And so Werder face their final home game of a season of ups and downs. On Saturday, 14.05.2005 at 3:30pm the Green-Whites take on the already relegated SC Freiburg in a game which the homeside need to win to defend their UEFA cup spot and keep alive their wavering chances of finishing in third place. General Manager Klaus Allofs still hasen't thrown in the towel: "Mathimatically it's still possible but we need every point."
You could be forgiven for believing that the Green-Whites had given up the ghost after last weeks unneccessary defeat in Dortmund, but you would be mistaken. A quick glance at the table will make clear the importance of the final two games against Freiburg and Kaiserslautern. The ex-champions are hungry for European football next season. Werder are currently in a UEFA cup position but with Leverkusen and HSV hot on their heals, they know how essential a win against Freiburg could be.
Heads still high
"We want to win the two remaining games to guarantee our qualification for Europe", claimed Allofs who is not only thinking of the financial aspect. "It's the only way for the side to develop on a sporting level." Werders original goal of Champions League football looks now a distant pipedream with just two games to go and a five point defeceit. All the same, Klaus Allofs remains a realist but is keeping a good eye on third place: "We've got our own work to do first, then we can look and see how the competition are doing." For the seemingly impossible to come through Werder need their competitors to slip up.
The Green-Whites have slipped up themselves of late, at least as far as results are concerned. A good performance against Borussia Dortmund remained painfully pointless but the quality of play leaves the coach feeling optimistic: "If we play against Freiburg with the same determination as we played against BVB, then the fans will have a lot to shot aout." The coach could see no signs of precipitation after the recent defeat - if any thing, the opposite."I was happy with the clear 7:2 win over the Police Team just 24 hous after the BVB tie and the will is there in training too."
Schaaf: "Freiburg have nothing to lose"
SC Freiburg were relegated on the 30th match day after a 3:1 defeat by Bielefeld, the third time that the promoted side have had to play a yo-yo season in their History. The rot began in the first round of games when they collected a mere eleven points and conceeded 38 goals on the way, the second half of the season hasn't been much kinder to Volker Finkes men. Heavy defeats in both league and cup (also against Werder) unsettled the team who have, according to striker Ellery Cairo: "Have only begun to play football since their relegation."
Exactly that is the danger for Werder in Thomas Schaafs opinion: "They have absolutely nothing to lose, they can play without any pressure and if they have a good day, anything can happen", was the warning from the Werder trainer. The coming opponent won't be underestimated in Klaus Allofs opinion: "This games means too much for us for that to be the case."
Freiburg will wecome the return of keeper Richard Golz along with the midfield duo of Bajramovic and Coulibaly (top scorer with five goals). The SCF defence will be bolstered by the young full-backs Kruppke and Ibertsberger who will fill the wide defensive positions. Freiburg will only miss the injured Khizaneishvili and Sanou from their first eleven when they arrive in Bremen. Werders current injury list leaves them short on options but developments can be followed on the Trainings-Register @ Werder-Online.de.