Football United

Hansa Rostock played like a second division side in the Ostseestadion on Sunday evening. HSV, with three former Rostock players in their side (Beinlich, Pieckenhagen and Barbarez, not forgetting the HSV coach Thomas Doll, who also played for the East Coast club), started the game with an aggressive approach, and soon showed their intention of taking maximum points back with them to Hamburg. After unluckily losing at home to Schalke last time out, HSV had a point to prove and they did just that, putting six goals past the former HSV keeper Matthias Schober, and driving the final nail into the coffin of the Hansa coach Juri Schlünz, who resigned his post at Rostock, immediately after the game was over.



Benjamin replaces Schlicke and scores!
Thomas Doll had to do without his dynamic Belgian goal-getter Emile Mpenza, who had to miss the trip to Rostock due to an ankle injury. His place in the starting line-up went to the Portuguese midfielder Moreira. Defender Björn Schlicke was forced to leave the field of play on 13 minutes due to injury. He was replaced by Collin Benjamin; it was a substitution which was to pay off. On 20 minutes Stefan Beinlich curled a free kick into the Hansa box and onto the head of Benjamin who nodded in his first goal of the season.

Jarolim strikes!
The home side tried hard to get back into the game, but the nerves were very visible and they hardly troubled Pieckenhagen between the HSV sticks. HSV played a counter attacking game and Rostock invited them to take pots on goal as their defence fell apart. A second HSV goal seemed to be only a matter of time. On 35 minutes, Bouhlahrouz played a dream pass to Jarolim who was lurking on the right hand side of the Rostock penalty area. The Czech-born midfielder advanced into the box and unleashed a shot, which was deflected past Schober by Hill.

Taka on the mark
Three minutes before half time, it was the turn of HSV’s “Sushi-Bomber” Takahara to get his name on the score sheet…and how! The Nippon international striker received the ball on the edge of the area where he turned on a sixpence before blasting in a shot which left Schober no chance as it flew in off the inside of a post. HSV went into the halftime break three goals to the good, and rightly so.



Unchanged sides
Surprisingly, Rostock’s coach Juri Schlünz played an unchanged side fort he second half, as did his HSV counterpart Thomas Doll. The second half was only two minutes old before HSV grabbed a third goal. Sergej Barbarez won the ball on the right and passed to the unmarked Moreira, who pushed the ball home to score his first ever goal for HSV.

Jarolim at the double!
Rostock continued to play like a relegation-haunted side as HSV’s fifth goal proved. Lantz under no pressure whatsoever, gave the ball away to Jarolim who strolled into the Hansa box before sliding the ball between the legs of the advancing Schober to bag his second goal of the match. Thomas Doll replaced Takahara with Bernardo Romeo on 66 minutes, and the popular Gaucho goal-getter didn’t disappoint. Romeo put away a well-timed Barbarez cross to make the score 6-0 to HSV.



Bring on the Bundesliga leaders!
Next Sunday (21.11.04, kick off 5.30 pm), sees the visit to the AOL Arena of the current Bundesliga leaders VfL Wolfsburg. HSV will have a chance to prove that they can stand up to the top teams in the Bundesliga in what promises to be an absolute cracker of a game. HSV are now in 12th place in the league table, but can by no means afford to be complacent. Only five points are separating Thomas Doll and Co. from the dreaded drop zone, as the HSV quite rightly pointed out in an interview after the match.



Hansa Rostock: Schober - Persson, Hill, Möhrle - D. Rasmussen, Rydlewicz, Lantz (69.Lapaczinski), T. Rasmussen (77.Maul) - Arvidsson, di Salvo, Prica

HSV: Pieckenhagen - Schlicke (13.Benjamin), van Buyten, Boulahrouz, Klingbeil - Wicky, Jarolim, Beinlich, Moreira (77.Mahdavikia) - Barbarez, Takahara (66.Romeo)

Goals: 0:1 Benjamin (20.), 0:2 Jarolim (35.), 0:3 Takahara (42.), 0:4 Moreira (47.), 0:5 Jarolim (63.), 0:6 Romeo (63.)

Source: HSV.de