal by Neuville is saved only by the tactical foresight of Sebastian Kehl, who slides in to back up the otherwise defeated Jens Lehmann. This rapid twin attack on the reigning champions trips a switch in the Leverkusen team's subconscious, spurring them on to revisit their dominant performances of last season. The anger, the frustration, the humiliation of being the "eternal bridesmaid" of this era in the Bundesliga must lead them to shed this image. But their next biggest task is proving that they can absorb the loss of two major players to rivals Bayern Munich and sustain top-level play.
Once again, it is Neuville at the vanguard of the Leverkusen attack, this time he caps an aggressive run towards goal with a harmless flop and referee Dr. Wack is not buying it.
At minute 17, Ewerthon makes a solo dash from the halfway mark and, despite a clever fork maneuver around Lucio, is blocked by Diego Placente's diving tackle. A leaping fall by the Brazilian striker also fails to impress Dr. Wack and play resumes.
Bernd Schneider works the ball into Dortmund's half swiftly and crosses to Dimitar Berbatov who deftly flicks the ball behind him. Placente is right there to control the ball and place a controlled left shot past Lehmann and into the right inside of the net. A well-earned opener.
Minutes later, Berbatov has the second goal stripped by an offsides call, though it appears he was robbed by referee error. Another attacker in a passive position is mistaken for Berbatov whose attack came from fair ground.
Play continues in hard fought style, giving Leverkusen the chance to accrue 4 yellow cards and Dortmund only one by the time of the whistle.
The second half sees both sides trying hard to establish control of the action. The game is peppered with hard-fought one-on-ones and swift attacks and counters at the front. Fouls are as steady as the attacks.
In minute 61, Jan Koller heads in the equalizer, a gem made possible by a perfect Rosicky through ball to Ewerthon who then chips it to the waiting giant. The second goal of the day is an equally well-deserved accomplishment. But hold on, Leverkusen won't take thislying down and Schneider, who has been a prime agitator, nearly slots the go-ahead reply with a crisp shot from the top of the penalty box. Lehmann is ready, though, and deflects it over the bar just in time.
The pace has been stepped up a few degrees, the tie has acted on the passions universally—the teams, the fans, the announcer—all are inspired by the smell of blood the second goal has wafted across the arena.
Daniel Bierofka is sent in for Leverkusen and immediately slips into the action. As the game enters the final 15 minutes, Dortmund looks to rely more heavily on powerful counterattacks. Each measured approach by Bayer Leverkusen unfailingly leads to a blitz-speed attack by the Dortmund front line. Bayer, however, is counting on the sinewy resilience of Schneider and Ramelow to continue feeding the front end and even aid in attacks, while Yildiray Bastürk keeps up the pressure, almost putting gin several himself.
But finally, the whistle blows with only seconds given of overtime. Both giants come away with a point and their pride intact. But in the meantime, they have to be content with the long view, because right now, Bochum is riding high on the top of the standings for the second week in a row. Who would have thought? Let 'em have a good long draught from the fountain. It's good for the league!
Bayer Leverkusen: Butt - Zivkovic, Juan, Lucio, Placente - B. Schneider, Bastürk, Ramelow, Simak - Neuville, Berbatov - Trainer: Toppmöller
Bor. Dortmund: Lehmann - Evanilson, Metzelder, Heinrich, Dede - Frings, Kehl, Rosicky - Ewerthon, Koller, Addo - Trainer: Sammer
Goals: 1:0 Placente (23., assist B. Schneider), 1:1 Koller (61., header, assist Ewerthon)
Substitutes: 68. Bierofka for Neuville, 73. Brdaric for Berbatov - 26. Madouni for Dede, 75. Odonkor for Addo, 87. Oliseh for Frings
Referee: Wack, Dr.
Spectators: 22500 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Neuville, Placente, B. Schneider, Bastürk, Simak - Dede, Addo
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Bayer Leverkusen - Borussia Dortmund Latest News | | News Archive
08/17/2002. Last season's numbers one and two meet in Leverkusen, where the home team gave the eventual champions a definitive 4-0 spanking last February. The game begins with immediate and energetic wrangling in midfield, mainly in Leverkusen's half.
