A tough stretch awaits Hertha BSC Berlin, a stretch that would be tough even if we weren’t in the position we find ourselves in. It’s off to Hoffenheim on Sunday, followed by a trip to Lisbon, and then we’re back at home against Hamburg. Even if we were in good form it’d be hard to expect anything from that stretch. But we need it badly.

We’ve got some reinforcements, in the form of a new goalkeeper. Sascha Burchert may yet become a good goalkeeper, but he’s only 19. With our savior Jaroslav Drobny out for what might even be 2 months, and official second-choice (and 21-year-old) Christopher Gäng still injured as well, picking up a new goalie is not the worst of plans. So we’ve gone out and signed Timo Ochs. The 27-year-old German was a free agent after leaving Red Bull Salzburg, where he apparently had some issues with fitness that he says are resolved. Still, a new player is a new player, and let’s hope that he can make things a bit better for us.

The importance of a good goalkeeper was clear at the DFB-Pokal game on Wednesday. It was as heartbreaking and frustrating as anything this season. 1860 took an early lead from our own Rasmus Bengtsson, who scored his first goal in a real game for Hertha. Unfortunately, it was on Burchert’s goal, not (ex-Herthaner) Gabor Kiraly’s. American Kenny Cooper gave them a second early in the second half, and we looked as sunk as ever, only to come back in the 77th minute through Adrian Ramos. Just a few minutes later Valeri Domovchiyski found an equalizer, and we were alive again. We bombarded the Bavarians for the entirety of the extra-time, but despite all the world’s chances couldn’t find another goal. And it was man against boy for the resulting penalty shoot-out. Kiraly saved one (Gojko Kacar’s, fortunately back), Christoph Janker sent another high, and we were out of the Cup.

I’m not sure exactly what to take from the game, especially since I was at work and didn’t watch. Going down like that wasn’t good; coming back was. Dominating extra-time was good; not finishing wasn’t. And the penalties, well, they weren’t good at all.

So let’s hope the team at least gets the good stuff from it. There is still quality in the squad, they just have to remember that it’s there. I understand a lack of confidence but I also feel like they just need to get on with it already. Wallowing in self-pity listing to Xiu Xiu doesn’t help anyone.

There won’t be any room for slacking at Hoffenheim. Hopp’s team are in fine form, particularly coming back from 2-0 down at ‘Gladbach to win 4-2. They’ve also got one of the most missed of the ex-Herthaners, Josip Simunic. Joe leaving was only a surprise inasmuch he’d been trying to leave since I’ve been writing this blog and I didn’t think it would actually happen, but after a fine season last year Hoffenheim stumped up the €7 million that was written into his contract as enough to take him, and he left. It was a bit of a surprise, as they weren’t offering significantly more than Hertha, and aren’t in England like he always said he wanted, but there wasn’t much we could do once he decided on it.

Getting anything from Joe and his teammates will be hard. There’s nothing else to say about that. But they do say that teams in desperate situations can be a surprise.

Let’s see.

Oh yes, it’s good to be back.

Hannover, much to my pessimistic predictions, put up more of a fight than they appeared capable of in pre-season. They had the better of what few chances there were in the first half, hitting the bar or having their shots blocked. As for Hertha, new boy Nemanja Pejcinovic started at right-back, in place of Lukasz Piszczek who was replacing Patrick Ebert in midfield. Artur Wichniarek also got a start up front with Raffael. (It seems he had a bit of a time of it, as well- the Berlin fans aren’t exactly patient, are they?)

The second half started a bit like the first, but eventually the home team started to turn the screw. Gojko Kacar gave a glimpse of what was to come by unleashing a 30-yard drive, saved by Enke, in the 52nd minute, but it was 30 minutes later (when it seemed as if the game was about over, but at least we’d keep a clean sheet, right?) that he finally made the breakthrough. Much praise also needs to be given to Valeri Domovchiyski, who worked the ball down the right side, playing an excellent one-two with Cicero before providing an excellent cross to Kacinho, who slid it through the Hannover defense and into the back of the net. That was all that we needed for a 1-0 game and the resumption of the season, right where it was.

And, okay, maybe Robby was right and it wasn’t the most exciting of games, but the goal, when it came, was particularly sweet. Creative, feisty, and everything that I hope to see in the season ahead, particularly with the good work by Domovchiyski and Kacar. There’s going to be a lot of pressure on those young shoulders, particularly Gojko’s- he’s already being touted as the new star of Berlin now that Pantelic and Voronin are gone. He seems eager to start on it.

Let’s all watch the goal, shall we?

Link:

There’s still about 20 days in the transfer window, too, and still much more to be done. We are apparently interested in Rwanda’s U-20 captain, Haruna Niyonzima. I can’t say much more about that. There are also reports that we’re planning on loaning Tunisian striker Amine Chermiti and bring in another striker. He’s never quite settled here – although a long-term injury hasn’t helped – and it might be a good idea to let him regain his confidence and scoring somewhere else. Although I still think he can come good for us.

