Lost again

It is hard to a support your local team these days. You might know that I support VfB Stuttgart because I share their ups and downs for a long time. Last weekend we played against BVB Dortmund and from beginning it was as David would line up against Goliath. Of course Dortmund has much more abilities in playing football like Stuttgart has. So what can do Stuttgart more, than to bring out the old virtues of the classical football: fighting and running for every ball.

And they did well, although they got a goal close to the end of the first half. Coming back to the second half they did their very best to equal the result and they got success – they made it. But all hope was gone when they got the second goal close to the end.

I am not disappointed about the defeat – I have got used to it in the course of the season. But what annoys me is the way as trainers and players have weighted behind about supposedly brutal playing of Stuttgart. Sure, Dortmund defender has to be replaced because he broke his nose – Stuttgart defender had to leave the ground by a yellow/red card (by both cards it was no foul if you watch the scenes in slow motion). But nowadays every team should play like Barcelona with their short passing, fast and disembodied game.

What we will lose will be the classical virtues of the game: To win duels, tackle and the absolute will to win the game. What also bothers me is that so many players in the Bundesliga are trained in faking fouls. I look back to the days gone by when a defender like Vinnie Jones could be a hero – knowing that these days are gone forever.

Red Guitars – Steeltown

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