1. FC Union Berlin vs FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf
Womens Regionalliga Nordost, 5. Matchday
vs FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf
Womens Regionalliga Nordost, 5. Matchday
Union Relentless in Victory
Match report
Just three days after their bitter exit from the Berlin Cup, the women's team of 1. FC Union Berlin made amends in the Regionalliga Nordost with an emphatic 9-0 victory over FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf.
1. FC Union Berlin: Wagner - Bach, Becker (46. Gericke), Schindler, Rurack (46. Wildner) - Reichenbach, Wimmer, Spolaczyk (64. Bucher), Reissner (64. Krauss) - Youssef (83. Scheel), Heiseler
Hertha 03 Zehlendorf: Ulrich - Urbscheit, Giannori, Hoffmann (63. Eckhoff), Trincia (84. Holtfreter), Dreher, Haesler (84. Teuffert), Mettner, Genthe, Danso (59. Frieauff), Reiman
Goals: 1:0 Heiseler (1st), 2:0 Youssef (17th), 3:0 Spolaczyk (19th), 4:0 Spolaczyk (56th), 5:0 Spolaczyk (58th), 6:0 Heiseler (61st), 7:0 Reichenbach (63rd), 8:0 Reichenbach (68th), 9:0 Heiseler (90+1.)
Spectators: 200
Union head coach Ailien Poese made six changes off the backof the cup match on Thursday. Among others, goalkeeper Melanie Wagner - substituted against RB Leipzig II last weekend due to injury - was available to pull her gloves back on. There was also a first start of the season for Megan Reichenbach.
Union utterly determined from the first whistle
Even before the game, you could see in the eyes of the Union players that they were determined to take revenge for the defeat in Pankow, and they started as if stung, scoring almost immediately after kick-off. Only 20 seconds had passed when Lisa Heiseler was able to get behind the visitors' defense, moving straight onto a simple pass and easily beating the keeper, Marie Ulrich.
Union carried on in that fashion, they were relentless. But for fifteen minutes it remained at 1-0. Shots were put wide, or were well stopped by the ex-Unioner, Ulrich. In the 17th minute, however, Nour Youssef made it 2-0 with a superb, clinical finish after being put through by Pauline Wimmer who'd won the ball in midfield. The 17 years old left Ulrich no chance. Then, only two minutes later, the game was already decided when Elisa Spolaczyk made it 3-0, converting a cross by Naika Reissner.
After that Union allowed themselves to slow the pace, controlling the midfield, using the width of the pitch, and pressing their opponents back into their own half of the pitch constantly. But as things seemed to playing themselves out into the comfort of mundanity, Elisa Spolaczyk made woke up the excellent crowd of 200 spectators in Dörpfeldstraße with a brilliant shot that crashed against the post. Union kept on pushing, threatening. Just before the break Youssef failed to convert when one-on-one with Ulrich. There was still time for the keeper to deflect Spolaczyk's shot out for a corner a minute later.
Shooting practice in the 2nd half
It didn't take long for Union to run riot against their beleaguered guests. After a great pass, Spolaczyk found herself free again in front of the goal, scoring to make it 4-0. Then, just two minutes later, the 24-year-old completed her hat-trick following on from a great assist from Youssef. Poor Zehlendorf now fell apart completely, they were demoralised, utterly, comprehensively beaten. Lisa Heiseler scored Union's sixth with half an hour to play, before Reichenbach added two more. Youssef also almost bagged a deserved second in the 70th minute, but her shot clanged off the bottom edge of the crossbar and down onto the goal line.
Union barely needed the slice of bit of luck handed to them shortly before full time, when a final Zehlendorf attack saw the ball shot over the goal from three metres out follwing a set-piece , meaning Wagner could go home happy with her clean sheet.
It was the joyous Heiseler, who wrapped things up with her hat-trick, and the undisputed goal of the day. With 13 points from their first five games, Union remainnot only unbeaten, but also continue to lead the table.
The coach and the skippers' views on the game
"After Pankow on Thursday, we were focused directly on Hertha 03, and were already resolved to go for it from the start and to play with an intensity," said a visibly happy Poese after the final whistle. "We did an excellent job of that and, in a way, got some of the frustration off our chest. We now have a little break in which the players can catch their breath, which we absolutely deserved today."
Meanwhile, triple goal scorer and captain Lisa Heiseler was also satisfied: "We started very well with the quick goal and wanted to make up for Thursday's game. Even in the 80th minute we didn't give the ball away. Now it's some time to take a deep breath, clear our heads and then prepare for the next game against Stern 1900."
Looking forwards
Union have next weekend free. On Sunday in a fortnight, 09.10.2022, the next capital city duel will take place with SFC Stern 1900 being guests at Dörpfeldstraße. The Steglitz side are currently in 9th place in the table with three points from three games. Kick-off is, as usual, at 14:00
Regionalliga Clash on Sunday
Match preview
After the disappointing loss to Borussia Pankow in the Berlin Cup on Thursday, it's straight back to the Regionalliga for Union's women this coming Sunday, 25.09.2022, with recently promoted FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf coming to the table-toppers.
Please note: The home ground has been changed at short notice, so that the match will now take place at Dörpfeldstraße. Kick-off is at 14:00.
The Opponents: FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf back in the Regionalliga after 17 years
The fact that Hertha can play in the Regionalliga at all this season is thanks to 1. FC Union Berlin. Union's 2nd team won last season's Berlin-Liga, but weren't eligible for promotion, because the U23 team is not allowed to play in the same league as the main team, meaning Hertha 03 benefited as the runners-up.
The Blue and Whites therefore returned to the Regionalliga after an absense of 17 years. That season will bring back bad memories, though, for Hertha who were immediately relegated having come bottom of the table..
Head coach Henrik Suttinger's team were the surprise packageBerlin-Liga promotion race last season. After all, Zehlendorf had spent years near the bottom of the league and were even relegated to the Landesliga for a year in 2016. However, Hertha 03 were outstanding, ending up with 63 points, only two points behind Union II.
The team from the south-west of Berlin have also had a good start in the Regionalliga so far this season. Zehlendorf are sitting in 7th place in the table with four points after four matches. While they suffered two clear defeats on the first two match days against Türkiyemspor (3-0) and Magdeburger FFC (5-0), they were able to take their first points of the season a fortnight ago against FC Carl Zeiss Jena II with a 2-0 victory. Then last Sunday, the team followed this up with a 2-2 draw at Bischofswerdaer FV.
Marie Ulrich, a former Union player who was part of Union's squad until the summer, has also joined the promoted team. The 20-year-old goalkeeper stood between the posts for Zehlendorf on the first two matchdays, but had to make do with the substitutes' bench in the last two games.
The head-to-head:
To look back at the only two competitive duels between the two teams, one has to leaf through the archives. The last time Union played Hertha in the league was in the 2004/05 Regionalliga season. Union won both games.
Only six months ago, however, the teams met in a friendly. After Hertha 03 had taken an early lead in front of their home crowd, Lisa Heiseler and Elisa Spolaczyk turned the game around. In the 90th minute, however, the hosts managed to equalise to make it 2-2.
Obviously, however, there have been a few more encounters between 1. FC Union Berlin II and Hertha 03. Of the 20 times the sides have met, the U23 team have won ten, lost seven and , three games ended in draws. The last match in May 2022 was won by Hertha 03 4-2.
