Kaiserslautern 3-3 Union Berlin, Monday 6th August 2012

Kaiserslautern 3-3 Union Berlin, Bundesliga 2 (att. 31,618)

Welcome to ...

Pulling into Kaiserslautern railway station, you can’t miss the stadium – a massive edifice high up on the hill, overlooking the town.  And as if to accentuate its size, why not build some tower blocks next to it, which aren't much taller?  Like the Sports Direct Arena (nee St. James’ Park) at Newcastle, this has three huge sides and a fourth, smaller one.  Capacities are roughly similar too, 49,980 against 52k.  However, one crucial difference lies in the admission fees.  The last time I was at St. James’ I was charged £39 for a seat up in the gods.  Today, it was 12 euros, or about £9.60 at today’s rate.  OK, it was Bundesliga 2, not the Premiership, but still.  I could see the players, for one thing.

The 2 tallest buildings in Kaiserslautern (possibly).

Buying a ticket in the westtribune fankurve was simple. Just rock up to the ground, into the ‘fanshop’ and hey presto!  Of course, it’s a lot easier in Bundesliga 2 when you have a capacity like ‘lautern, but even last season, in Bundesliga proper, they only sold out 3 times: Dortmund, Schalke, Bayern.  I wanted a standing ticket and the lady apologised, but the only ones available were high up in the corner. Fine.  So I found myself in section 6.4, where it was standing, but you could sit if you wanted, amongst the rail seats.  With plenty of space around me, I tried half a dozen positions before settling on one.

THIS is how you decorate roadside verges.

A dull first half passed and at half time I went for sausage and beer.  In an odd layout, all the food and drink kiosks are on the ground floor, but once I got there I figured I’d like to take some pics from low down in the stadium.  So I snuck onto the terrace.  I say ‘snuck’; a steward was checking tickets and I fiddled with my pockets as I went past.  Inside, I noticed everyone inside had a season ticket card, so maybe this area was ST only. In which case I decided to stay, being closer to the action (both on and off the pitch).  Indeed, I wasn’t too far behind the ‘Frenetic Youth Ultras’ (great name) who seemed to be the main cheerleaders – they were next to a man with a drum – along with a section bang in the middle of the tribune.

Looking down on the home end.

The match was scoreless at half time, the main thing I remember being how hapless the ‘lautern centre forward was.  I don’t know how many promising moves were ruined by his ‘interventions’.  So of course he later scored 2 excellent headers (Idrissou, from Cameroon, he was).  So, second half, and within 5 minutes the game had turned on its head.  Underdogs Union broke away and Parensenhit a rasping left footb drive across the keeper and into the far right corner.  Then a one-on-one was missed, but no matter, as the visitors extended their lead after 54 minutes.  A delectable throughball and Zoundi (from Burkina Faso, no less) rounded the keeper to score from an acute angle. This is one of my favourite types of goal and it ought to happen more often, the rounding of  keeper.

1.FCK tribute on a roundabout (note 'fans' on wall)

The home fans were now starting to turn on their heroes.  With no sign of a home goal, Union put one on a plate for them.  A ‘lautern corner came in, and perhaps remembering his 1^st half efforts, absolutely no-one bothered to mark Idrissou who headed in from 6 yards.  A gift.  And with this goal, the inevitable change of tide.   The Red Devils came swarming forward, the fans were behind them (great noise from the steep stands) and Berlin’s defensive midfield looked sluggish.  In short, it looked a matter of time.  A slick move finished with a fantastic header by Idrissou and then, with 4 minutes remaining, another slick move sliced Union apart and Zuck scored a terrific half volley, slamming it home with his left peg.

Union fans pay homage.

There was still time for ‘lautern to blaze a one-on-one into the crowd and with the game won for the pre-season promotion favourites, the crowd were bouncing.  However, in Union broke, the ball rolled just outside the box and Pfertzel bit it low into the corner.  Stunned silence.  Joyous Union fans at the far end.  (I could just about hear them for the 1^st time, though I could see by their jumping, they’d never stopped singing throughout.)  It was the perfect end to a see-saw match.

The view from the corner.

I thoroughly enjoyed Kaiserslautern and the Fritz Walter Stadion.  It’s steep, hemmed in, and the fans in the home end make for a terrific din when they all join in together (much of the time, the singing seemed divided between sections).  Kaiserlautern are one of the great names in German football, a traditional old team who've been there since the beginning.  Indeed, their stadium is named after a former legend of 1.FCK and the national team, in the former's heyday of the early 1950s.  Since the advent of the Bundesliga in 1963, 'lautern have won it twice, including as recently as 1998.  Hopefully they'll return soon, I love this stadium.

Lower down, 2nd half.

The only downside is the place; Kaiserslautern must be one of the most boring towns in Germany.  A sign of its previous dependence on the American airbase nearby?  Either way, I can see why it doesn’t get a mention in the Lonely Planet.  Dull dull dull.  I was staying in Karlsruhe, which was a mission at the time of night this game was played, but another thing the stadium had: train times to various places on their scoreboard.  Where do you get service like that in England?  What football club cares?

The Damage:

€10 ent

€1 postcard

= €11

Outside the stadium.

One corner.

Terrace and seats on adjacent training pitch.

Welcome to ....(2)

We can all identify with this feeling.

An unassuming entrance.  Under the flats and up the hill.

Fans climb up the hill.

The view from inside the stadium.

Who does this guy support?

High up before kick-off.

Flags are waved behind the goal.

Looking towards the away end.

Union are bottom left.