What is up with Wolfsburg?

The Hertha story of this season, to hear it retold from neutrals, is of Hertha winning a lot of games where they should have lost. That’s been the standard line. The one exception that’s usually brought up was the game against Wolfsburg, where Hertha should have won but instead drew 2-2. And the new exception? This game against Wolfsburg, where we probably should have at least drew but instead lost 2-1. Hell, even Raphael Honigstein of the Guardian, no regular fan of Hertha, declared that we were ‘mugged.’

What is it with us and Wolfsburg?

The controversy stems from two goals- one given, one not. The one given was what proved to be Wolfsburg’s winner, where Edin Dzeko climbed all over Josip Simunic to head the ball into the net. A clear foul, and especially galling considering that Cicero had a goal ruled out in the first half for a foul on a defender. (The two goals between them- first one of ours from Cicero and then a legitimate one from Dzeko- no one has a problem with.)

So our reign over the table was short. Just a week. A win- maybe the one we should have had?- would have kept us there, since Bayern lost to Köln and Hoffenheim only managed to draw Stuttgart. Instead, we’re down to third, level on points with Hoffenheim but behind them on goal difference. It’s kind of bitter. I just have to remember that being third is pretty damn special, and hope that the team put it behind them quickly.

I’m actually fairly confident of their ability to do that- there have been a few bad losses this year, but the team has yet to look perturbed by them. The 5-1 loss against Werder Bremen was followed up by the 1-0 win over Hoffenheim. A loss to Cottbus at home led to beating Leverkusen away. We’ve been able to carry on well after disappointment. I’m hoping it continues.

So I’m going to hopefully lead by example and move on.

A non-Wolfsburg story that I’m finding interesting is the potential international career of Maximilian Nicu. The 26-year-old was signed over the summer from 2. Bundesliga SV Wehen Weisbaden, after a career spent in the lower leagues. He’s taken to the big leagues very well and has been one of Hertha’s more noticeable players. So much so that there’s talk of an international callup for him. The only question is, what national team? Nicu was born in Bavaria, but his parents are Romanian, and he’s talked about being interested in a call-up from the Balkan state. So much so that there are reports that he’s being fast-tracked to Romanian citizenship. According to tabloid reports he’s already deposited his paperwork at the consulate in Munich. Not that he’d mind a call-up from the DFB, but it seems like the first who act will the ones to get him. Romania hasn’t been shy about their desire to have Nicu on their side and it looks like they will. Perhaps even as early as their qualifiers against Serbia and Austria at the end of March/beginning of April.

Also: welcome to the world, Arne Friedrich. Apparently the newborn Arne’s older sister was so taken with our Kapitän at the World Cup that she convinced her parents to name their baby after him. Awwwww.

Category: Players, match reports

Tags: match reports, Players

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