And then stoppage time began, the great Saarbrücken time. The Saarland team decided three cup games, against Karlsruhe, Bayern and Gladbach, after the 90th minute. This time too, the ball flew towards the 1. FC Kaiserslautern goal, and Saarbrücken was once again on the offensive. But they needed two goals this time. They achieved so many things that seemed incredible here on the Saar, but this miracle was too big, even for the FCS. The spectators got ready shortly before the end to thank the players for this miraculous journey to the semi-finals. And that’s what they did. The losers received first quiet, then very loud and very deserved applause.
In the end, 1. FC Kaiserslautern moves into the DFB Cup final in Berlin. The Palatinate won 2-0 (0-0) – because they beat 1. FC Saarbrücken at their own game. Kaiserslautern’s coach Friedhelm Funkel, with his 70 years of experience, was the first to find the way to crack the third division team. Kaiserslautern didn’t risk anything throughout the first half – then they scored according to a principle that had applied to Funkel’s entire life: cross, header, goal. Marlon Ritter and Almamy Touré were the goal scorers.
Saarbrücken still remains the pride of a cup season that will not only be remembered by the Saar. Before the game, the FCS fans had prepared a choreography and pulled the golden DFB Cup under the roof. But instead of the green gem in the center, where the letters “DFB” would normally be seen, they featured the blue-white-red cross of Saarland’s old flag when it became independent after World War II. Patriotism is high in Germany’s smallest federal state.
FCK coach Funkel initially ordered his team back – and waited
The game started with a few seconds delay, but the pitch was completely innocent of that. The Saarbrücken lawn has now become one of the most famous botanical structures in Germany, but it was green and without puddles. A tarpaulin protected him from the Saarland rain on Monday, but it remained largely dry on Tuesday. No, the delay was simply because a few fans had smuggled distress flares through security. A Lauterer rocket flew into the back straight, which rightly provoked whistles. Referee Marco Fritz waited a moment until the smoke cleared so that all television viewers had a clear view – then it started.
And Lautern’s coach Friedhelm Funkel showed that his statement that FCK was the outsider here was not just talk. He ordered his team back and left the ball to the Saarbrücken team. They took it – but didn’t want to risk too much. Marcel Gaus, the winning goal scorer against FC Bayern, caused the most danger with four throw-ins in the first ten minutes from more or less the same place. He always threw the ball directly at Lautern’s goalkeeper Robin Himmelmann, who was passed by his own people, to create confusion. Nice idea, but it didn’t work.
Kaiserslautern’s best chance also came after a counterattack, Marlon Ritter set off, Saarbrücken’s captain Manuel Zeitz stopped him. After about a quarter of an hour, both teams swapped roles, FCK got the ball, but didn’t see the need to take any more risks than absolutely necessary. The game thrived on tension, as the saying goes, when not much else happens. After 31 minutes, Kaiserslautern’s Kenny Prince Redondo had to go out with a suspected muscle injury, while top striker Ragnar Ache was also injured in the Palatinate offensive, Aaron Opoku.
As a result, the game became a little rougher, but not more high-class. In the 42nd minute, Kai Brünker, the winner against Karlsruhe and Gladbach, had the best chance of the first half, his diving header from a free-kick cross went wide. It was still early in the game. When the break went, the FCS was once again able to save 45 minutes of cup minutes as a success. Kaiserslautern had no real chance to score and struggled to create one.
Lautern threw themselves into the balls, as the Saarbrücken team had done in four rounds of the cup
Is it all Funkel’s plan? In any case, his team came out of the locker room changed and much more offensive, and suddenly played a lot more balls into the Saarbrücken penalty area. And Almamy Touré brought one of them high to Ritter, who at 1.73 meters is not considered the master of the skies. But he prevailed against Zeitz and brought the ball to the near corner, where it slipped extremely badly through the legs of Saarbrücken’s goalkeeper Tim Schreiber. The Lauter fan curve lit a few distress flares.
The FCK was better in the game after that and noticeably gained momentum and confidence. The FCS was forced to act – but the blue-blacks, who again played in their white and gold cup jerseys, also came back from behind against Bayern and Gladbach. Lautern now had space for counterattacks, Zeitz cleared one of these opponents and was shown yellow. Saarbrücken’s coach Rüdiger Ziehl made three changes, and his team became more offensive with every minute. Lautern threw themselves into the balls, as the Saarbrücken team had done for four rounds of the cup. Upside down world in Ludwigspark. “We couldn’t allow ourselves to be countered. This is how Bayern Munich failed here, this is how Borussia Mönchengladbach failed here,” said Funkel on ARD.
Then Kaiserslautern got another free kick. Tymoteusz Puchacz hit the ball high, Touré jumped higher than everyone else – 2-0. In the 80th minute, Kai Brünker had a great chance to score. But his ball flew over the goal with Saarbrücken’s dreams of Berlin.