Bochum (AP) – unlucky Maxim Leitsch was inconsolable. Even the encouraging chants of the home fans and the encouragement of his team-mates could not cheer up the VfL Bochum defender.
With his fatal mistake in the last minute of extra time, he initiated the 1:2 (0:0) defeat in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup against SC Freiburg. “You’re fighting a great cup and then unfortunately you concede such an annoying goal,” complained VfL attacker Sebastian Polter, but defended Leitsch against criticism: “Everyone makes mistakes. We’re on the pitch as a team, that got us in made strong in the last few months.”
When everyone involved, after a hard-fought game and goals from Nils Petersen (51st minute) and Polter (64th), slowly but surely began to mentally prepare for a penalty shoot-out, the central defender, otherwise known for his reliability, took all hopes from his Bochum team-mates from the first Cup semi-finals for 34 years. His failed attempt to play the ball back from the air to goalkeeper Manuel Riemann provided the template for Roland Sallai. The 24-year-old Hungarian national player, who came on in the 72nd minute, didn’t let this chance pass him by.
No criticism of Leitsch
Similar to Polter, VfL coach Thomas Reis didn’t say a bad word about the 23-year-old Leitsch: “If you want to become a great player, you have to deal with things like that. Even if it was a bitter evening for him tonight. He’s a young player and has already performed very well.”
With his last-minute goal, Sallai improved Freiburg’s good season so far. Christian Streich made no secret of his pride. “We were eliminated in the second round for many years – that means you can make it to the semi-finals,” joked the football teacher. With a first expression he added: “It is important that we are in a good position in the championship. That’s another bonus – for the fans and for us, of course, great.”
The final on May 21 in Berlin is just one win away. Much will depend on which of the remaining clubs RB Leipzig, Hamburger SV and Union Berlin the bobsleigh Olympic champion Laura Nolte draws next Sunday (7:15 p.m.) for the Freiburgers. When asked if he was already dreaming of the final, Streich replied with his usual quick wit: “The fans can dream. But I shouldn’t dream so much, I should make sure that I work properly.”