Werder Bremen couldn't have wished for a more attractive opponent for their semi-final of the League Cup on Tuesday, 01.08.2006. At 8:30pm the Green-Whites will host Hamburg SV at the Weser Stadium.
Werder Bremen couldn't have wished for a more attractive opponent for their semi-final of the League Cup on Tuesday, 01.08.2006. At 8:30pm the Green-Whites will host Hamburg SV at the Weser Stadium.
Werder Bremen couldn't have wished for a more attractive opponent for their semi-final of the League Cup on Tuesday, 01.08.2006. At 8:30pm the Green-Whites will host Hamburg SV at the Weser Stadium. For Werder it will be the first real test after a programme of eight friendly games in pre-season preparation. Altogether this will be the 91st meeting between the two Hanseatic cities. Werder have in that time won 31 of their meetings with HSV leaving the pitch as winner on 28 occasions. The last three and a half years have been particularly successful for the Green-Whites who are on a six game unbeaten run against the Hamburg rivals. HSV haven't managed a win at the Weser Stadium in over four years. This though will be the first League Cup meeting between the two in the tournaments history.
"The clash between these two is always something special", gleemed trainer Thomas Schaaf who knows that the last meeting between the two not only brought three away points but also second place in the league and a automatic Champions League place: "Now we want to make a good start to the season with the same constelation as we ended the last campaign." Werder Bremen have the advantage that they will play the game in front of their own fans at the Weser Stadium: "We want to use that", admitted Schaaf.
Hamburg qualified for the semi-final with a 1:0 win against Hertha BSC Berlin. 15,000 spectators at the LTU Stadium in Dusseldorf saw a 51st minute goal by new signing Vincent Kompany (€8 Million from RSC Anderlecht) decide the game for the 'Rot-Hosen'(Red Shorts). Further new signings by HSV include Besart Berisha (AC Horsens), Paolo Guerrero (FC Bayern München) along with a number of players from their own Under 23 side.
Contrary to Werder, HSV have managed to win the League Cup. In 2003 Hamburg beat Borussia Dortmund 4:2 with Werders Torsten Frings sidelined for Dortmund, where he was at the time, due to a cruciate ligament tear.
Hamburg have taken on exactly as amny friendly games in the pre-season as Werder. Prior to the pre-round of the the League Cup HSV played seven friendlies which all finished with wins aside from a 1:1 draw with English Premiere League side Blackburn Rovers. The other games were 1:0 against Lüneburger SK, 5:1 at Itzehoer SV, 7:0 against TuS Heeslingen, 18:0 trouncing of Raika Going, 12:0 at Union Matrei as well as a 2:1 in their last game against Preußen Münster.
