Another Cup Goes Dry

DFB Pokal – Nurnberg vs. SpVgg Greuther Furth – I had high hopes for Nurnberg’s match against SpVgg Greuther Furth in their DFB Pokal match up. I was coming off the high of Der Club’s nice weekend win, and was thinking that could carry over into this match making a win easy. Helping that was the fact that SpVgg Furth is a 2^nd Division Bundesliga team. However, after SpVgg scored first in the match in the 15^th minute, I decided I needed a closer look at their season so far. Sure they’re a 2^nd Division side, however they’re in second place with high chances at promotion. Great. Nurnberg is a bottom table team in the 1^st Division so they’re basically equal quality (if SpVgg Furth isn’t actually better). Looking deeper I also discovered that they have two of their players in the top five of the top scoring players in the 2^nd Division Bundesliga this year. Double great. Oh, and they also have the greatest goal differential in their league this year, because of the second best offense and the best defense (based on goals for and against respectivly). Great, Great, Great.

Well, like I said Nurnberg were down 1-0 already after the 15^th minute. Off course, they did score three goals this past Saturday against Leverkusen, but they do have one of the lowest scoring sides in the Bundesliga for a reason. They just couldn’t find that goal to get back level in the game. SpVgg Furth even had a player sent off in the 66^th minute with a second yellow card, but Der Club still couldn’t get caught up. They were just playing flat against a team that really had the enthusiasm to knock off a 1^st Division side. I thought Nurnberg should have gotten a foul call or two towards the closing moments (one could’ve given a penalty), but that’s how things go sometimes. The match would end with a 1-0 score and Nurnberg would be out of the Pokal.

With that, Nurnberg go into the winter Bundesliga break with a mixed bag. They are out of the DFB Pokal (which in reality, they probably wouldn’t have won anyway) but more importantly they are out of the relegation zone. I’ll take the latter over the former any day. We’ll have to wait awhile until the next match though. With the winter break, Nurnberg’s next match isn’t until January 21^st. With that said, Der Club will be absent from my match reports until after then. Of course, if they pick up a transfer in January – which I really hope they do – be darn sure that I’ll mention it here. Until then, I’ll just have to get my German fix by drinking some nice German beer…

Yay! Points!

I shouldn’t be so cynical, but it’s been a hard stretch here for me lately with the way my clubs have been playing. Following the weekend of November 5^th/6^th, my three teams had only managed one lonely single win between them (not counting this weekend’s action). They collectively played thirteen games! Worse still, there were only two draws in there too! I couldn’t tell you how much I would’ve loved to have had some simple drawn, take one point away type matches these past few weeks. As my title states though, those weeks of dreaming for draws and wins are over. Well, at least for this week… (let’s not get too optimistic).

Let’s go from worst to best matches for this week’s post –

Newcastle United vs. Swansea City – What can I say about this one? The Toon, and especially Demba Ba, were firing off the shots but none of them could find the target. Newcastle outshot Swansea significantly, 22 shots to 3, but only three of the Magpies’ were on goal. With their defensive rock in Coloccini back from injury, Newcastle seemed to easily handle Swansea defensively. However, you can’t win a match if you don’t score goals. And the match wouldn’t be won. Things would end in a very ho-hum 0-0 draw. Luckily, very luckily with how injuries have plagued the team, Newcastle held onto the 7^th position in the standings.

Oxford United vs. Northampton Town – This match had all the action in the second half. Just five minutes into the half, Tom Craddock, who just recently returned from a long injury, put one past Northampton’s goalie to put Oxford up 1-0. It looked as though that one goal might be it for the match, but then things got interesting in the closing minutes. In the 86^th minute, Craddock would be fouled in the box earning a penalty. Although he scored earlier in the match, Craddock wouldn’t even work the goalkeeper with this opportunity, missing with the shot high and to the right. Luckily though fellow Oxford forward Deane Smalley would help out and score just a minute later to finally get that 2-0 score. However, Northampton would get a chance to at least get a goal on the board late into stoppage time. Oxford’s Damien Batt would commit a handball in the box giving Northampton a penalty chance of their own. However it would be a day of missed penalty chances. Although Northampton wouldn’t miss the goal altogether, the Yellows keeper Ryan Clarke would handily keep it out keeping his clean sheet and keeping the score at 3-0.