Oliver Neuville makes his presence known early and often in the early stage of the game. He pushes close to the goalmouth in minute four, but intense double-teaming forces him to shoot wide. Two minutes later a certain goal by Neuville is saved only by the tactical foresight of Sebastian Kehl, who slides in to back up the otherwise defeated Jens Lehmann. This rapid twin attack on the reigning champions trips a switch in the Leverkusen team's subconscious, spurring them on to revisit their dominant performances of last season. The anger, the frustration, the humiliation of being the "eternal bridesmaid" of this era in the Bundesliga must lead them to shed this image. But their next biggest task is proving that they can absorb the loss of two major players to rivals Bayern Munich and sustain top-level play.
Once again, it is Neuville at the vanguard of the Leverkusen attack, this time he caps an aggressive run towards goal with a harmless flop and referee Dr. Wack is not buying it.
At minute 17, Ewerthon makes a solo dash from the halfway mark and, despite a clever fork maneuver around Lucio, is blocked by Diego Placente's diving tackle. A leaping fall by the Brazilian striker also fails to impress Dr. Wack and play resumes.
Bernd Schneider works the ball into Dortmund's half swiftly and crosses to Dimitar Berbatov who deftly flicks the ball behind him. Placente is right there to control the ball and place a controlled left shot past Lehmann and into the right inside of the net. A well-earned opener.
Minutes later, Berbatov has the second goal stripped by an offsides call, though it appears he was robbed by referee error. Another attacker in a passive position is mistaken for Berbatov whose attack came from fair ground.
Play continues in hard fought style, giving Leverkusen the chance to accrue 4 yellow cards and Dortmund only one by the time of the whistle.
The second half sees both sides trying hard to establish control of the action. The game is peppered with hard-fought one-on-ones and swift attacks and counters at the front. Fouls are as steady as the attacks.
In minute 61, Jan Koller heads in the equalizer, a gem made possible by a perfect Rosicky through ball to Ewerthon who then chips it to the waiting giant. The second goal of the day is an equally well-deserved accomplishment. But hold on, Leverkusen won't take thislying down and Schneider, who has been a prime agitator, nearly slots the go-ahead reply with a crisp shot from the top of the penalty box. Lehmann is ready, though, and deflects it over the bar just in time.
The pace has been stepped up a few degrees, the tie has acted on the passions universally—the teams, the fans, the announcer—all are inspired by the smell of blood the second goal has wafted across the arena.
Daniel Bierofka is sent in for Leverkusen and immediately slips into the action. As the game enters the final 15 minutes, Dortmund looks to rely more heavily on powerful counterattacks. Each measured approach by Bayer Leverkusen unfailingly leads to a blitz-speed attack by the Dortmund front line. Bayer, however, is counting on the sinewy resilience of Schneider and Ramelow to continue feeding the front end and even aid in attacks, while Yildiray Bastürk keeps up the pressure, almost putting gin several himself.
But finally, the whistle blows with only seconds given of overtime. Both giants come away with a point and their pride intact. But in the meantime, they have to be content with the long view, because right now, Bochum is riding high on the top of the standings for the second week in a row. Who would have thought? Let 'em have a good long draught from the fountain. It's good for the league!
Bayer Leverkusen: Butt - Zivkovic, Juan, Lucio, Placente - B. Schneider, Bastürk, Ramelow, Simak - Neuville, Berbatov - Trainer: Toppmöller
Bor. Dortmund: Lehmann - Evanilson, Metzelder, Heinrich, Dede - Frings, Kehl, Rosicky - Ewerthon, Koller, Addo - Trainer: Sammer
Goals: 1:0 Placente (23., assist B. Schneider), 1:1 Koller (61., header, assist Ewerthon)
Substitutes: 68. Bierofka for Neuville, 73. Brdaric for Berbatov - 26. Madouni for Dede, 75. Odonkor for Addo, 87. Oliseh for Frings
Referee: Wack, Dr.
