Break His Heart, Not Mine

By: Abby | September 25th, 2009

First off: everyone’s got to go and read the conversation in the last post. Some great insight into the situation currently at Hertha. (I pretty much agree with Jan, for what it’s worth.)

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.