BVB And Valdez Still Searching For Form

First Team
Friday, 10.11.2006 / 10:54

If you were to take heed of the comments coming from both the Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund camps before their clash on Friday, 10.11.2006 at the Weser Stadium, then you could be forgiven for expecting a spectacular tie.

If you were to take heed of the comments coming from both the Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund camps before their clash on Friday, 10.11.2006 at the Weser Stadium, then you could be forgiven for expecting a spectacular tie. “Borussia have a team who try to play football and have a lot to prove”, said Werder coach Thomas Schaaf of his up-coming opponents. Christian Worns has been blowing the BVB trumpet in the same direction: “Werder play good football but they are not so compact at the back. Maybe we’ll have more space up forward, that’d suit us.” The trainer Bert van Marwijk added: “We will play offensively in Bremen too”, a point that could suit Werder and make for a good tie.

 

Borussia will most likely attempt to find their fortune up front, having suffered some dissatisfying results of late. From their last eight games, BVB have only managed one win (3:2 in Cottbus), and that was six games ago. Dortmund’s last four Bundesliga games have finished in draws which may not sound too impressive but they last suffered a defeat back on the fifth match day of the season with a 1:0 in Gladbach. Of course the expectations among the Dortmund fans, who number on average 72,183 at the Trutzburg Signal Iduna Park, are extremely high and the home fans have only seen one win (1:0 against HSV). The fans were particularly disappointed in the last week with two draws against Bielefeld (1:1) and Aachen (0:0), and that after scoring three goals on their travels in both Stuttgart and Cottbus. Thomas Schaaf is wary: “Dortmund have their ups and downs. In one game they impress, the next they disappoint. There is a lot of upheavel there at the moment but we can’t allow that to blnd us.”

 

For all of the discussion and rumours in the back ground at Borussia, there is no doubting the quality within the BVB side. Thomas Schaaf named names: “The midfield of Tinga, Pienaar and Kruska all want to play football – they play football out of the defence too with Kringa, Dede; Brzenska and Amedick. To add to that their three strikers are very mobile and strong.” Up top by BVB you can currently find Alexander Frei, Ebi Smolarek and Nelson Valdez. The Paraguayan international played for five years in the Green-White before moving to Dortmund in summer and has high hopes prior to returning to his old place of work – “I still have some Werder in me”. Not all has gone well for Valdez, who is still without a goal after eight appearances in yellow: “No matter what I do there always seems to be a post, a foot or a keepers knee in the way.” Werder manager Klaus Allofs commented on the star that he discovered: “The expectations of Nelson in Dormund are very different to how they were in Bremen. He is really challenged there but that’s what he wanted. He always gives his all, he has the talent and he will do his thing.”

 

Although Valdez’ new side have not had much luck in Bremen in recent years (3:2, 2:0 and 2:0 for Werder), they are never a comfortable guest. “The situation in Bremen could be god for them. When they have 80,000 fans expecting in Dortmund, then the pressure in on. After eleven games Dortmunds away record is certainly more positive than the balance of things at home with seven points in five away ties and eight points from six games at home. Bert van Marwijk will hope to turn the tides for his team at the Bundesliga league leaders but he does have personnel difficulties. Particular problems can be found on the right side of defence with Phillip Degen and Florian Kringe both suffering with knocks. In Bremen BVB will also have to do without Sebastian Kehl (infection in the knee), Lars Ricken (shoulder injury) and Christoph Metzelder (rehab). The new signings Valdez, Amedick, Tinga, Pienaar and Frei are all fit and expected to play.

 

Werder will on this occasion have to make changes to the side which they’ve started the last five games with. Captain Frank Baumann will not be available thanks to an Achilles injury but Tim Borowski will be back in the fold as will Daniel Jensen after his extended missing period. That in mind Thomas Schaaf selected an 18 man squad to face Borussia Dortmund:

Reinke, Wiese, Pasanen, Fritz, Mertesacker, Naldo, Wome, Andreasen, Schulz, Vranjes, Frings, Jensen, Borowski, Diego, Hunt, Klasnic, Almeida, Klose.

 

John Muldoon

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