Spectators: 22500 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Neuville, Placente, B. Schneider, Bastürk, Simak - Dede, Addo
soccerage
Roberto P said:
Very true
Their campaign this year surely will attract a lot of fans around the world
and one more reason,
they will be bundesliga champion this year hopefully :hopefull:
I also support to create the Dortmund forum.
I will post more there, at least more than I posted in Bayern one
(First of all, sorry to ask such an off topic question), are u from HK, Roberto P? Your avatar is a pop singer in hong kong and my top idol
Do u have the other member of 'Twins' , Gillian(Zhong YIn TOng)'s avatar, if yes, may you pls give it to me? Thanks a lotBack to the topic, i greatly supoort the idea of setting up a Borrusia Dortmund forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will post in the forum everyday in case it exsists.
About yesterday's match, i am satisified with BvB's performances, especially seeing the young defender Madoune come in 26th minute! It's just like what melzeder did last season.....i hope that madoune can improve match by match and star for Dortmund!
CL Report: Ljungberg Back With A Goal As Arsenal Beat Dortmund
Arsenal - Borussia Dortmund | Latest News | Match Report | News Archive
Dennis Bergkamp (R) was on target for Arsenal (Allsport)
09/17/2002. rsenal go top of their embryonic Champions League group with a fine 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, thanks to second half strikes from Dennis Bergkamp and the returning from injury, Freddie Ljungberg,
Arsenal had the better of a tight first half, with the best and possibly only decent chance falling to Sylvain Wiltord.
The Frenchman was set up by compatriot Thierry Henry, however his firm shot was blocked by Jens Jehmann in the away goal. Henry also had an effort well saved on a swift breakaway.
The Germans were restricted to long range efforts and came close on a couple of occasions, notably with a free kick from Ewerton which fizzed just wide.
The second half began with Henry finding the net along to have his celebrations cut shot by an offside flag, which replays proved was correctly raised.
Arsenal were gradually increasing the pace and the pressure and it was no great surprise when the breakthrough finally arrived in the 62nd minute.
Wiltord was the provider as he found Dennis Bergkamp on the edge of the area, helped by a dummy from Freddie Ljungberg. The Dutchman turned and shot and his effort found the net via a wicked deflection off of Metzelder.
As Dortmund edged further forward, the Gunners were exploiting gaps at the back and after Ljungberg broke the offside trap, he was perhaps a little selfish in going for goal with Henry waiting for a cross in a good position.
The Swede made up for it five minutes later when he doubled the lead after the sharpest of counter-attacks. David Seaman's quick throw found Wiltord. He played in Henry, whose first time pass sent Ljungberg clear on goal and he rounded Lehmann before slotting into the gaping net.
Auxerre and PSV drew 0-0 in the group's other encounter.
soccerage
Arsenal - Borussia Dortmund | Latest News | Match Report | News Archive
Dennis Bergkamp (R) was on target for Arsenal (Allsport)
09/17/2002. rsenal go top of their embryonic Champions League group with a fine 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, thanks to second half strikes from Dennis Bergkamp and the returning from injury, Freddie Ljungberg,
Arsenal had the better of a tight first half, with the best and possibly only decent chance falling to Sylvain Wiltord.
The Frenchman was set up by compatriot Thierry Henry, however his firm shot was blocked by Jens Jehmann in the away goal. Henry also had an effort well saved on a swift breakaway.
The Germans were restricted to long range efforts and came close on a couple of occasions, notably with a free kick from Ewerton which fizzed just wide.
The second half began with Henry finding the net along to have his celebrations cut shot by an offside flag, which replays proved was correctly raised.
Arsenal were gradually increasing the pace and the pressure and it was no great surprise when the breakthrough finally arrived in the 62nd minute.
