A turbulant and pulsating Cup tie ended in bitter disappointment for Werder Bremen at the Arena AufSchalke. The homeside have ex-Bremen keeper Frank Rost to thank for their progression into the cup final after a dramatic penalty shoot-out in which the S04 keeper saved three Bremen penalties before taking on the responsibility himself of converting the decisive spot kick. The game stood at 1:1 after 90 minutes with Ebbe Sand having put the "Knappen" in front before Ismael drew the sides level again in the 84th minute. In extra time, Tim Borowski put the cup holders in the driving seat but not for long before last seasons Werder hero Ailton equallised for his new club. It was to take a nail biting penalty shoot-out to seperate the sides at the end of a thrilling cup match.
Trainer Thomas Schaaf saw the need to make two changes to the side which was beaten 1:0 at home by Hertha Berlin at the weekend. Frank Fahrenhorst made way for Petri Pasanen, with Ümit Davala getting the nod ahead of Christian Schulz in the starting eleven - Canadian international Paul Stalteri switched to the left side of the back four with the Turkish defender on the right.
Right from the kick-off, a real cup battle got under way with both sides scrapping for every inch of territory and attacking their opponents early. For the first ten minutes both sides appeared determined to keep the ball as far away from their respective penalty areas as possible resulting in the game being quite often restricted to the middle of the park. Werder made their first breakthrough in the fifteenth minute. Micoud swung a free-kick into the Schalke box and Oude Kamphuis threw his head to the ball in an attempt to clear. The S04 defender didn't make a clear contact and sent the ball spinning towards his own goal but Frank Rost showed lightening reactions turning the stray header over the bar.
Half-Time Dead Lock
The Green-Whites kept up the pressure displaying clever combination football until a decidedly dangerous foul by Mladen Kristajic on Nelson Valdez threw Werder off their game. The home team exploited Werders loss of concentration to launch their first attack on goal. Ailton broke free and got his shot away but his effort was never going to be enough to beat Andi Reinke in the form he was in on the night. The games flow was badly interupted by the number of niggly fouls which marred the first half and although both teams had set out an offensive stall, no further goal chances fell before the break.
Schalke started the second half as the better side and pressed their opponents. The result was two openings for Ailton. Firstly the Brazilian struck a shot after a sprint into the box but couldn't keep his shot on target (53') and two minutes later Reinke denied the ex-Werder striker. At the other end Ivan Klasnic came close with a header after a corner from Micoud when Rost fond himself stranded in his 18 yard box but the Croatians effort landed on the top of the net. Just 120 seconds later Schalke striker Ebbe Sand pounced. Ismael lost the ball to Kobiashvili and the Georgian picked out the overlapping Poulsen driving forward. Poulsen passed to Lincoln who found Sand in the box and the 'Great Dane' kept his cool to place his shot through a sea of defenders and put the hosts in front.
Ismael puts Werder back on level terms
The title holders seemed less than preturbed by the Schalke lead and continued to push forward. Johan Micoud eventually made his mark on the game at this point with a header to test Frank Rost (68') and then a shot from distance which the Schalke keeper did well to parry. It was Micouds fellow countryman who would make the differance when he burst into the S04 box to meet a Davala cross on the half volley and bury past a hapless Rost (84'). Instead of defending, both sides threw everything into attack for the final inutes and both came close to deciding the tie. The tireless Nelson Valdez failed to beat Rost. Then a perfectly good goal by Ivan Klasnic was disallowed for offside and from the resulting counter attack Ailton struck the inside of the Werder post and Reinke managed to smoother the rebound from Lincoln. Extra time would have to follow.
In extra-time it was the visitors who made the better start. Valdez battled his way through on the right and passed into the box where Kobiashvilis attempted clearance fell to the feet of substitute Aaron Hunt. The youngster picked out Tim Borowski with a perfect pass and the German international hammered past Rost to put Werder in the driving seat. Werder could only enjoy their lead for two minutes. The Werder defence failed to clear a cross from the right and Asamoah took the ball on his chest and laid it off for Ailton who met the ball beautifully with his stronger left foot and drew the sides back level (96').
Rost saves three penalties and then converts himself
Aaron Hunt had his chance two minutes later dancing through three Schalke defenders before getting a shot in which Rost was happy to turn away for a corner. The second half of extra-time was just as thrilling as the first. Andi Reinke kept his side in the tie denying Lincoln (107') and Hanke (114'). And so the tie finished 2:2 and the lottery of penalties would be needed to decide the match.
The drama of the shoot-out matched the tie with Werder looking to have blown their chance as Rost saved spot kicks by Stalteri and Borowski. Then it was the homesides turn to loose their nerve with Oude Kamphius and Ailton blasting wide and high respectively. The packed arena held its breath as Fabian Ernst made his run-up and then slipped on the wet surface and failed to make a clean connection with the ball and Rost blocked easily. The Schalke keeper then snapped the ball himself and converted the penalty which was to hand Schalke 04 their ticket to Berlin. Werder Bremen had every reason to hold their heads high as they left the pitch after a stunning cup semi-final but little can comfort a side who fight so hard and suffer such a bitter loss.
Johnnie Muldoon
Werder Bremen: Reinke - Davala, Ismael, Pasanen, Stalteri - Ernst, Jensen (74' Hunt), Borowski, Micoud - Valdez, Klasnic
FC Schalke 04: Rost - Oude Kamphius, Waldoch, Krstajic, Kobiashvili - Poulsen, Vermant, Lincoln - Asamoah (106' Altintop), Sand (91' Hanke), Ailton
