Looking forward with Union Berlin

2012

I've taken a look back and reviewed Union Berlin's campaign so far for Bundesliga Football. On a personal note, I've learnt a significant amount this year. Glühwein is deceptively strong, German is a tremendous language to learn when you put the hours in and there is more to life than purely football at Union - much more. You can scoff at that last notion and are perhaps thinking, 'of course there is'. Let me explain. When I first went to Union in 2010 I encountered a passionate fan base and a cracking 'local side'. As I have slowly learnt more about 'Eisern' I've discovered theatre productions, carol singing and some of the friendliest people I've had the privilege to meet in Berlin. They speak German to me as well. 1.FC Union Berlin are an association in the true sense of the word. A genuine community club but equally, people such as me, are accepted. I can assure you that does not happen everywhere in Berlin.

Superb Stuff

However, lets move on. I want to have a look forward now. It's New Years Day after all!  What does the future, or the next 5 months, hold for Union?

The Stadium

Before considering matters on the pitch, it is only right to applaud the Berliners for a magnificent job in building the new stand. Boasting over 3,600 seats, the grandstand, weather permitting, will be open for the first home game after the winter break. It will be 'Friday Night Lights' at 6pm against SV Sandhausen. The special heated seats may not be installed by then but the majority of the standard seats will hopefully be ready for this fixture. Perhaps Union should have been awarded the contract to build the new airport?! (so far over a year behind schedule).

On The Pitch

There are 15 games remaining. 7 of these are at home and 8 away. 

The majority of the away games are against sides in the top half. 2 of the 8 matches are against sides in the bottom half, although that includes Köln, in 10th place, who sit a mere point behind the Berliners. Union have only won twice in the league on the road so far this season and although they have managed to score 3 goals on three occasions it is worth pointing out that these games earned the Berliners a measly 2 points. Strangely the influential Torsten Mattuschka has only featured in one of these three games. Union do not travel particularly well.

In light of the above and if football were played on paper, the 7 home games, will be crucial in deciding Union's fate this year. Will they be battling for third, or set for another very respectable, mid-table finish. Union are a small club, run on a small budget and aiming to establish themselves as a solid Bundesliga 2. side. Arguably they pretty much achieved this status. However, if you are not moving forward you're probably going backwards as it's pretty difficult to stand still in football. 

As Union found out in August and September, momentum is key. Therefore, I'd argue the home games against Sandhausen (2nd bottom), Ingolstadt (9th) and Erzebirge (11th) will decide Union's final position in the table come May 2013. If they are to contend 3rd place, whilst a pipe dream for most it is certainly not an unrealistic ambition, they'll require maximum points. Anything less than 7 points from these games will mean Union must significantly improve their away form - in particular their defending away from the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

The stand out fixture after the 'winterpause' is clearly the Berlin derby - the stadtmeisterschaft. Can Union avenge the 2-1 reverse they suffered in September? Hertha are clear favourites. They are at home and riding high in 2nd place in the Bundesliga 2. Union have previous though. One down at half-time they fought back and claimed a famous victory in 2011. After having watched Hertha labour for 85 minutes against St.Pauli at the Olympiastadion, I certainly won't be heading to the Berlin derby with any fear and nor I'd guess are Neuhaus and his men. The team who win this fixture will have those key ingredients that make football so difficult to predict - momentum and players with confidence. See the league leaders Braunschweig for evidence. They got off to a cracking start and have not looked back. That dodgy penalty at Union served them well!

Can Union gain promotion? Well, they are currently looking to strengthen the squad with another attack-minded player. Creativity has been a struggle at home for Union. Many teams come to sit back and hit Union on the break. This is arguably when the Berliners struggle most. Some additional creativity may be just what they need as well as an increase in 'defending from the front' when away from home.  I think Union will do well to finish 7th again. They have a good team spirit, fanatical home support and a stadium that hits a superb balance, in terms of being modern, whilst also accommodating the masses who prefer to stand.

I'll predict a 6th place finish because I'm a born optimist. Whatever the outcome, it will be an exciting year as an Unioner. Hopefully the Försterei will be become even more intimidating for the opposition and we'll roar Union on to a play-off spot. We can but dream, for what is life without dreams?

Enjoy 2013 and feel free to make your prediction of where Union Berlin will finish in the league by using the comments section below.