Wiltord was the provider as he found Dennis Bergkamp on the edge of the area, helped by a dummy from Freddie Ljungberg. The Dutchman turned and shot and his effort found the net via a wicked deflection off of Metzelder.
As Dortmund edged further forward, the Gunners were exploiting gaps at the back and after Ljungberg broke the offside trap, he was perhaps a little selfish in going for goal with Henry waiting for a cross in a good position.
The Swede made up for it five minutes later when he doubled the lead after the sharpest of counter-attacks. David Seaman's quick throw found Wiltord. He played in Henry, whose first time pass sent Ljungberg clear on goal and he rounded Lehmann before slotting into the gaping net.
Auxerre and PSV drew 0-0 in the group's other encounter.
soccerage
Champions League Report: Amoroso Scores The Game Winner On His Comeback
Borussia Dortmund - Auxerre | Latest News | News Archive
Joy for Amoroso (Reuters)
09/25/2002. Marcio Amoroso celebrated his comeback from an injury layoff by scoring what proved to be the winner in Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 victory at home to Auxerre.
The Borussen were looking to bounce back from their humbling defeat at Arsenal in matchday 1 and quickly got off on the right foot when Jan Koller converted the easiest of tap-ins on six minutes after some determined work by Joerg Heinrich down the right.
After an eventful beginning the match lost its early spark and neither team managed to put much in the way of good play together in a hard-fought but disappointingly low quality contest.
It was indicative of how dour the event was that ?barring the goal ?the main highlight up to the 65th minute mark was when Amoroso was substituted in place of Thomas Rosicky. The Brazilian goal-machine quickly got back to what he does best by taking a pass by Ricken in stride and cooly finishing past Auxerre's keeper Cool to make it 2-0 with a little over ten minutes left.
The second goal was a little cruel on the French visitors as they had outplayed Borussia for much of the game, despite creating little in the way of genuine goal-scroing opportunities. Mwaruwari managed to make things interesting by converting the rebound after Tainio had hit the post but despite some good late pressure seven minutes proved insufficient for Auxerre to claim what would have been a precious point.
Dortmund: Lehmann - Evanilson, Metzelder, Wörns, Heinrich - Frings (74. Ricken), Reuter, Kehl - Rosicky (66. Amoroso) - Ewerthon (84. Dede), Koller
Auxerre: Cool - Radet, Mexes, Boumsong, Jaures - Lachuer, Tainio, Faye, Fadiga - Kapo - Benjani
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norwegen)
Goals: 1:0 Koller (6.), 2:0 Amoroso (78.), 2:1 Benjani (83.)
Attendance: 46.500
Yellow Cards: Heinrich - Faye
soccerage
Borussia Dortmund - Auxerre | Latest News | News Archive
Joy for Amoroso (Reuters)
09/25/2002. Marcio Amoroso celebrated his comeback from an injury layoff by scoring what proved to be the winner in Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 victory at home to Auxerre.
The Borussen were looking to bounce back from their humbling defeat at Arsenal in matchday 1 and quickly got off on the right foot when Jan Koller converted the easiest of tap-ins on six minutes after some determined work by Joerg Heinrich down the right.
After an eventful beginning the match lost its early spark and neither team managed to put much in the way of good play together in a hard-fought but disappointingly low quality contest.
It was indicative of how dour the event was that ?barring the goal ?the main highlight up to the 65th minute mark was when Amoroso was substituted in place of Thomas Rosicky. The Brazilian goal-machine quickly got back to what he does best by taking a pass by Ricken in stride and cooly finishing past Auxerre's keeper Cool to make it 2-0 with a little over ten minutes left.
The second goal was a little cruel on the French visitors as they had outplayed Borussia for much of the game, despite creating little in the way of genuine goal-scroing opportunities. Mwaruwari managed to make things interesting by converting the rebound after Tainio had hit the post but despite some good late pressure seven minutes proved insufficient for Auxerre to claim what would have been a precious point.
