Beyond being a hive of Southampton FC hot-takes, first and foremost In The Channel (ITC) is a platform for football conversation. This week that conversation reinstalls Duolingo and travels across the English Channel to Germany.
This is Hertha Berlin Vs St Pauli.
A match taking place in an iconic Olympic Stadium with pitch and fans separated by a bold blue running track that critics say creates a barrier to the action while others, like myself, argue that much like a picture frame the track focuses the eye on that rectangular structure that houses so many hopes & dreams.
This 2. Bundesliga clash the first league meeting since the 2012/13 season. St Pauli have waited 11 years to revisit the Olympiastadion after a 1-0 defeat, 19th November 2012.
As the familiar ITC reader knows Southampton, the principal conversation topic, ply their trade in the English second division somewhat fitting the first international instalment takes place outside of the big 5 European leagues. F*ck modern football am I right?
Overarching commentary on European football aside, if I had to summarise the occasion in one word….
Nuts!
Two words, Absolutely crazy!
Three words…
Sheer f*cking chaos! (You get the picture.)
A reported 12,000 St Pauli fans were inside the stadium. A figure representative of those with tickets for the official away end, therefore ignoring the hundreds of FCSP who adopted the easier route of acquiring tickets in the Hertha BSC end. Of course it wouldn’t be an iconic sporting venue if there weren’t simple logistical issues. Despite the scale of the away following there were only 7 electronic turnstiles to use causing severe backlog.
A gentle reminder that on 12/12/23 Real Madrid come to town (with the Olympiastadion hosting Union Berlin UCL games) you’d imagine the attendance would A. Be much closer to the capacity of 74,745 and B. Be far greater than the 66,113 crowd managed for a German second division match.
I can’t quite imagine “Los Blancos” being quite as tolerant as the St Pauli ultras were.
On a personal note this was a fifth visit to the Olympiastadion however the first time as an away supporter. Previously I’d only seen 1-1 or 0-0 draws. No spoilers but this encounter had a well deserved winner and if you haven’t already opened another tab to check the result you’ll have to keep reading I’m afraid.
I genuinely don’t 1-2 keep that information disclosed for too long - if you know you know!
St Pauli are a very interesting side whereas Hertha are, to be polite, not. Hertha BSC seem trapped in operating in a rigid 4-4-1-1 formation be that in or out of possession. In contrast St Pauli, under 30 (yes thirty!) year old Fabian Hurzeler are very exciting.
A stoic 5-4-1 out of possession and an expressive 3-4-3 with the ball, talent dotted all over the pitch. Wingers Elias Saad & Oladapo Afolayan (Dapo) are electric! Midfielder Marcel Hartel, a very tidy No. 10 with a wonderfully onomatopoeic name. Not forgetting the Australian duo Connor Metcalfe, who’s more than capable of scoring a screamer - check out his strike Vs Holstein Kiel - & Jackson Irvine, club captain and the embodiment of what makes St Pauli wonderfully quirky.
Unbeaten in 12 games prior to this one St Pauli were favourites pre match. The performance acting as justification for that billing. St Pauli led one nil at half time after a surging run from Saad who cut the ball back for striker Eggestien. Hertha keeper saving the original effort but the St Pauli player was first to the rebound tapping into the empty net.
In truth St Pauli could’ve been out of sight at the end of the half with Saad, Dapo & Hartel coming close.
The second goal did arrive in the 74th minute as Hartel leapt, to quote the Welcome to Hell St Pauli podcast, like a salmon heading upstream. His header cannoning in off the underside of the bar sparking pandemonium in the away end.
Much like another team with Saint prominent in their identity, St Pauli conspired to make things difficult for themselves. Gifting Hertha a lifeline in the 83rd minute after a losing possession playing out from the back. 1-2.
Despite a late onslaught of crosses that prime Stoke City would’ve been proud of, St Pauli held on for a monumental win. The Hamburg side went top of the 2. Bundesliga after their win in Berlin. More impressively St Pauli are unbeaten in 13 games. Last defeat, regrettably, at the hands of city rivals HSV.
In an era of few elite German coaches the emergence of Hurtzler at the helm of this St Pauli side is refreshing. Not wanting to place the manager on the market but should St Pauli not achieve promotion this year you imagine he will be on the shortlist of many Bundesliga sides.
*Authors note
This article was delayed in order to not jinx St Pauli just before the international break. A decision I’m sure all fans of the braun weiß appreciate as Saturday 7th October they battered Nürnberg 5-1 at the Millentor to establish a two point lead at the top of the table. Long may it continue!
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