The signings we’ve made are also not without controversy. According to various sources, Lazio are so peeved at our nicking of Rasmus Bengtsson that they may take it to FIFA. They claimed that they already had an agreement with Bengtsson’s agent by the time we signed him, but we were the ones who ended up with his name on a shirt. We’ll see.

Oh, and Marko Babic’s gone to Zaragoza.

There’s also the next round of the DFB-Pokal to think about. We’ve been drawn away to Munich, of the 1860 variety. The second-division Löwen came in twelfth in their league last season, but they did win their first game.

At least, in all the time I’ve known them. They’ve not done particularly spectacular in any of the cups they’ve been involved with. Last year was a bit better than others, with us going out from the DFB-Pokal to a Bundesliga team in extra time (Borussia Dortmund), and being not entirely embarrassing in the UEFA Cup (just minorly embarrassing). Still, though, neither of those were triumphs.

It looks as if we’re continuing that trend early, as we needed the last few minutes of extra-time to take out fourth division SC Preußen Münster. Raffael gave us the lead on 23 minutes, only for Patrick Ebert to take it back with an own-goal in the 53rd. It went to extra-time, and the brave Münster-ites were eventually felled in the 117th minute by Domovchiyski and then again in the 119th by Raffael.

So yes, a bit embarrassing, but we were far from the only ones to suck in the first round. Hamburg needed penalties to take down Fortuna Düsseldorf. Bayer Leverkusen barely eked out a win over Babelsburg. Mainz was dumped out by VfB Lubeck (and then fired their coach). Hannover 96 also saw themselves knocked out by a Regionaliga side, going down 3-0 to Eintracht Trier. So, you know, it could be worse.

Still, though, we clearly need a bit of improvement before we face that same Hannover on Saturday (!).

Reinforcements might also be in order. While Ayew didn’t work out, we might be interested in some other Marseilles rejects, as we’re allegedly sniffing around Mathieu Valbuena and Renato Civelli. Valbuena is an attacking midfielder nicknamed “the little bike”, while Civelli is tall and a defender.

We’ll see who actually lines up in a few days. Can you believe it’s only a few days?

While it’s still unnaturally summery here in Seattle, it’s time for some actually competitive games in Germany. The first round of the DFB-Pokal starts this weekend – in fact, several games have already taken place – and Hertha are up against SC Preußen Münster, of the Regionaliga West. They got there by winning the Oberliga Westfalen, which gave them a place in the new Regionaliga. Effectively, it’s the fourth division of German football.

They’re a club with a long history and some fine players in their past, but I can’t say I know anything about them other than that. Lulu’s been watching their DVDs, though, so the team should be better prepared than I.

On the Hertha side, we’ll likely be without Cicero, who has some kind of knee knock. It seems somewhat minor, and the Brazilian might play, but it’s just as possible that he won’t. Pal Dardai also has a bit of a calf problem and might be replaced by youngster Lennart Hartmann. In defense, there’s a fight to see who partners Arne Friedrich in the center, with Steve von Bergen and new boy Nemanja Pejcinovic duking it out.

(One player who won’t be in the center for Hertha? Rasmus Bengtsson, who’s apparently signed for Lazio.)

It’s early times in it, but the season’s just about here. And we certainly don’t want to be the giants slain in this round.

Which is? A two-year loan, with options for a three-year buy. We’ve done a lot of loans of late, which isn’t all that surprising for a club in Hertha’s financial situation. It lessens the financial burden a bit and lets us make sure that the players are right for us before they’re put on a longer contract. They don’t always work out- our mid-season loaners have all gone away- but sometimes it does rather nicely. Cicero’s just been signed permanently, for example. The versatile and talented Brazilian had a great last season with us, not to mention having a great name that is well-suited for a blogger to make jokes out of. (Loans work the other way as well- another Brazilian, Rodnei, is off to Kaiserslautern.)

Anyway. Pejčinović. He’s apparently quite talented, has one cap for the Serbian national team, and he impressed everyone on trial, so that’s enough for me. While he probably won’t be Simunic, it’s nice to have his position filled on the squad. He’ll take the number 5 jersey. I wish him the best of luck at Hertha.

He’s not been the only youngster on trial of late. I already mentioned Andre Dede Ayew, the 19-year-old Ghanian, but we’re also checking out a 20-year-old Croatian named Ivan Perisic. He’s visiting us from FC Sochaux, and spent last year on loan at KSV Roeselare in Belgium.

It’s not all transfer potentials. The friendly against cult-club extraordinaire St. Pauli came and went, with a 2-2 draw that has the papers questioning our defense. And Lulu as well, to be fair. With Pejčinović committed we may be looking for another, taller defender to more aptly duplicate Josip Simunic. He’s certainly going to be difficult to replace, but we all knew that.

This weekend is the first competitive game of the season, the DFB-Pokal game against Preußen Münster. They currently play in the Regionaliga West, but in his way, Lulu is being a bit negative. I do like seeing him take everything seriously.

And, it’s also been a birthday! As of Saturday, Hertha turns 117. Many happy returns to our beloved Old Lady.