Dortmund: Lehmann - Evanilson, Metzelder, Wörns, Heinrich - Frings (74. Ricken), Reuter, Kehl - Rosicky (66. Amoroso) - Ewerthon (84. Dede), Koller
Auxerre: Cool - Radet, Mexes, Boumsong, Jaures - Lachuer, Tainio, Faye, Fadiga - Kapo - Benjani
Referee: Terje Hauge (Norwegen)
Goals: 1:0 Koller (6.), 2:0 Amoroso (78.), 2:1 Benjani (83.)
Attendance: 46.500
Yellow Cards: Heinrich - Faye
soccerage
Champions League Report: Borussia Compound PSV's Woes
PSV Eindhoven - Borussia Dortmund | Latest News | News Archive
10/02/2002. Bundesliga champs Borussia Dortmund solidified their chances of progressing to the second group stage of the Champions League courtesy of a precious 3-1 victory away to struggling PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.
Guus Hiddink's side were determined to make amends for their 4-0 humiliation at home to Arsenal from the previous matchday and started the match in encouraging fashion. BVB-keeper Jens Lehmann did brilliantly to deny a close-range Ooijer header after just three minutes before Mateja Kezman squandered a golden opportunity on the quarter-of-an-hour mark after being perfectly set up by Rommedahl.
Then, with 21 minutes on the clock, the Germans took the lead against the run of play. A mistake by Bögelund in the box gifted the ball to Rosicky, who alertly passed the ball on to his gargantuan compatriot Koller for the opener.
PSV initially appeared to respond well but their failure to muster an immediate response began to tell on them and, after riding out the early storm, the Borussen increasingly began to assume control of the game. They even had a great opportunity to double their advantage just seconds before the interval but Frings' scorcher of a long-distance effort cannoned back off the woodwork with Waterreus well beaten.
The hosts came out of the tunnel pressing hard for the equalizer while Matthias Sammer's side were content to sit back and wait patiently for their opportunities. Their disciplined approach paid dividends on 69 minutes when Rosicky did brilliantly to skip by Ooijer in midfield, skated past van der Schaaf with consummate ease and finished clinically past Waterreus for a beautiful second goal by Borussia.
This time PSV were able to get one back immediately, however, as a unconvincing clearance by Reuter landed at van der Schaaf's feet and he accepted the invitation expertly.
With just over 15 minutes left, Hiddink's XI threw everything forward in search of the equalizer but after a couple of agonizing near-misses were again undone by a Borussia sucker-punch. This time it arrived by way of the freshly-introduced Marcio Amoroso, who effectively ruined PSV's chances of a dramatic fightback by completing the 3-1 scoreline a minute into injury time.
soccerage
PSV Eindhoven - Borussia Dortmund | Latest News | News Archive
10/02/2002. Bundesliga champs Borussia Dortmund solidified their chances of progressing to the second group stage of the Champions League courtesy of a precious 3-1 victory away to struggling PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.
Guus Hiddink's side were determined to make amends for their 4-0 humiliation at home to Arsenal from the previous matchday and started the match in encouraging fashion. BVB-keeper Jens Lehmann did brilliantly to deny a close-range Ooijer header after just three minutes before Mateja Kezman squandered a golden opportunity on the quarter-of-an-hour mark after being perfectly set up by Rommedahl.
Then, with 21 minutes on the clock, the Germans took the lead against the run of play. A mistake by Bögelund in the box gifted the ball to Rosicky, who alertly passed the ball on to his gargantuan compatriot Koller for the opener.
PSV initially appeared to respond well but their failure to muster an immediate response began to tell on them and, after riding out the early storm, the Borussen increasingly began to assume control of the game. They even had a great opportunity to double their advantage just seconds before the interval but Frings' scorcher of a long-distance effort cannoned back off the woodwork with Waterreus well beaten.
The hosts came out of the tunnel pressing hard for the equalizer while Matthias Sammer's side were content to sit back and wait patiently for their opportunities. Their disciplined approach paid dividends on 69 minutes when Rosicky did brilliantly to skip by Ooijer in midfield, skated past van der Schaaf with consummate ease and finished clinically past Waterreus for a beautiful second goal by Borussia.
