23.04.2007, 12:07
Tough First Leg with 16 Suspensions

The first match of the CL final brought great battle. A last-second goal made it 28:28 and the title will be decided in Kiel.

Tough First Leg with 16 Suspensions

When Kim Andersson the Kiel right back made it 28:28 just one second before the end in the Flensburg Arena, it was not about stealing a point in the Bundesliga. It was a very painful goal against the home team who expected to reach more than this against the incomplete “Zebras”.

The last attack also demonstrated the calmness of the Bundesliga leaders. Christian Zeitz took the ball slowly to the other half faking a shot on goal; he played the ball to the huge Andrei Tschepkin who played it to Kim Andersson. The ball finished in the net.

“One goal of advantage or a draw… These are tiny differences,” says SG coach Kent-Harry Andersson. The last goal shocked the Flensburg fans: no victory against the greatest rival, Kiel. Some of the supporters blamed the Spanish referees.

Fair Boldsen

“We must not blame it on the referee,” says SG key player Joachim Boldsen and he takes responsibility for the disappointing result: “We committed too many technical mistakes and we had too many bad attempts.”

In fact, SG started the game better. As Marcin Lijewski played to Joachim Boldsen who scored and made it 8:5, the Campushalle exploded for the first time. But after that, Flensburg did not deliver much in attack as a team. “We have not performed well in the back positions,” describes Lars Christiansen the chaotic team play with these diplomatic words.

Kent-Harry Andersson also talks about problems with the discipline and quotes the lost balls before the break that Nikola Karabatic ad Christian Zeitz converted with a cold head.

In the second half the flames were under threat of being extinguished in the “Halle Nord”. The Flensburg defence tried to come forward against the Kiel back players. This backfired, however. Nikola Karabatic, Kim Andersson and Christian Zeitz scored as they wished.

14:19 – the final seems to be decided already in the first leg. The hosts worked hard, and despite the great pace, lot of fighting, two minute suspensions and red cards they managed to get back into the game. It almost led to the first victory after four lost derbies against Kiel, but then came the last goal of Kim Andersson….

TEXT: Jan Kirschner