The new season was not even a minute old when Karl Heinz Spikofski struck to put the Black and Reds ahead. But the hosts, who had been in the 1. Oberliga West for four years, were able to counter-attack straight from the kick-off. They equalised from a penalty. When, just two minutes later, Bayer 04 took the lead once again through their midfield playmaker Richard Job, it looked as though a very interesting afternoon was on the cards.
Nobody at the stadium expected this performance from the Werkself. The ball moved through the ranks of the Bayer 04 players as if on a string. Very often, it goes through six or seven players without the Katernbergers in their green shirts getting a touch. The Leverkusen side got off to a calm start right from the off, as if they’d been playing in the 1. Oberliga West for years.
The Werkself hit the crossbar twice more before Richard Job and centre-forward Emil Becks scored two further goals on 34 and 36 minutes – the score was 4–1 to the visitors, and the spectators in Katernberg could hardly believe their eyes. By the time the half-time whistle blew, the match seemed to be all but decided.
But in the second half, the home side showed Leverkusen just how hard the fight for victory and points is in the 1. Oberliga West. The Katernberg manager reshuffled his team, and after the early goal to make it 4-2 in the 49th minute, the stadium began to boil over. While the Black and Reds’ fitness began to wane as the match wore on, the Sportfreunde’s play became increasingly organised. In the Katernberg cauldron – popularly known as ‘Monte Katerno’ because the points were particularly hard to come by there – the Werkself completely lost their way. When they pulled one back on 73 minutes, an equaliser was really only a matter of time. However, left winger Paul Wiorek capitalised on one of the few counter-attacks on 88 minutes to seal the win.
So, following this 5–3 victory, all Bayer 04 fans are heading home feeling confident that they won’t be easy prey for their opponents in the 1. Oberliga West this season.
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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