week 13 - match report
Supersub Sand rescues point in 2-2 draw at Cologne
Cologne: Wessels - Lell (Epstein 46'), Sinkiewicz, Schlicke, Benschneider - Alpay - Streit, Schindzielorz, Mokthari (Lurling 71') - Scherz (Grammozis 80'), Podolski. - Coach: Rapolder
Schalke: Heimeroth - Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic, Kobiashvili - Altintop (Asamoah 64'), Poulsen (Bajramovic 85'), Ernst - Lincoln - Kuranyi, Larsen (Sand 64'). - Coach: Rangnick
Goals: 0-1 Kuranyi (23'), 1-1 Benschneider (47'), 2-1 Epstein (57'), 2-2 Sand (86')
Attendance: 50,000 (sold out)
Referee: Kircher (Rottenburg)
Yellow cards: Sinkiewicz (2), Mokthari (2), Schindzielorz (2), Scherz - Poulsen (5), Rafinha (2), Bordon (2)
1. FC Cologne (0) 2-2 (1) FC Schalke 04
The Royal Blues dominated the first half and should have taken a long overdue lead in the 21st minute when Sören Larsen put Lincoln clean through with a flicked header. With only the keeper to beat, the Brazilian had all the time in the world to pick his corner, but his shot was so weak Stefan Wessels had no trouble making the save. Two minutes later, though, Schalke did go in front with a magnificent goal. Christian Poulsen dispatched a 50-metre pass to Kevin Kuranyi, who lofted it elegantly over Roland Benschneider before taking Wessels by surprise with a left-foot volley that sneaked in at the near right post. Soon afterwards Cologne defender Christian Lell almost inadvertently extended Schalke's lead when he deflected a Fabian Ernst cross towards goal in a high arc, but Wessels reacted well to turn the ball over the bar.
After the interval, though, it was a completely different picture, and Cologne restored parity with their first foray into the danger area. Lukas Sinkiewicz headed on Albert Streit's free-kick from the right to the far post, and Benschneider bundled the ball over the line from close range. Schalke should really have gone in front again just two minutes later. Kuranyi got past his marker and his cross was neatly dummied by Larsen for Lincoln, who again found himself in lots of space. This time the Brazilian struck it hard, but without precision, and the ball swerved past the right-hand upright.
And things were to get worse for the Royal Blues. Christofer Heimeroth's miskicked goal kick landed straight at the feet of Streit, who slipped the ball to Dennis Epstein, and the half-time substitute netted in the far corner. The home side had an opportunity to settle the game themselves on 70 when Youssef Mokhtari broke clear on the counter. But instead of squaring the ball to either Scherz or Podolski, who could have walked it into the net, the Moroccan elected to shoot, hitting the side netting and incurring the wrath of his team mates in the process.
What was an anarchic second half took then another turn as the Royal Blues, for whom coach Ralf Rangnick had introduced two fresh front men in the shape of Ebbe Sand and Gerald Asamoah, began to pile on the pressure in their search for an equaliser. In the 73rd minute Asamoah, feeding off a Lincoln pass, was denied from close range and a narrow angle by an alert Wessels. And within a minute Lincoln burst into the penalty area and this time did everything right, only to see his shot fly just the wrong side of the post.
Schalke could have paid dearly for their missed chances, especially as Rafinha twice had to clear the ball off the line from headers by Benschneider and Alpay, but the equaliser did eventually come four minutes from time. Lincoln slipped the ball to Asamoah on the right, and his cross was headed home by Sand. The Blues skipper thus rescued a point in a game in which no one could have foreseen anything but a Schalke win at half time. Christian Poulsen was shown his fifth yellow card of the season, however, and will therefore miss the home clash with Werder Bremen through suspension.
In a game they should have won comfortably on account of their first-half performance, Schalke 04 will in the end have been relieved to have picked up a point in a 2-2 draw at 1. FC Cologne.
