SC Paderborn - Die Schwarz-Blau

And so the season begins for SC Paderborn, first hosting Greuther Fürth and then a making a trip to the capital city, to play Union Berlin.


For all the effort, the offensive improvisations, the sheer willpower and the desire to win, the pure talent and ability of Greuther Fürth was what won this game for the Clover leaves on this opening day clash. It was probably André Breitenreiter who lost the game for his side with his decision to start with a 3-4-3, leaving the defence open to threats from the attacking Fürth. Mario Vrancic and Alban Meha both had to sit out through injuries, and it didn't take long for Fürth to take advantage of sloppy play from Christian Strohdiek as he was easily dispossessed by Nikola Djurdjic who beat the goalkeeper Lukas Kruse from just inside the box. Fürth continued to dominate for the rest of the half but couldn't get many chances in.

Fürth midfielder Michael Weilandt unfortunately went down in stoppage time under the challenge of Krösche and was forced off, but Fürth's standing continued, and Niclas Füllkrug blazed a powerful volley at goal that flew past Lukas Kruse yet hit the post and bounced away, then Uwe Hunemeier and Markus Palionis were both found out of position and Djurdjic had a chance for his second that was brilliantly stopped by Kruse, before parrying another close range effort from the Serbian just ten minutes later. Then came the only blemish on the referee's performance that would come to overshadow the rest of the game: Elias Kachunga recieved a pass, and cut it back for Johannes Wurtz who sent the ball flying into the net, but the linesman raised his flag against Kachunga and although Paderborn had the better of the last 10 minutes they did not have enough to pull out a point.


The tough start for SC Paderborn continued as they travelled all the way to Berlin to face 1.FC Union Berlin. With players such as Irish international Patrick Kohlmann, Torsten Mattuschka and Christopher Quiring in the midfield, and Adam Nemec and Simon Terrode in the final third, and Paderborn switched to a more conservative 4-5-1 for their second game. Both sides missed some great chances and were made to rue their profligacy in front of goal, Rick ten Voorde especially, who hit numerous efforts off target or at the keeper including a volley onto the crossbar from the edge of the area.

In the second half, things didn't improve as he received the ball with almost the whole of the goal to aim at but somehow allowed goalkeeper Haas to save his effort. Both keepers also made some great saves, but on 77 minutes, Michael Parensen found space to cross for Adam Nemec, and he outjumped Uwe Hunemeier covering for the poorly positioned Strohdiek and he headed the ball into the far corner. It didn't take long for Mahir Saglik to wrestle back the point for Paderborn, turning in a Jens Wemmer cross when Haas was in no man's land. 1-1 was the fairest result in the end. Paderborn had dominated but not really given the impression that they had deserved to win.


Very difficult to decide this month with a grand total of 1 goal being scored. So it was Mahir Saglik's volley against Berlin.

Unlucky against Furth but they are a strong squad, nice updates so far!

Oo, very nice update, shame about the loss, but a great start to the story The goal of the week feature is a nice touch.

Nice update! Shame to see you lose but you'll come back fighting!

Hello and welcome to the DFB-Pokal First Round! We have 5 games for you now, followed by more at 4:00 and even more afterwards!

These are the fixtures for today.


- GOAL! - 1 - Benjamin Keller - Neckarsulmer SU 1-0 VfB Stuttgart
The most amazing start possible! Neckarsulmer SU lead here in Heilbronn! 1-0! It was poor defensively from Stuttgart. Olgun had it on the edge of the area, both Geyer and Rüdiger went over to him and allowed Benjamin Keller way too much space to knock it past Thorsten Kirschbaum. 1-0 to the underdogs.

- GOAL! - 4 - Jens Wemmer - SV Sandhausen 0-1 SC Paderborn
A fantastic move comes to fruition and creates a fantastic goal! Jens Wemmer is the scorer, 1-0 to Paderborn already, it starts when Strohdiek wins the ball back, pass to Schonlau, he gives it to Mirnes Pepic, Pepic taps it forward to Mahir Saglik, he just lofts the ball over the defender to Jens Wemmer who runs down the wing, cuts in, and fires past Manuel Riemann.

- GOAL! - 7 - Yuya Osako - SW Rehden 0-1 TSV 1860 München
1860 lead early on through the Japanese forward Yuya Osako and it is a fantastic goal! Stark set up Benjamin Lauth who looked to shoot, but turned and pushed the ball towards Osako who took the chance perfectly. 1-0!

