aJordan Sebacho only wears his first name on the shirt. The last name is too long and too complicated. The style of play in 1. FC Union Berlin, for which the American has been playing since this summer, is not complicated at all. Sepacho, a direct and powerful striker in the penalty area, perfectly matches his skills.
That was impressive again against Wolfsburg, when the USA international scored an important goal to make it 1-0 (54th minute). It was a typical Berlin target, set up on the wings. Sheraldo Becker found Sepacho’s head with a precise cross. Becker scored himself later (77), and Al Ittihad won 2-0.
Goals were among some of the highlights of this quiet age of football, but that didn’t bother anyone on the field at old Försterei who supported Union. The fans celebrated the fifth victory of the season and defended the championship lead. Union is in the top spot for the second week in a row, and Berliners seem to be slowly getting used to the role of Croesus, a role unfamiliar to them.
The start of the season for the smaller club, Berlin, has been fantastic on every level, especially against the backdrop of huge tension. Al-Ittihad lost on Thursday in the European League in distant Braga in Portugal (0-1). There, coach Urs Fischer’s side looked less confident, similar to the week before against the Belgians from Saint-Gilloise (0-1). There is nothing to see in the Bundesliga, the federation can apparently disperse without any problems.
Only Wolfsburg, who had the weekend due to poor pre-season and only watched international competitions on TV, looked tired or even drowsy. Forty-five seconds later, Union almost took the lead. Yannick Haberer received a cross from captain Christopher Tremmel straight from the air, but was blocked by Wolfsburg goalkeeper Quinn Castells.
As exciting as the game started, it quickly faded into the banality of the central circle. This is where things happen a lot. Duels marked the picture, from which the Union often came out victorious. Wolfsburg found no way to disengage against the usual tight-knit Berliners. Aside from Josep Pricalo’s shot, not much happened in front of Frederic Renaud’s goal.
In the second half, little came of it, and Wolfsburg basically stopped all offensive efforts. On the other hand, the union became more convincing. After Siebacheu’s lead, the Unioners took control, and Becker’s logical score was 2-0.
The Berlin crowd sang with rejoicing “Without Kroe, you don’t have a chance.” It was intended for Max Kreuz, whose Wolfsburg coach Niko Kovac had retired a week ago. Kruse switched from Union to VfL in January. At Union, the 34-year-old has regularly contributed to wins in the past.
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