Happy New Year / Guten Rutsch to you all!

For information on the 'Union in Englisch' fan club please take a look at this blog post. Stickers are now on sale!

The Union Berlin Man Top 10 of 2012

Whilst I have created a top 10 there really is no pecking order here. I started the blog in May and it has just spiralled from there. I continue to make friends through my support of Union Berlin, and that for me, is what it is all about.

There are so many stories, comical incidents and friendships that have occurred already and we're only at the mid-point of the season.

Enjoy some of the goals and links below and of course...

10. My first Union away game on the final day of last season. Zombie Nation time!

9. Eintracht Frankfurt fans storming the away end - Union fans then applauded. Superb banner.

8.  Mattuschka's brace at St. Pauli. Two stunning strikes only beaten by him celebrating with the away fans after the game. To me, symbolic of the bond between fans and players at Union.

7. Attending a play about Union - 'Das Stück Zum Spiel'. Interview with Chris Lopatta to come in 2013. Lead actor, lifetime 'dauerkarte' holder at Union and he helped build the stadium! 

6. Braunschweig away and Nemec's second goal. A real beauty.

5. Terodde's volley against Kaiserslautern. You can find the goal within this blog piece.

4. Weihnachtssingen at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. 22,500 people. Wow. Felix from Groundhopping Etc captured the mood. Check out his Facebook page.

3. Meeting various Eiserne Botschafter members.

2. Silvio's almost comical goal when Union faced Köln & picked up a crucial first 3 points this term.

1. Standing in the freezing cold for over 4 hours to secure a ticket for the Berlin derby.  

Here's to 2013 - Eisern Union!

Englische Woche - Union v Energie Cottbus

The term 'Englische Woche' had bamboozled the small crowd of Auslanders (foreigners) that had gathered to watch Union's third game in 9 days. We should have guessed. The term 'Englische Woche' came about in Germany to describe a week where 3 games are played - a happening synonymous with the English game that harks back to a time when games were scheduled this way to accommodate the cricket season.

The Köln game on a Friday night had kicked off the 'trilogy' with Union coming from behind to win 2-1. It was a very English affair. Not pretty but both teams were scrapping for the points. The fans carried Union over the finish line.

The Wednesday saw Union face FC Erzgebirge Aue who were, at that stage, second bottom and on the same points as Union - five. Union took the lead after 7 minutes through Terodde. Last term the fixture had finished 1-1 and with Union's defence looking frail and devoid of confidence on more than one occasion, it was no surprise that Erzgebirge leveled 7 minutes from time. All very symmetrical. However, whilst a point was not ideal it meant that Union went in to their home game against local rivals Cottbus undefeated during Englische Woche.

My first Union away game was against Cottbus. On the trip to that game a group of youngsters had informed me that Cottbus fans were, and I paraphrase and translate, 'a bunch of farmers from the middle of nowhere.' On arrival in Cottbus on a Sunday morning it was hard to disagree. Whilst there were a few more police around than usual at Ostkreuz Station there was no hint of trouble. Judging by my visit to Cottbus the away fans had probably been shepherded in to the ground en masse.

One of the reasons for writing a blog and following Union was to widen my circle of acquaintances. The four of us who managed to meet up at Ostkreuz were a 50/50 split of Americans and Brits. Matt, who I met at the Köln game, has promised (slightly under the influence) to write a blog piece in the coming months. He knows the offside rule and likes a beer - it will be good material I'm sure.




The game was a sell out for the fourth consecutive home game in a row. The 16,750 capacity crowd were in good voice and the Union home end looked awesome decked out in red and white. The Energie contingent had brought along some very strange reflective boards in gold and red. They looked almost mystical when held aloft.



Nemec started up front with Terodde as Neuhaus opted to go 4-4-2 - this has to be Union's best formation at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. It was just after the half hour mark when Terodde scored after Mattuschka had salvaged a short-corner gone awry. Much to the amusement of our group as Rob had just stated, "we never score from short corners." The corner routine did not work but the ball fell kindly to Mattuschka who scooped in a cross and Terodde was quickest to act and headed home, via a ricochet from the keeper, for his 2nd goal in as many games. (Click here to see Terodde score the quickest hat-trick I have ever seen in under 3 minutes - albeit in a friendly.)