- GOAL! - 8 - Patrick Funk (pen) - SV Neckarsulmer 1-1 VfB Stuttgart
Patrick Funk levels from the spot! Neckarsulm's unlikely lead did not last. It was Olgun, who got the assist for Keller's opener, who pushed Rüdiger who was at fault for the opener, but the referee blew and Funk's penalty was poor yet the keeper was unable to keep it out.

- GOAL! - Sejad Salihovic - 10 - FC Nöttingen 0-1 TSG Hoffeheim
The visitors lead in Osnabruck, it's the Bundesliga side Hoffenheim who draw first blood - and what a goal it is, from Salihovic! A free kick from just outside the box, he looks around looks at the wall, and then just smashes it past the wall and past keeper Endres.

- GOAL! - 11 - Markus Adler (OG) - SV Jena 0-1 Hannover 96
Oh dear oh dear. SV Jena have held out perfectly for the first 10 minutes and were playing well enough to maybe even hope of nicking a win. Then Frantisek Rajtoral crossed the ball for Artur Sobiech, but it was going straight to the keeper, and the defender Adler tried to shepherd the ball towards him, it's come off Adler, and bounced past the goalkeeper and in! Madness!

- GOAL! - 15 - Kevin Artmann - SW Rehden 1-1 TSV 1860 München
WHAT A GOAL! Fantastic finish from Kevin Artmann to level the scores! But you have to question Moritz Stoppelkamp. What was he doing? He had the ball in his own box, ran straight into Neumann he just about got the ball to Arend who laid the ball off for Artmann, but no one expected him to curl a shot from outside the area over Kiraly. 1-1. Brilliant strike.

- GOAL! - 16 - Artur Sobiech - SV Jena 0-2 Hannover 96
All those hopes have suddenly gone out the window, it is 2-0 to Hannover, thanks to Artur Sobiech's rebound. He hit a great through ball for Mame Biram Diouf, and the goalkeeper Wittfot dived at his feet to stop him, but Sobiech was on hand to hit it home. Game over already.

- GOAL! - 17 - Yuya Osako - SW Rehden 1-2 TSV 1860 München
It has taken just 2 minutes for Artmann's strike to be cancelled out but this one was arguably better! Yuya Osako again, the assist coming from Yannick Stark. He got the ball from Kai Bülow, turned, and played the ball across the pitch and over the top to Osako who brought it down and hit it home for 2-1.

- GOAL! - 19 - Vedad Ibisevic - Neckarsulmer SU 1-2 VfB Stuttgart
2-1! And the difference between Verbandsliga Neckarsulm and Bundesliga Stuttgart is evident. 2-1, Geyer was just sitting back, no pressure, and just lobbed a pass across all 10 of Neckarsulm's outfield players, Ibisevic latches onto it, rounds the keeper and scores. They lead, finally.

- GOAL! - 23 - Yuya Osako - SW Rehden 1-3 TSV 1860 München
Unbelievable! But it is poor defence from Rehden that leads to Osako's hat trick, Vallori simply clearing it, past all the defence and Osako ran onto it. He hit it home for 3-1, and his 3rd goal.

- GOAL! - 24 - Artur Sobiech - SV Jena 0-3 Hannover 96
This game is well and truly finished already, 3-0 to Hannover. Diouf had the chance but hit it straight at the keeper, kept it in, then Bittencourt crossed for Sobiech who's volley found the net.

- GOAL! - 26 - Anthony Modeste - FC Nöttingen 0-2 TSG Hoffeheim
Great play and a great goal and Hoffenheim lead FC Nöttingen 2-0! Great overlap play, Volland picked out Andreas Beck, and Beck ran down the right hand side before crossing for Modeste who would not miss from there. 2 goals to 0.

- GOAL! - 29 - Sercan Sararer- Neckarsulmer SU 1-3 VfB Stuttgart
And Stuttgart have certainly reacted well to their early set back, they have pulled this one back brilliantly and now lead by 2, it's Sararer with the goal and it's a deserved one. Neckarsulm have barely had a touch, and Sararer creeps round the back of the defence and rounds the keeper to smash it home for a 2 goal lead.

- GOAL! - 32 - Vedad Ibisevic - Neckarsulmer SU 1-4 VfB Stuttgart
And there is just no stopping players like this. Vedad Ibisevic's second comes only a few minutes after Sercan Sararer doubled VfB's advantage, and it's the Turk's cross to Ibisevic that set up this one. The striker volleyed it powerfully past the goalkeeper from close range and no way could anyone of stopped it.