Anyway, to sum up the last week: two losses. The first, to Borussia Dortmund, was in the DFB-Pokal. Which means we’re out of the cup for another year, as usual, but this year we have an excuse. Dortmund’s form was erratic beforehand, but so was ours, and they were at home. They ended up beating us in extra time thanks to a goal by Diego Klimowicz, after taking the lead through a (controversial) penalty and us equalizing through Pantelic. Which means we’re not going to Berlin this year. Uh. Any more than we already were.

Then, on Saturday, Hertha lost again to Energie Cottbus. It’s our derby (Cottbus is in Brandenburg), and somehow, we never do well. Cottbus have survived by the skin of their teeth in recent seasons, and we always give them a helping hand for some reason. Last season they survived by five points- four of them came from us.

Oh, and did I mention that this was Cottbus’ first win of the season? Yeah.

But we’ve got to put that behind us. Tomorrow we’re off to Ireland for the second round of our UEFA Cup tie. We’ve got a 2-goal lead from the first leg, but that isn’t enough to relax with. Our injury list includes Gojko Kacar (who was also absent for Dortmund and Cottbus), along with Patrick Ebert, who needs surgery, as well as long-term injured Chermiti, Lucio, and goalkeeper Christian Fiedler. One of the boys from the pre-season, Lennart Hartmann, is also injured.

Better finishing- the problem in Dortmund, but also in Cottbus- is still required. I’m hoping Voronin gets off the blocks tomorrow, as he could use a goal for his new club (although he’s been definitely contributing). However, the most important thing is to not concede. It’s not in Lulu’s nature to be defensive, but to me, a clean sheet is essential. The Irish will be fired up for this game and it’s not to be taken lightly.

Hopefully tomorrow will bring better news…

Anyway, the draw for the next round was made yesterday, and we ended up in one of the all-Bundesliga clashes. We’re away against a new-look Borussia Dortmund, headed by former Mainz boss and owner of a lovely floppy haircut and stylish glasses Jürgen Klopp. They’ve been in decent form lately, and won the Pokal last year. I’m not saying that Hertha can’t beat them at Dortmund, but I am saying that if we collapse in the early rounds of the cup again, this time we have a legitimate excuse.

Dortmund were one of the other sides to take home the result of this Bundesliga weekend, that being a 1-1 draw. Hertha was also participating in the trend, with a 1-1 draw at home to Bielefeld. Ex-Herthaner Artur Wichniarek (of course) scored their goals, not long after Marko Pantelic (of course) scored ours. Apparently- I didn’t watch, I must admit- Hertha dominated the game but couldn’t quite figure out a way to score. So it goes, sometimes. It’s at least encouraging to see a tie game that we dominated, rather than a tie game that we snatched a point from. Optimism is good, right?

After the game, Dieter Hoeness flew off to Brazil in the hopes of securing one last transfer before the window shuts. The player in question seems to be Dario Conca. He’s a 25-year-old Argentinian midfielder who signed for Fluminense in January. He’s a well-traveled player, starting at River Plate before being loaned out to Universidad Católica of Chile (where he impressed and won a title), Rosario Central, and Vasco before settling at Flu. I can’t say I know much about him, but he does have a good amount on Youtube. Like this!

Magic!

Anyway! This time we didn’t, taking care of Eintracht Trier without too many problems. Several players were missing- Josip Simunic is suspended from his last DFB-Pokal game where he got red-carded, Arne Friedrich has back issues, Pal Dardai has a torn muscle, and Gojko Kacar is, for the moment, still at the Olympics. New boy Amine Chermiti started on the bench.

Marko Pantelic opened the scoring in the eight minute, but slack defending on a corner let Trier equalize. The half ended with the scores at 1-1, but after the hour mark little Swiss midfielder Fabian Lustenberger put Hertha in the lead again, and in the 81st minute Patrick Ebert headed in a cross from new boy Nicu (who seems quite handly) to make the score fairly respectable for us. Chermiti got his debut as well, coming in at the 83rd minute.

But we can’t linger on Trier. Thursday already we’re in action again, up against NK Interblock Ljubljana of Slovenia, who seem to have a new manager. I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not- on the one hand, it means they’re doing poorly, on the other hand, teams tend to play better with new managers, and his first game will be Thursday.

And then, Sunday (we’re busy!), the league starts. It’s upon us again and I’m super-excited. The first game is away to a different Eintracht- this time, Frankfurt. I’ll have a bigger preview when we get close to it.

The question is going to be whether we have Gojko Kacar with us, or not. When we last left the story, we’d agreed to let the young Serbian stay in China provided that Serbia’s federation met certain conditions regarding insurance and salary. Apparently, they didn’t, and we’ve demanded him back.

It’s not the most pleasant situation, but compared to other clubs we’ve been positively genteel. And it seems as if he’s on his way back, maybe. We’ve bought him a ticket back to Berlin, at least, and as it seems he’s always gone with the rulings on this, there’s a good chance of seeing him on Sunday.

I’ll keep you updated.