Union came out for the second half and looked a touch off the pace. They were punished by a well taken goal from Adlung. The ball broke to the Energie player just inside the box and he placed the ball in the top right. Haas, the Union keeper, had no chance. As luck would have it, Rob had just uttered that Energie looked poor! The Energie euphoria was short lived however as Union hit back within five minutes. Terodde slid a neat ball through to Quiring. The Union right winger is full of running and it was his pace that led to the Union goal in the first half, when he won a corner. The goal was just reward for an energetic display. 2-1 Union.

There are times during a season when you just know you're going to win. This was one of those days. Or had the half-time pint just kicked in? On 70 minutes Union conceded a penalty and were down to 10 men. A huge turning point in a physical encounter. However, the touch was minimal and whilst the referee had no option but to point to the spot, the sending off of Schönheim was harsh, as there appeared to be a Union defender alongside him.

It would be easy to say that Energie squandered the goal scoring opportunity that had been gifted but that does a disservice to Haas. He guessed left and was half way across the goal by the time the Energie striker shot. He palmed the ball away with a strong left arm and Union were able to welly the ball out for a corner. Mattuschka was like a man possessed and raced over to congratulate his team mate and clearly realised the significance of the save. It was match winning.



The drama continued as Adlung was sent off to even things up a bit. It must have been for something he said to the linesman. We didn't care. The game opened up with Cottbus throwing everything forward. In the closing stages their keeper was in the Union box on more than one occasion. In injury time Union sealed the points with a goal on the counter-attack. Union had a man over although due to a neat shimmy by Jopek he was not required, and the midfielder drove the ball home to make it 3-1.

7 points from 9 in Englishce Woche. St Pauli next up in the Friday night game on October 5th. Union are on the up!

Massive thanks to Groundhopping etc. for the photos. They are brilliant and really capture the key moments and bring the blog to life.

A few stats from last term

1. FC Union Berlin were heavily reliant on home form last term. They had a tumultuous start, with heavy a heavy 4-0 defeat to eventual champions Greuther Fürth and an away thumping by rivals Dynamo Dresden. However, they recovered well and at the mid-way stage occupied 7th place, although were already 8 points adrift of the solitary play-off spot. Worryingly Union’s form dipped in the second half of the season. They won only 6 from 17 yet still managed a very respectable 7th spot based on their early season promise. Silvio was Union’s top score with 8 goals in 2011/12 and it is this lack of fire-power that most concerns me. Coupled with a stand being redeveloped and the ground feeling somewhat peculiar, Union will do well to emulate last terms finishing position.

2. St Pauli must be fancied to make a return to the top flight after narrowly missing out on a play-off spot on goal difference last season. They were quick out of the blocks and notched 6 wins in 8 in early 2011. However, as the season wore on, St.Pauli flagged and after being 2nd with 12 games to go finished 4th level on points with Fortuna Dusseldorf.

3. Last time Hertha were relegated they engineered a quick return to the Bundesliga 1 despite a 2-1 reverse at home to Union. This is the fixture that Union fans were looking out for and as luck would have it, I’ll be on a Lufthansa flight back from a wedding in the UK when this game takes place, on Monday 3rd September at 20:15. Hugely disappointing. The return leg in west Berlin is in March.

4. Dynamo Dresden and Energie Cottbus are both close to Union (in German terms) and as such can be counted on to be lively affairs – if not on the pitch then certainly on the terraces. If you believed the authorities and the media these are games to be avoided but I travelled safely to Cottbus last term and found both sets of supporters’ behaviour impeccable. Energie visit Union on Saturday 29th September at 13:00 whilst Dresden do not visit until April next year. Union scored 5 goals, took maximum points and did not concede against these two sides last season at home. More of the same please in the two home games this term.

5. St Pauli did the double over Union last time out with the game in Hamburg being most notable for an incident that will warm the cockles of those who enjoy seeing the game being played in the right spirit. The game was poised at 1.1 when a St Pauli player accidentally handled the ball in to the net after a failed attempt at a diving header. He admitted the infringement although it had been missed by the officials. St Pauli went on to win the game notching late on.

Multi-kulti

The train from Hauptbahnhof was packed with the red and white of FC Union Berlin fans. It was standing room only for our group which meant that we got chatting to supporters from both clubs. The consensus from the young 17 year old Energie fan was that Union were one of the best supported clubs in terms of volume in the Bundesliga. He spoke disdainfully about the Hertha fans who really do "only sing when they're winning".