This time PSV were able to get one back immediately, however, as a unconvincing clearance by Reuter landed at van der Schaaf's feet and he accepted the invitation expertly.
With just over 15 minutes left, Hiddink's XI threw everything forward in search of the equalizer but after a couple of agonizing near-misses were again undone by a Borussia sucker-punch. This time it arrived by way of the freshly-introduced Marcio Amoroso, who effectively ruined PSV's chances of a dramatic fightback by completing the 3-1 scoreline a minute into injury time.
soccerage
Addo's Injury Not Career-Threatening
Latest News | News Archive
10/09/2002. Borussia Dortmund, the Ghanaian national team and Otto Addo have breathed a collective sigh of relief after in-depth tests concluded that the striker's career is not in jeopardy following his second cruciate ligament injury inside of twelve months.
"The ligament did not rip at the same spot, which means the damage isn't as bad as it could have been," explained a relieved Addo, who re-injured himself while in action for Ghana at the beginning of last month.
Despite the positive news, the 27-year-old still has a lot of hard rehab work ahead of him and the quickest he can realistically hope to be back is in six months.
soccerage
Latest News | News Archive
10/09/2002. Borussia Dortmund, the Ghanaian national team and Otto Addo have breathed a collective sigh of relief after in-depth tests concluded that the striker's career is not in jeopardy following his second cruciate ligament injury inside of twelve months.
"The ligament did not rip at the same spot, which means the damage isn't as bad as it could have been," explained a relieved Addo, who re-injured himself while in action for Ghana at the beginning of last month.
Despite the positive news, the 27-year-old still has a lot of hard rehab work ahead of him and the quickest he can realistically hope to be back is in six months.
soccerage
Dortmund in Goalless Draw with Bielefeld
Borussia Dortmund - Arminia Bielefeld | Latest News | Match Report | News Archive
Evanilson entangled with tenacious Albayrak (AP Photo)
10/19/2002. This match should have signaled the triumphant return of Marcio Amoroso. All it got him was a yellow card and plenty of disappointment for a packed stadium of excited fans. Doubtless, the sold-out stadium had come to watch their heroes roll over the humble promoted side, Arminia Bielefeld, and pull even with Bayern Munich. Not an unreal expectation because the Muncheners have had a habit of choking against lower-ranked teams on the eve of crucial Champions League contests. All the lights were green for a quick return to the peak of the Bundesliga, but the guests had other ideas.
Within 20 seconds of the first whistle, Bielefeld gave notice of their intent. Midfielder Ansgar Brinkmann brought the ball inside the goal box and chipped it over for a header, but it didn't get past Lehmann. In the immediate counterattack, Amoroso launched himself against defender Daniel Bogusz and started shouting for a foul call. Only two minutes on the clock and he was already trying to curry official favor. Not a good sign.
As the minutes gradually accrued, the flavor and pattern of this game emerged and gelled. In situations where play starts ambiguously and no shock goals are logged, there is always an element of chaos that can color the tone of the rest of the match, but since Dortmund was showing no tendency to sting without provocation, Bielefeld was encouraged to create something unexpected. Every move of the host to attack was answered by some hard-fought forward motion. No matter who was carrying the ball, Bielefeld was there with support and well-placed defense. Granted, Dortmund's pricey stallions moved the ball better, but not without facing resistance from all sides.
The picture that came into focus was one of a hard-battling working class side showing solid, integrated teamwork taking the reigning champions head on, champions who acted like they had all the time in the world to behead a puny guest—when their superstars decided to put on their dancing shoes.
Several early incidents raised some fears that the referee, Wolfgang Stark, would be unable to properly govern the field. A clear penalty kick offense by Dede on the so-called "white Brazilian" Brinkmann was waved off to the surprise of many. It was practically a scissor-tackle and clear as day. As if in reply, both sides tried more dangerous tackles to test the official's limits and this was where the fleet-footed Amoroso picked up the card.
