First the focus was gone – and then two points. The rumble in injury time was the beginning of the end for Hertha BSC against FC Augsburg (1:1). Right in the middle: Berlin striker Davie Selke.
When asked about his emotional state, there was more precision and straightforwardness than Hertha had previously shown in all the counter-attacks that were only almost completed. His emotional state was “shitty”, said Davie Selke. He replaced Ishak Belfodil in the centre of the attack after 73 minutes and did not make any conspicuous sporting impact. Nevertheless, he was one of the protagonists in the turbulent final phase.
After a short corner kick by Stevan Jovetic, Selke went down at the corner flag after a duel with Iago. Augsburg’s left-back kicked in the direction of the ball buried under Selke – and the Berliner rolled on the turf that one was inclined to urge the emergency medics to make haste.
Iago deliberately shot me in the genital area
Selke’s teammates Jovetic, Santiago Ascacibar, Deyovaisio Zeefuik and Suat Serdar were quickly on the spot, and in the midst of the incipient rumble Selke quickly stood again – and walked briskly to referee Frank Willenborg and assistant Guido Kleve, who conferred. Iago and Jovetic saw yellow, FCA got a free kick – it was the starting point of the equaliser after almost 98 minutes.
“I don’t know what the referee saw there,” Selke said. “Iago deliberately shot me in the genital area, that was ignored. Then Augsburg took the free kick 20 metres from the corner flag and in the end the ball flew in at us. We didn’t agree with the decision.” Selke saw the fact that his colleagues quickly jumped to his side as a good sign: “It shows how we stand together as a team. “
Dardai: “That was a mistake on our part.
Selke’s coach was less positive about the situation. “It was a mistake on our part for everyone to go berserk at the opposition corner flag in the 96th minute,” Pal Dardai analysed after the game. “That’s when you get off track, and you can’t do that. Just let them take their free-kick and stay focused. But everyone goes there, that’s not okay. It’s difficult then to come back to control.” On Sunday, the Hungarian added: “It could be that the team was a bit out of concept because everyone went forward. That’s when some lost their positions a few metres. That’s when you’re out of the mode.”
The goal conceded with the last action was preceded by a chain of errors. Niklas Stark’s free kick was picked up by Niklas Dorsch, whose diagonal ball landed with Fredrik Jensen, who was completely free, and Jensen’s input was converted by Michael Gregoritsch with his head. Hertha had squandered the lead “not because of the scene at the corner flag”, Dardai said on Sunday, “the goal against was a different scene”.
Reuter: “That is sometimes punished “
Never the less, concentration and positioning suffered. Stefan Reuter, Augsburg’s managing director of sport, “didn’t really like to talk about opposing players. But I also always say: deposits are sometimes punished.” Reuter: “I was so far away, I couldn’t really see it. But my feeling was that there was a bit of play-acting. And then sometimes that gets punished. “
In fact. Selke, by the way, could certainly channel his energy in other directions. In his core business, he – like all Hertha attackers – has a lot of room for improvement. The interim record of the striker, who returned to Berlin in the summer after a disappointing one-and-a-half years in Bremen: zero goals and zero assists in nine league appearances. Selke is often there where it burns. He is not really hurting the opponent at the moment.