Standing room only on the train as Mathias eats his breakfast

The 100 minute journey meant that we arrived in Cottbus for 11:20 where we were greeted by the Polizei. Some of them were very friendly and we managed to avoid an escort by removing any trace of Union, brandishing a press pass (handy) and explaining we wanted to see the sights and have a 'coffee'. There are few sights and we did not consume any coffee.

Armed with no map or clue as to where the city centre was we did what you always do in these scenarios. We followed people in the direction of the ground. After our negotiations, walking back to find what we thought looked a good spot, closed, we ended up in a Kebab shop. You can always rely on a Kebab shop being open and of course selling beers.

The Kebab Shop where we had our pre-match food and quenched our insatiable thirst

The scenic route we took was stunning and a far cry from the cobbled streets and terraced houses that used to hem in Roker Park. We ambled through a small forest parallel to The Spree river and had we been home fans we would have been in the ground to see the teams run out. As it was, we were in the opposite corner and due to The Stadion der Freundschaft having only one way that you could walk round the ground, this resulted in us forgoing a pint and missing the KO by 5 minutes. Poor form considering some of us were at the train station with 40 minutes to spare!

Street art

The opening exchanges were nervy and neither side were prepared to take any risks and expose themselves at the back with Union controlling large swathes of possession. The nerves were understandable for the home side, who came into the game knowing that if they lost and other results went against, them they would be relegated.

The game exploded into life just before half time with Energie having a goal ruled out after a bullet header passed the helpless Union keeper. The Berlin side charged straight down the other end and were awarded a disputed penalty when Cottbus full-back Ziebig was adjudged to have felled Union's Terrode, who looked to be going nowhere. The penalty was dispatched crisply by Markus Karl in to the bottom corner. However, the referee decided the "elf meter" needed to be retaken due to encroachment from several Union players. The follow up smashed off the cross bar and the ball was scrambled away to safety.

The goal that never was for Union

Zombie Natiion was played over the speakers at half-time and this became the adopted Union anthem for most of the second half. Reminiscent of when Sunderland played Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough and Roy Keane, the then Sunderland manager, was serenaded to a version of Hey Jude by the Mackem faithful.

Whilst the majority of the first half had been a pretty turgid affair, both teams appeared to have responded to the half-time team talk and came out with more purpose. Perhaps scores had been fed to the Energie team as the rumours on the terraces were that results were not going their way. On the hour mark Cottbus made the breakthrough but would not be in front for long as Union responded in under 90 seconds. The Energie goal was passed in to the Union net with aplomb, defying the skill seen up until that point, by Daniel Adlung. Ede headed in the Union equaliser after some neat play down the flank and a well delivered cross made it harder for him to miss than score.

The atmosphere in the ground was noisy, with the Berliners in good voice, as they had been throughout. However, it was the supporters from Cottbus who were singing just after 70 minutes when they were awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area. The Union reserve keeper will have been disappointed that he appeared to be beaten by a well taken but not brilliant strike by Rangelov. The ball was almost in the middle of the goal. Union rallied and were unlucky not to snatch a draw that there possession merited. However, the game finished 2:1 and both sets of fans can now enjoy the 'sommerpause'.

The journey home was a strange affair as we had to go via Frankfurt. Luckily it was the Frankfurt in Berlin-Brandenburg and not the one down south. Uwe skillfully procured more refreshments with at least 5 seconds to spare when we changed trains. I also got the details of a Union photographer who has taken some good shots of the day - look out for the old train that some Union fans traveled on.

The highlight of the day was my travelling companions. The 5 of us supported Union but grew up watching football in diverse places - two of us from the north east of England, one from Jerusalem and Uwe, our new German friend who has a FC Union season ticket, who we sold our spare ticket to. This impressed a Union fan called Matthias who took delight that Union has an international fan base that is "multi-kulti".

We had a last drink in a cafe outside Ostbahnhof and managed to witness a Frenchman on his stag do. The opportunity was too good to pass up and so we got the obligatory photo. The result did not go our way this time but then supporting Union is about much more than the result. I even learned a bit of German that will come in handy. The chant "Auf die Fresse" was my favourite. Big thanks to my translation man - Eisern Union, eisern Union!!

Jonny, Uwe, a Frenchman and Me in borrowed glasses from one of the French people

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