But it isn't fair to expect so much of one player, Torsten Frings also made the most of his time with the ball and proved a dangerous shot numerous times, though without the right degree of success. Rosicky was also firing hot, but the defense had his number and edged him out time and again, taking advantage of his frail constitution to keep him from becoming a real threat.
How much more can anyone say about a scoreless match? There is precious little juice in well-crafted plays that fail to produce fruit. The real hero of this match was the Bielefeld goalkeeper, Matthias Hain, who was impossible to catch off-guard. He was everywhere and always in the right place. More than anyone, it was Hain who led the 2nd League upstarts and gave them the courage to resist the best efforts of their hosts.
In the end, a goalless tie is a clear victory for the boys in pale blue. What should have been an open and shut case is instead a minor nightmare for Borussia Dortmund. It is precisely games like these that contribute to a failed campaign. A finely-tuned high-performance squad must guard against overconfidence. It's a deadly rot that topples the best. Nine weeks in, there is little room for slip-ups. This is the time to gain ground and get a running head start. You don't want to hand it over to Bayern. Make them work for it!
Bor. Dortmund: Lehmann - Evanilson, Wörns, Metzelder, Dede - Frings, S. Reuter - Rosicky - Ewerthon, Koller, Amoroso - Trainer: Sammer
Arminia Bielefeld: Hain - Bogusz, Reinhardt, Hansén - Brinkmann, Kauf, Dabrowski, Dammeier, Albayrak - Diabang, Wichniarek - Trainer: Möhlmann
Substitutes: 46. Madouni for Metzelder, 82. Heinrich for Rosicky, 82. Ricken for Amoroso - 65. Cha for Brinkmann, 76. Vata for Wichniarek, 80. Porcello for Dammeier
Yellow cards: Amoroso, Heinrich - Diabang
Referee: Wolfgang Stark
Spectators: 68,600 (sold out)
soccerage
Borussia Dortmund - Arminia Bielefeld | Latest News | Match Report | News Archive
Evanilson entangled with tenacious Albayrak (AP Photo)
10/19/2002. This match should have signaled the triumphant return of Marcio Amoroso. All it got him was a yellow card and plenty of disappointment for a packed stadium of excited fans. Doubtless, the sold-out stadium had come to watch their heroes roll over the humble promoted side, Arminia Bielefeld, and pull even with Bayern Munich. Not an unreal expectation because the Muncheners have had a habit of choking against lower-ranked teams on the eve of crucial Champions League contests. All the lights were green for a quick return to the peak of the Bundesliga, but the guests had other ideas.
Within 20 seconds of the first whistle, Bielefeld gave notice of their intent. Midfielder Ansgar Brinkmann brought the ball inside the goal box and chipped it over for a header, but it didn't get past Lehmann. In the immediate counterattack, Amoroso launched himself against defender Daniel Bogusz and started shouting for a foul call. Only two minutes on the clock and he was already trying to curry official favor. Not a good sign.
As the minutes gradually accrued, the flavor and pattern of this game emerged and gelled. In situations where play starts ambiguously and no shock goals are logged, there is always an element of chaos that can color the tone of the rest of the match, but since Dortmund was showing no tendency to sting without provocation, Bielefeld was encouraged to create something unexpected. Every move of the host to attack was answered by some hard-fought forward motion. No matter who was carrying the ball, Bielefeld was there with support and well-placed defense. Granted, Dortmund's pricey stallions moved the ball better, but not without facing resistance from all sides.
The picture that came into focus was one of a hard-battling working class side showing solid, integrated teamwork taking the reigning champions head on, champions who acted like they had all the time in the world to behead a puny guest—when their superstars decided to put on their dancing shoes.
