Red Cards for the Holidays

A fractious game to end a frantic year at Hertha BSC. Two red cards for each team. Five yellow cards. And a goal each, as well.

As I had just taken off from Amsterdam when the game started, I missed by what was all accounts a ridiculous sort of game. It kicked off with captain Andre Mijatovic getting sent off for a straight red in the 15th minute, allegedly for bringing down Nando Rafael. However, this wasn’t the collapsable Hertha of earlier and against the odds (but not the run of play), a man down away from home, Hertha took the lead. Nikita Rukavytsya scored on the 27th, and Hertha went into the dressing room ahead by one.

Hertha were holding until another somewhat questionable call. According to the referee, the young goalkeeper Sasha Burchert took down Thorsten Oehrl, and a penalty was rewarded. Ex-Herthaner Nando Rafael scored it to take the home side level.

That wasn’t the end of it, of course, and again, it involved the ref. Augsburg were down to 10 men as well when Daniel Baier was sent off for kicking Hubnik. Then, towards the end, they were down to nine when Axel Bellinghausen for fouling Lasogga.

Oh, and then we were down to nine when Roman Hubnik got a second yellow in the dying moments.

Whew.

The talking points, of course, were about the ref, as any game where the teams both end at nine would be. But the draw means that FC Augsburg take the winter championship, and we go behind them, but only on goal difference. It’s a bit bitter considering how well we started the season, but considering the little slump we went through, it’s not terrible. We’re still in the automatic promotion places, we’re only behind on goal difference, and we can possibly take the moral win from the Augsburg game.

Now it’s the break. TIme for a little rest, relaxation, then training camp and doing it all again for the next half. It’s Rot-Weiß Oberhausen again on January 17th.

In some non-Hertha news, I’ll be appearing on Mao’s Football Show tomorrow, talking with mao of Timbers Offside. We’ll mostly be discussing MLS, but I never give up the chance to talk Hertha. It’s on at 4 PM PST, and saved as a podcast as well in case you miss it.

Category: match reports