"The corner ratio of yesterday's game - 10 to 2 in favour of Kalk - speaks volumes and only allows a proper assessment of this championship game in a very dubious championship. The Leverkusen team ratings: Goalkeeper: excellent, Defence: satisfactory, Halfbacks: weak, Forwards: the singer's, or rather the reporter's, courtesy covers the activity of the first five with a cloak of charity."
But the reporter, as he calls himself, has words of praise for the referee:
"The 23rd man on the pitch, the referee, officiated with refreshing clarity and incorruptibility. He knew his job and kept the game firmly in hand from start to finish. On more than one occasion, the spectre of a sending-off was raised among the players and the crowd, who at times provided lively assistance, also felt the referee's firm will. In the middle of the second half, two of the Leverkusen spectators felt inspired to engage in an interlude of boxing and wrestling. The referee showed understanding by interrupting the match. There was no positive information about the outcome of the fight."
The Black and Reds had a dismal day and "their inability to shoot, which had already been proven many times before, made itself felt again. The team was completely headless and the more the spectators tried to inject some momentum with well-meaning shouts and advice or less well-meaning criticism, the more insecure and indifferent the players seemed to become."
After trailing at the break, the Werkself surprisingly took the lead with two goals from their striker Josef Bönnen, who had probably forgotten his "inability to shoot" for a short time, but after the equaliser "Leverkusen's goalkeeper was given an unusually hard job, but saved the most difficult efforts. The home team owed the draw to him alone."
Conclusion: "Leverkusen gave their supporters a disappointment and the half success achieved can be called a lucky one."
Michael Ballack was born on 26 September 1976 in Görlitz, in what was then East Germany. His talent for football became apparent at an early age. After his family moved to Karl-Marx-Stadt – now Chemnitz – he began playing football for BSG Motor ‘Fritz Heckert’ Karl-Marx-Stadt, where he steadily developed his skills. From Year 7 onwards, he attended the Children’s and Youth Sports School and received systematic sporting support, which, in 1988 – due to his growing skill as a player – led to a move to FC Karl-Marx-Stadt. At the age of 16, he had to take a six-month break due to growth problems, but after that, Michael was unstoppable.
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José Elias Moedim Júnior, known as Zé Elias, was born on 25 September 1976 in São Paulo. He received his football training at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, or Corinthians for short, and was promoted to the first team at the age of just 17. PSV Eindhoven had already taken notice of him by this stage, but the move to Europe was still too early for him. The tenacious defensive midfielder established himself in the first team over the following three years. With Corinthians, Zé Elias won the São Paulo City Championship and the Brazilian Cup in 1995. With his excellent vision, his determination and his assured ball control, he made a significant contribution to his team’s success.
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In their second season in Bundesliga 2 North, the Werkself face Fortuna Köln at their home ground, the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, on matchday 7. Both teams are level on seven points, sitting eighth and ninth in the table.
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In this video you can see impressive and important goals in the history of Bayer 04 from the month of September. It's not always about the beauty of the goals, but also a reminder of special games and players.
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September gets off to a disastrous start, though not for the Werkself: the German national team, featuring Bayer 04 players Jens Nowotny, Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville, suffer a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of England in a World Cup qualifier at the Olympic Stadium in Munich. Jens Nowotny, in particular, came in for sharp criticism. With this defeat, Germany’s direct qualification is now hanging in the balance.
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