Geh’n Wir Nicht

By: Abby | August 27th, 2009

Rumors of our demise have been exaggerated.

Not, you know, that there wasn’t a reason to start them. 45 goalless minutes started the game, although the official Hertha liveticker (it’s very hard to watch a game when you’re supposed to be working) assured me that they had the better of the chances. But chances haven’t been converted into goals as of late, and the Danes would make us pay for those missed chances.

A poorly-cleared corner in the early stages of the second half meant that Brøndby not only had the lead, but an away goal. And better goal difference. And as the minutes ticked down at my cubicle, it started to look as if fortune had truly deserted us.

But there was life in the Old Lady yet. In the 75th minute, who else but Gojko Kacar rose above at a Hertha corner and headed the ball home. Game on, although I was skeptical that after our goalscoring issues we’d be able to score even another to get into extra-time, much less the two we’d need to go through outright, in the fifteen minutes there was left. And rarely have I been so happy to have my game-day pessimism thrown back in my face.

Five minutes after Gojko’s goal, Pal Dardai took a long-range shot and hammered it into the goal. 2-1, and heading into extra time, which was already enough to make me elated. And it took just 4 minutes for Gojko Kacar, that wonderful boy, to complete what was looking improbable just twenty minutes before. Nemanja Pejcinovic, marauding up his side, noticed his countryman, sent in a cross, and Gojko sent Hertha to the group stages.

Holy crap, man. Just check out these entries from the liveticker guy, who I’m a bit in love with now:

73. Minute:
Diesmal legt der starke Ebert auf Pejcinovic ab, dessen Schuss zur Ecke abgeblockt wird…

74. Minute:
…uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuund TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR FÜR HERTHA BSC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

74. Minute:
Nach der Ecke von Nicu steigt Gojko Kacar am höchsten und nickt am langen Pfosten zum 1:1-Ausgleich ein. Dieser Treffer war sowas von verdient, aber auch ein wenig überfällig – jetzt bleiben den Berlinern 15 Minuten, um noch ein Tor zu schießen und damit die Verlängerung zu erzwingen.

76. Minute:
Kacar legt per Hackentrick auf Piszczek ab, der minimal zu hoch ansetzt. Der Ball geht übers Tor, Hertha drängt sofort mit aller Macht weiter nach vorne.

79. Minute:
TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR FÜR HERTHA BSC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

79. Minute:
Ebert legt an der Strafraumgrenze auf den besser postierten Dardai ab, der fasst sich ein Herz und hält voll drauf – unhaltbar für Keeper Andersen schlägt das Leder in der rechten Ecke ein – das erlösende 2:1 für HERTHA BSC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

81. Minute:
Jetz müssen die Dänen erstmal wieder ihren Rythmus finden, bis jetzt standen sie nurnoch tief in den eigenen Reihen. Doch Hertha will jetzt alles klarmachen und spelt weiter nach vorne.

86. Minute:
TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR FÜR HERTHA BSC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shut up. I think it’s cute.

Anyway, the win changes things. For one, we won. That’s totally different. And we scored 3 goals, when the chips were completely down- that’s new. It’s got to give the side a whole new bit of belief going into the Werder game on Sunday. Confidence had been disturbingly low. Now, it’s got to be a little bit better.

Also, how good is Gojko Kacar? It’s rumored that FC Barcelona are looking at him (although I heard that was just the Serbian press reporting back on this article praising him, but we need him far too much to sell him anywhere this season. Everyone’s been saying that he’s going to have a big, big season…well, it’s already started. 4 goals in all competitions. Simply, he’s our crown jewel. His start to the season means that the rumors won’t die. A continuation on it, though, and that €12 million Stuttgart offered is going to look paltry indeed.

With the Europa League qualification completed successfully, we have a million or so more euro and a certain amount of prestige with which to sign a player (or two). Bild is reporting that Deportivo Cali claim to have reached an agreement with Hertha over Adrián Ramos. The 23-year-old has scored 12 goals in 17 appearances in 2009, and other than that I can’t much say anything. Preetz hasn’t admitted to the deal yet, calling him simply “interesting”, and the board is worried about about acclimatization, which is a valid concern. But, a striker is needed, and maybe our luck is back.