Oxford United really needed the win to get back into the top third of the table. The win also allowed them to leapfrog some teams in the standings. They went from 12^th to 8^th position. As I mentioned last week, the Yellows have a good chance to continue this upward trend with the next two matches against teams below them in the standings in AFC Wimbledon and now also Torquay. However, the third game out is a bit looming as it is against league leaders Crawley Town. I guess I shouldn’t get too ahead. As anything can happen in a match, it’s best to look at things one match at a time.

Nurnberg vs. Bayer Leverkusen – In front of this match I was really hoping that Nurnberg could pull off a win. Not only did I want them to get out of the relegation zone, but I also wanted them to end on a good note before going into the Bundesliga’s winter break.

Well, Der Club started things off with a bang. Right away in the 8^th minute, forward Daniel Didavi put them ahead of Leverkusen. Jens Hegeler doubled their lead just a short time later in the 22^nd to get a comfortable 2-0 lead. After that, they just needed to hold on. I was of course worried considering the form as of late, but they would indeed blank out Bayer Leverkusen. They would actually put one more goal on the board too as striker Tomas Pekhart scored in the 73^rd minute. Not that there has been many to choose from, but this 3-0 win over Bayern Leverkusen would be Nurnberg’s best win of the season to date.

With the win, and with Kaiserslautern later drawing their match luckily, Nurnberg crept out of the first relegation spot and into safety (for now) taking the 15^th position in the standings. Yes, it’s only one spot but I am so unbelievably relieved to not have them be in the relegation zone during the winter break.

Like I’ve said, I think Der Club really need to pick up some reinforcements in the January transfer period to sufficiently rid themselves of the threat of relegation. However, I think they can also use the time off to get some more training in and to congeal better as a team. With a few key players now back from injury, the players need to get used to each other. Their form has been on the extremes lately. They’ve had either really bad losses or nice wins like this one against Leverkusen. They’ve either been shutout in losses, or, though much fewer, they’re defense got a shutout in a win. Some draws in there would’ve at least given them some points in the table, which probably would’ve distanced them from relegation a bit more. I’m hoping some good practice sessions solidify their form.

Football-less in the Land of the Yoopers

As there’s about a half hour before my matches start up, I figured I’ll take that time and get a last minute update of last weekend’s action finally posted. I was away from home last weekend – and in the snowy far away land of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – so I didn’t see a single second of any football action from live streams, live audio, or even match trackers. Well, I didn’t really miss much…

Nurnberg vs. Hoffenheim – Der Club continued their slide into the relegation zone. Hoffenheim scored first in the 39^th minute but what made matters worse is that Nurnberg’s Timothy Chandler got sent off with a red card just four minutes later. Nurnberg has a hard enough time scoring (or even playing competitively) with 11 men, so going to 10 men basically made a loss of 1-0 or worse official. Chandler, who also plays for the US national team, is Nurnberg’s runner off the back wing, making a spark of offense look like a goal scoring chance just by running after it hard. If I was home, I would have reacted loudly seeing him sent off.

Hoffenheim’s Vedad Ibisevic would score his second goal in the 56^th minute further cementing a win for his team. They would get a red card of their own in the first minute of stoppage time, but the damage was done by that point. The final score would be Hoffenheim over Nurnberg, 2-0. Der Club is now back in the relegation basement in 16^th place. Also because of the red card, Chandler will be out for the next two matches.

Oxford United vs. Morecambe – The Yellows traveled to Morecambe to hopefully end the losing run that ran through the whole month of November. Well, they didn’t lose… but they didn’t win either. They could only manage a draw with Morecambe, but hey, at least they got a point out of the match.

The match was more a case of Oxford holding off Morecambe than the other way around. Just going off of the shot totals, Morecambe had 14 shots with 12 on goal. Oxford United had 11 shots, but only a meager 4 of them were on goal. Oxford’s keeper Ryan Clarke was a busy man.

