Energie Cottbus had to accept a bitter setback in the promotion battle of the 3rd league. The Lausitzer lost the home game against Mannheim 2: 4 and slide fourth in the table.
Energie Cottbus left important points in the home game against Waldhof Mannheim for the ascent in the 3rd division. Despite a good start, the Lausitzer lost 2: 4 (1: 2) despite a good start. As a result, the team of coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz missed the leap back to the relegation rank and now has three points behind the 1st FC Saarbrücken.
Henry Rorig put the Lausitzer in the lead after only seven minutes, but Mannheim’s Felix Lohkemper countered this only a minute later. Before half -time, Kennedy Okpala turned the game completely (29th minute) before Okpala (52nd) and Henning Matriciani (62nd) made the preliminary decision in the second half. A flattering penalty gate through Tolgay Cigerci was only correction (66.).
The course of the game
Even before the kick -off, the supporters of the home team showed that their support must be counted. Another time they impressed with an elaborate choreography of the fans. The Cottbusers were heated from the atmosphere directly on the offensive. A rich conclusion from Phil Halbauer just rushed past the left post of the guests. Cottbus remained active and that should pay off. In the seventh minute in front of the penalty area, Rorig got no opposing pressure and just pulled off. The rich shot clapped to the right inner post and from there into the goal.
But the joy lasted briefly. Just a minute later, Lohkemper appeared freely in the Lausitzer’s sixteen. The Cottbus defensive was still able to block the end, but the ball still turned into the goal. An open exchange of blows remained in the initial phase. Only Axel Borgmann Mannheim goalkeeper Jan-Christoph Bartels forced to a brilliant parade, the corner immediately headed Erik Engelhardt just next to the goal (10th).
Henry Rorig and Tolgay Cigerci celebrate the early tour
The action flatten something without losing intensity. A careless ball loss during a bad Cottbus attack ensured that Mannheim’s Arianit Ferati striker Okpala was able to send a long ball on the journey with a long ball, who scored freely in front of Bethke to the Mannheim 2-1 lead (29th). Shortly afterwards, this time Engelhardt could have made the quick balance. But his shot after a good cross from Cigerci was too central. Again and again Mannheim left the Cottbusers a lot of space, but many individual mistakes ensured that the Lausitzer could not use it.
Wollitz brought fresh staff early in the second half. Timmy Thiele, Maximilian Pronichev and Maximilian Krauss replaced Borgmann, Copado and Halbauer. And Pronichev was the focus. Due to his catastrophic ball loss in the building game, Okpala was able to run freely to the Cottbus goal, was not stopped by the remaining defensive players and left Elias Bethke no chance of defense (52.).
Choreography of the Cottbus fans before the game against Mannheim
Now the Cottbus defensive was completely off the role. Just ten minutes later, the Lausitzer did not get a ball cleared again, which Matriciani used for the next goal. Matriciani also gave the Cottbusers hope a little later. The referee Tom Bauer considered a duel with Timmy Thiele as a foul and pointed to the penalty point. Cigerci converted the penalty. The gate gave the Lausitzers momentum again, but it was no longer really dangerous for the Mannheimers until the end.
What was going on there?
This question would also apply to the entire first half of the game. Before the game, both teams felt like they were not 0-0. With the number of big chances, it could have been 4: 4 at the break.
But the focus was – even if it was not decisive in the end – as was often the case in the 3rd division of the referees. Even after a study of the repetitions, there was no reason to see why the referee Tom Bauer decided in the 65th minute at 1: 4 after a header test by Timmy Thiele in the penalty area for a penalty for Cottbus. Neither the Mannheimer was on the ball nor was Thiele fouled. In the first two leagues, the VAR would have switched on with great security.
Player of the game
Once again, Tolgay Cigerci was the most striking player at Energie Cottbus. Again and again he tried to initiate attacks, but could not rely on the clean passing game of his teammates. The outstanding man of the game was not only because of his double pack, but the Mannheim striker Kennedy Okpala. In addition to his two goals, he repeatedly caused disorder in the Cottbus defensive and was the decisive player on the pitch.
Countable
- The 2: 4 against Mannheim was only the fourth home defeat of the season for Energie Cottbus – three of them in the second half of the season
- The Lausitzer already got four goals or more five times this season
- For Tolgay Cigerci it was in the 34th league game of the 15th goal
Voices to the game
Claus Dieter Wollitz (trainer, Energie Cottbus): “The key message after the game to the players was that it was and is a fantastic journey and two games remain. We have come into play, energy and courageously into the game. But we also have nothing to do with the truth: The type of goals then has nothing to do with top football of the 3. League, but also in general.”
Henry Rorig (Energie Cottbus): “Today it was very extreme. I already had goose bumps when I warm up, so I had a smile on my face. That’s why we were all motivated and certainly imagined it differently today.”