Several early incidents raised some fears that the referee, Wolfgang Stark, would be unable to properly govern the field. A clear penalty kick offense by Dede on the so-called "white Brazilian" Brinkmann was waved off to the surprise of many. It was practically a scissor-tackle and clear as day. As if in reply, both sides tried more dangerous tackles to test the official's limits and this was where the fleet-footed Amoroso picked up the card.
But it isn't fair to expect so much of one player, Torsten Frings also made the most of his time with the ball and proved a dangerous shot numerous times, though without the right degree of success. Rosicky was also firing hot, but the defense had his number and edged him out time and again, taking advantage of his frail constitution to keep him from becoming a real threat.
How much more can anyone say about a scoreless match? There is precious little juice in well-crafted plays that fail to produce fruit. The real hero of this match was the Bielefeld goalkeeper, Matthias Hain, who was impossible to catch off-guard. He was everywhere and always in the right place. More than anyone, it was Hain who led the 2nd League upstarts and gave them the courage to resist the best efforts of their hosts.
In the end, a goalless tie is a clear victory for the boys in pale blue. What should have been an open and shut case is instead a minor nightmare for Borussia Dortmund. It is precisely games like these that contribute to a failed campaign. A finely-tuned high-performance squad must guard against overconfidence. It's a deadly rot that topples the best. Nine weeks in, there is little room for slip-ups. This is the time to gain ground and get a running head start. You don't want to hand it over to Bayern. Make them work for it!
Bor. Dortmund: Lehmann - Evanilson, Wörns, Metzelder, Dede - Frings, S. Reuter - Rosicky - Ewerthon, Koller, Amoroso - Trainer: Sammer
Arminia Bielefeld: Hain - Bogusz, Reinhardt, Hansén - Brinkmann, Kauf, Dabrowski, Dammeier, Albayrak - Diabang, Wichniarek - Trainer: Möhlmann
Substitutes: 46. Madouni for Metzelder, 82. Heinrich for Rosicky, 82. Ricken for Amoroso - 65. Cha for Brinkmann, 76. Vata for Wichniarek, 80. Porcello for Dammeier
Yellow cards: Amoroso, Heinrich - Diabang
Referee: Wolfgang Stark
Spectators: 68,600 (sold out)
soccerage
Thursday, October 3, 2002
Metzelder injury blow for Dortmund
BERLIN, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Germany defender Christoph Metzelder will probably miss Borussia Dortmund's next three games because of a broken nose.
Metzelder, who had surgery after sustaining the injury in Saturday's 0-0 home draw with Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga, will miss Tuesday's Champions League Group A match at home to PSV Eindhoven.
Dortmund coach Matthias Sammer said he expected Metzelder also to sit out Saturday's Bundesliga match at Werder Bremen and Dortmund's next Champions League game at home to Arsenal on October 30.
Dortmund, second in Group A, three points behind leaders Arsenal, will progress to the second stage if they win on Tuesday and Arsenal beat French side Auxerre at the same time.
'I never count that way because it never works out,' said Sammer. 'But I do expect a reaction. I don't want to see us playing again like we did on Saturday.'
The dismal draw with lowly Bielefeld dropped second-placed Dortmund five points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the German first division standings.
soccernet
Metzelder injury blow for Dortmund
BERLIN, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Germany defender Christoph Metzelder will probably miss Borussia Dortmund's next three games because of a broken nose.
Metzelder, who had surgery after sustaining the injury in Saturday's 0-0 home draw with Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga, will miss Tuesday's Champions League Group A match at home to PSV Eindhoven.
Dortmund coach Matthias Sammer said he expected Metzelder also to sit out Saturday's Bundesliga match at Werder Bremen and Dortmund's next Champions League game at home to Arsenal on October 30.
Dortmund, second in Group A, three points behind leaders Arsenal, will progress to the second stage if they win on Tuesday and Arsenal beat French side Auxerre at the same time.
'I never count that way because it never works out,' said Sammer. 'But I do expect a reaction. I don't want to see us playing again like we did on Saturday.'
The dismal draw with lowly Bielefeld dropped second-placed Dortmund five points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the German first division standings.
soccernet
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