Looking at the big picture, Oxford unfortunately lost ground in the standings though with the draw. In the tightly packed middle of the table, the Yellows fell from 9^th to 12^th position. In the next two weeks, they play teams below them in the standings (Northampton and AFC Wimbledon) so hopefully they can get some wins to start moving back up the table again.

Newcastle United vs. Norwich City – With Newcastle’s back defensive line in pieces because of injuries, it just wasn’t the same they’ve been the rest of the year. With Coloccini still out on injury through at least next week and Steven Taylor out for the season because of injury, the Magpies had a hard time holding off any offensive threat – even from a mid-table Norwich City side. Danny Guthrie wasn’t available at midfielder either being out for injury for at least six weeks.

The scoring luckily wasn’t too big of an issue for the Magpies, however Norwich found goal more. Norwich opened things up in the 39^th minute but Newcastle’s Demba Ba was able to equalize just before the close of the first half. In the second half though, Norwich City scored twice in four minutes – in the 59^th and 63^rd – to go up 3-1. Frustration possibly playing a factor, Newcastle’s midfield Dan Gosling picked up his second yellow card and was sent off in the 66^th minute. That obviously wasn’t helpful for Newcastle’s cause. Demba Ba would score his second goal in the 71^st minute and pull one back for the Toon but those two goals would be it for them. Norwich would add a fourth goal to their tally in the 82^nd and the game would end in a 4-2 loss for Newcastle.

The loss was maybe to be expected with all the injuries but it’s been over a month now since the boys for the northeast have won a game. Back on November 5^th, the Magpies beat Everton and were sitting 3^rd in the table. Now five weeks later, they have gained one single point in that time with a draw and three losses. They have plummeted from that top tier position they once had, now down to 7^th. I suppose I should be grateful that they aren’t fighting relegation as many thought they would this season, but this season’s beginning showed that they could do much better.

The matches of the next few weeks are against some easier opposition. With that and some players returning from injury – except Ryan Taylor sadly – hopefully Newcastle can recapture their previous form.

A Bit of Catch Up

I didn’t get an update in from last weekend’s action so I’ll just kill two week’s worth in one post. We’ll go in the order of best to worst placed team in their respective leagues.

Newcastle United vs. Manchester United (played last Saturday, November 26^th) – The boys from the Northeast again traveled to Manchester, however this time it was to play second place United. Although I was in rural Iowa visiting my family for the Thanksgiving weekend, I got to watch the game live as it was ESPN’s Premier League match of the week. Some of my family, uninterested as they may have been, did even watch some of the match with me.

It was good match as well. Newcastle really held their own against a Man U side of superior players. The first half was scoreless, but the Red Devils broke it up in the second with Chicharito, Javier Hernandez, scoring a goal in the 49^th minute. In the 62^nd minute, a foul call in the box went Newcastle’s way and they were rewarded with a penalty kick. After two minutes of the United players arguing the call, Demba Ba converted the penalty and leveled the game.

I was hoping to get a winning goal from then on, but instead Newcastle picked up a red card. Midfielder Jonas Gutierrez committed his second yellow card offense and was sent off in the 79^th. The Magpies then of course had to hold off Manchester United with only ten men, never an easy feat. I was pacing around my parent’s living room for that last ten minutes and change, but luckily the Toon defense held firm and, more importantly, held onto the draw.

Newcastle United vs. Chelsea – This game back home for Newcastle would finish up the tough stretch of matches all against top of the table teams. While Chelsea is not as high in the tables as the Manchester squads, the Blues however were really gunning for this match to take the pressure of their team and their new manager for not performing up to expectations.

Well, Chelsea would end up getting their wanted win, much because it just wasn’t Newcastle’s day. First, just a few minutes into the game, one of Chelsea’s defenders fouled Demba Ba as he was breaking away into the box on what looked to be a goal scoring run. Normally what would be an automatic red card offense, the Chelsea defender somehow got away with just a yellow. Many a Geordie boo and whistle came down from the stands with that call. Even Chelsea fans had to wondering how it wasn’t a red.