- GOAL! - 36 - Daniel Adlung - SW Rehden 1-4 TSV 1860 München
This game is definitely up now! 4-1! And a horrific error from the goalkeeper Mandic. Adlung got the ball of Osako, he had it out wide, put the cross in for Benjamin Lauth, but he missed it, and Mandic, well, did something, and the ball rolled past him. No way back now for Rehden.

- GOAL! - 39 - Bryan Jordan - SW Rehden 2-4 TSV 1860 München
But that won't stop them trying! Lovely counter attack from SW Rehden! Neumann, plays the through ball to Winkelmann out wide, he plays a long ball into the box for the American striker Jordan who just sidefoots it calmly on the volley into the net. Is it over?

- GOAL! - 45+2 - Marco Grüttner - Neckarsulmer SU 1-5 VfB Stuttgart
This is a five star performance from Stuttgart! Neckarsulm's lead is long gone now! Rausch put the cross in from the left, no one closed him down, and the 27 year old former Stuttgarter Kickers man volleyed it in. 5-1.

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HALF TIME

- GOAL! - 49 - Mirnes Pepic - SV Sandhausen 0-2 SC Paderborn
GOAL FOR SC PADERBORN! Scrappy goal but it is Mirnes Pepic who puts this tie to bed. Marvin Bakalorz passed it into the box, Seyi Ojangbesi took it away for Tim Kister to clear, he hit it straight into Mahir Saglik, Saglik was tackled by Ojangbesi and the ball fell for Pepic who fired it beneath Riemann's despairing dive.

- GOAL! - 50 - Eugen Polanski - FC Nöttingen 0-3 TSG Hoffeheim
3-0 to Hoffenheim! This is game over now! Polanski is the man who gets the goal! But the goalkeeper will hang his head in shame. Polanski got the ball from Sebastian Rudy on the edge of the area, he hit it first time, straight at Endres in the Nöttingen goal, he just spills it in. 3 goals up, are Hoffenheim.

- GOAL! - 52 - Artur Sobiech - SV Jena 0-4 Hannover 96
Send him a hat! That's his 3rd of the game! Sobiech's hat trick! And another good goal. Sakai, to Stindl, to Prib, Bittencourt and Leonardo Bittencourt plays the ball to Sobiech who finds the top corner.

- GOAL! - 58 - Artur Sobiech - SV Jena 0-5 Hannover 96
He's not done yet! 4 GOALS! Sobiech gets another goal! Wow, what a performance from the young pole today, receives the ball from Bittencourt and hits it past Wittfot.

- GOAL! - 60 - Marco Grüttner - Neckarsulmer SU 1-6 VfB Stuttgart
And you just can't stop goals like that! Six of the best for Die Roten! Grüttner's second of the day! And a wonderful team move, building up slowly from the back, suddenly, Ibisevic gets it, beats his man, hits the ball to Grüttner, what a finish, 5-1.

- GOAL! - 69 - Fabian Böhm - SV Jena 1-5 Hannover 96
No chance of a comeback here but there is a goal for Jena to reduce the deficit to 4. Good work from Fabian Böhm and Mirko Nowakowski, neat one two and a cool finish.

- GOAL! - 73 - Kevin Volland - FC Nöttingen 0-4 TSG Hoffeheim
4 goals for Hoffenheim now! They were always going to be the better side and this time it was Kevin Volland who scored, lovely ball into the box from Hamad, a great cross, and Volland got ahead of the defenders, volleyed it past the goalkeeper and made it 4.

- OFF! - 75 - Simon Frank - FC Nöttingen 0-4 TSG Hoffeheim
Simon Frank receives the red card! He was booked less than 20 minutes ago, for a trip on Salihovic, now he comes flying into Toljan and the referee has no hesitation. That's his second yellow and he is off.

- GOAL! - 84 - Jeremy Toljan - FC Nöttingen 0-5 TSG Hoffeheim
Comical defending and it is 5-0 to Hoffenheim! No idea how that found it's way to Toljan, Salihovic's corner, 3 defenders miss it, Toljan can't reach it but the keeper plucks it out of the air, and next thing Toljan's hit it home from mere centimeters. Dreadful.

- GOAL! - 86 - Daniel Schwaab - Neckarsulmer SU 1-7 VfB Stuttgart
Seventh heaven for VfB Stuttgart now they lead by 6 goals! The corner was whipped in to the far post, punched away by the goalkeeper, he was penned in by his defenders and couldn't get back into position though he wouldn't have stopped Schwaab's amazing volley. 7 goals to 1.

