Actually, everything was already set for the penalty shoot-out between VfL Bochum and SC Freiburg. Then came the 120th minute of the match.
It would have been the first semi-final for VfL in 34 years. The atmosphere at Castroper Straße was at boiling point in the last quarter-final of the cup competition, the 10,000 frenetic fans from both camps eagerly awaited the supposed climax, the penalty shoot-out.
But the game was still going on and something happened that no-one had expected: Maxim Leitsch didn’t put the ball forward, but wanted to play with his keeper – his back pass was too short, Rolland Sallai got hold of the ball and scored the 2:1 – the knockout for the Bochum side.
“He will grow from this mistake “
“This is the last action. Take the ball, shoot it across the stadium – then everything would have been settled,” Bochum coach Thomas Reis analysed on the “Sky” microphone the situation that denied VfL their historic chance. But the coach was quick to defend his centre-back: “Mistakes happen. Leitschi is playing an impeccable season, he will grow from this mistake and come out stronger. “
Attacker Sebastian Polter, who scored the interim equaliser, also put himself in front of the 23-year-old Leitsch: “We win together, we lose together, no one is chalked up to that. We still saw an awesome cup fight,” said Polter.
“Today it hurts “
So after the bitter defeat against Leipzig came the brutal elimination against Freiburg, two neck blows within a few days. “Today it hurts, it takes a little longer to recover,” says Reis, who is already looking ahead again. Because on Saturday, the Bundesliga awaits what Reis calls “the most difficult game of all” – against bottom-placed Fürth.
In the duel of the promoted teams, the third home game in a row, “everyone expects something”. Until then, we have to “lick the wound”, says the coach. This should also succeed thanks to the fans, who tried to quickly rebuild Leitsch with chants immediately after the final whistle.