The one bright spot for the Magpies would be goalkeeper Tim Krul. His big highlight of the day would come in the 14^th minute. Newcastle’s Cabaye gave up a clumsy foul in the box, giving Chelsea a penalty. Their Frank Lampard lined up to take the kick. Maybe it was because the ESPN announcer jinxed Lampard by saying “he has only missed five penalties in the last decade” but the tally would go to six. Krul made a fantastic save to stop Chelsea from taking the lead. However, that save was really Newcastle’s only highlight of the day.

Later on in the half Chelsea would score, with Didier Drogba heading a strong one into goal in the 38^th. And it all went downhill from there for the Toon. I’ll just sum the score line up by saying that Chelsea would score two more goals, in the 89^th minute and in the second minute of stoppage time, to win the game 3-0. Unfortunately the closest Newcastle could come to equalizing those three goals would be to have three shots hit the bar. It was that kind of day.

A larger story than the loss for Newcastle though would be the injury list post match. Two mainstays of the defending back line left the pitch with injuries. Fabricio Coloccini was substituted in the 28^th minute because of possible continuing back issues. Steven Taylor left the pitch limping in the closing moments of the game. Right now it seems like Newcastle is preparing for the worst as it is an Achilles, one that could keep him out for many months.

Oh, and I guess I should mention that Newcastle have now fallen from their 4^th position in the standings two weeks ago to 6^th currently. They could fall to 7^th if Liverpool win their match against Fulham on Monday.

[Edit – Reports on Sunday revealed that Coloccini’s injury was a thigh strain which could keep him out for next week’s match verses Norwich. The larger story though is that Steven Taylor’s injury will keep him out for the rest of the season with surgery needed on his Achilles. Not good news from the northeast of England.]

---

Oxford United vs. Cheltenham Town (played last Saturday, November 26^th) – All I can say is bring on December. November has not been a good month for the Yellows. This game would continue that trend.

Following the Newcastle game on TV at my parents, I didn’t follow this match too intently but could tell Oxford just wasn’t in it. Cheltenham went up 1-0 just eight minutes into the game and basically just controlled things from there. Oxford’s Liam Davis didn’t help matters either in the second half getting sent off with two yellow cards in just nine minutes time. That red card came in the 55^th minute and Cheltenham needed little time to take make use of the one man advantage scoring just a minute later. Oxford would pick up a consolation goal with a Peter Leven goal in the 82^nd. Cheltenham though would seal their win with yet another goal in the 86^th making it a 3-1 loss for Oxford.

The Yellows had this weekend off because of FA Cup matches, but it’s a much needed break to regroup. With the loss last weekend, they slipped down to the 10^th spot in the standings. Next weekend they play Morecambe who sit just two positions higher in the league table, so a win looks at least a little more promising at this point.

---

FC Nurnberg vs. Kaiserslautern (played last Saturday, November 26^th) – Der Club finally broke up their winless streak and pulled at a 1-0 win over Kaiserslautern. American leftback Timothy Chandler scored early on in the 13^th minute and Nurnberg then just defended the rest of the game to take the win.

FC Nurnberg vs. Hamburg SV – This was a Sunday fixture so it received my undivided attention. Well, I did wake up a bit late for the start, but started a live stream maybe fifteen minutes in. I left for just a few moments to grab a cup of tea and right as I sat down at the 23^rd minute Hamburg scored. Not a great start.

It seems like anytime I watch or listen to a Nurnberg game instead of just following the match tracker, they play horribly. After they were down by a goal, their play was just depressing. For the life of me I can’t figure out how Nurnberg has scored the few goals that they have. They can’t make that final pass or two in the attacking third to really make a threat on goal. It doesn’t look they can score.

In fact they indeed wouldn’t score in this game. Hamburg would score a second goal in the 62^nd and that’s how things would end, Hamburg 2 and Nurnberg 0. With the loss, Der Club fall back down from the 14^th spot in the standings last week to 15^th. They continue to stand on the stair steps leading down to the relegation zone basement.