FULL TIME! - 90 - All Games
Referees everywhere in Germany simultaneously blowing the whistle to call time on the DFB-Pokal round 1 for now! Stay tuned for more matches later!

Woah man, so much detail. You've put lots of effort into this update, that's for sure! Good win too!

SC Paderborn have finally found their first win in the 2. Bundesliga season with a 3-1 away win over bottom side Energie Cottbus. Cottbus are still without a point having lost their first four games, whereas Paderborn went into the game at 14th place having drawn with VfR Aalen.

Cottbus have lost every competitive game they have played this season: having lost 3-1 and 3-2 to Dynamo Dresden and Karlsruher SC respectively, they were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by SC Fortuna Köln as they suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat away at the Südstadion. They then lost to VfL Bochum away, before their 5th consecutive defeat in all competitions by SC Paderborn 07.

Paderborn's results so far have been different: now sitting in 9th, they lost their opener 1-0 to Greuther Fürth, rescued a late 1-1 draw with Union Berlin, then beat SV Sandhausen away from home in the DFB-Pokal. They then drew disappointingly with VfR Aalen before picking up their first league win away at Stadion der Freundschaft with their 3-1 win over Energie Cottbus.

Despite the eventual result, Cottbus began brightly, with Erik Jendrisek hitting the post on the half volley just 4 minutes after the home side had kicked off - the assistant referee's flag, however, was up for offside. Then, Paderborn managed to take the lead, after 17 minutes and it was Daniel Brückner who got his first goal of the season from a fantastic move. Ziegler knocked the ball forward to Pepic, he turned, and gave it to Johannes Wurtz and without even looking, he chipped a perfect ball above Jurica Buljat which Brückner side footed in on the volley, beating the goalkeeper at his near post. The lead didn't last long. On 34 minutes Marvin Bakalorz tripped Alexander Bittroff, and a free kick was given, which Stiven Rivic floated into the box and Daniel Brinkmann, took full advantage of shoddy defending from Paderborn to volley the ball home from close range. The referee soon blew for half time.

Paderborn moved to a more attacking style for the second half but the results were not immediately good. On 52 minutes they threw all their men forward for a Wemmer corner, which resulted in a goalmouth scramble, but when it was cleared by Brinkmann the ball sailed over Uwe Hunemeier's head to Erik Jendrisek who inexplicably hit his shot with such weakness that he had essentially passed the ball back to Lukas Kruse. Paderborn built up slowly from Kruse's save and soon had another corner after Almer tipped over a Rick ten Voorde effort. Wemmer's corner was again unsuccessful, but fortunately was headed straight back to him, and he cut it back for Patrick Ziegler who brought it down and struck his shot off from outside the box which hit the bar but bounced in to give Paderborn the lead. Daniel Brückner then picked up a booking for a trip on Takyi which broke up an attack, but Cottbus kept going and almost went level after 75 minutes through Takyi as Lukas Kruse couldn't reach his powerful strike but it bounced off the bar. Paderborn sealed the win though, on 80 minutes thanks to Johannes Wurtz, stealing the ball off Jurica Buljat who had intercepted a pass to Mahir Saglik, and with the keeper in position for a pass from Buljat, the goal was unguarded and he stabbed it home. Rick ten Voorde nearly added another late on but the scores stayed at 3-1 and Cottbus fell to yet another defeat.

The Cottbus boss Stefan Schmidt is already under pressure from the fans after the club's poor performances so far. The 36 year old left SC Paderborn to join Cottbus but has so far not seen success, though he insists there is no problems.

"I think we deserved to win today. We had the better of the first half, then Paderborn shook things up but we still deserved more from the second half. It was a poor game in truth but I was disappointed with the referee's performance. He was far too harsh on us but far too lenient on Paderborn. They blew for 5 more fouls by us than them and they were far worse than us in the fouls department. Believe me, to lose in this way, it hurts."

Then when asked about his job's safety, he denied the rumours that he was on the verge of the sack.

"No. My job is safe. How can you possibly sack someone after 4 games? It makes no sense, you have to have a chance to get the squad how you want it and if I was to go a new manager would not be able to do that quick enough. The board knows I am the best man for the job."

Cottbus have a tricky run in over the end of August and start of September, visiting Köln in their next game, then hosting Kaiserslautern. They then play St. Pauli, Union Berlin and Greuther Fürth in quick succession.

A nice win, to get you up to 9th, which is decent. Nice detailed update, as per usual