3rd matchday
Germany fright Asano annoys FC Augsburg
Augsburg’s Ruben Vargas (r) in a running duel with Bochum’s Maximilian Wittek. photo
© Kolbert-Press/Christian Kolbert/dpa
In a week the German national soccer team will play against Japan again. World Cup shock Takuma Asano scored twice in Bochum’s 2-2 draw in Augsburg.
The 28-year-old scored the momentous winning goal in the 2-1 win for Japan in the first group game against the German national team at the World Cup in Qatar. Next Saturday, the international match between Germany and Japan will be played again in good spirits in Wolfsburg.
The lightning-fast Asano made it 1-1 in front of 27,422 spectators in injury time in the first half and also scored the goal in the 64th minute to make it 2-2. For the hosts, who, like VfL, are still waiting for their first win of the season, attacking players Dion Beljo (35th) and Ermedin Demirovic (62nd) were successful. As in the 4: 4 in the first home game, FCA made a defensive mistake.
Shining moments are missing
The audience in the Augsburg Arena saw a game chopped up by many small fouls and the corresponding numerous interruptions during the summer comeback in Bavaria. Fluid combinations and brilliant football moments were rare – but they existed.
After the sale of national player Mergim Berisha to TSG Hoffenheim and the absence of Sven Michel (adductor strain), FCA coach Enrico Maaßen opted for “two powerful” players up front: And Phillip Tietz and goalscorer Beljo had a few good moments. Newcomer Tietz caused a murmur in the stadium with a volley on the crossbar (17′). And after his first goal of the season in the 3-1 draw against FC Bayern in Munich, Beljo, who is 1.95 meters tall, once again proved his goalscoring qualities.
After a counterattack by Bochum, which Elvis Rexhbecaj was just able to stop, Augsburg scored the 1-0 in a direct counterattack. Beljo only put the ball to the left of captain Demirovic. The 21-year-old resolutely scored his flat pass into the middle. However, FCA did not take the lead during the break.
The reason: Asano. After a powerful shot by Maximilian Wittek, the ball landed in the penalty area in front of the feet of the Japanese, who quickly overcame Finn Dahmen. Augsburg’s goalkeeper, who was challenged several times, had headed off a shot by Matus Bero in the 30th minute.
After the break, what happened at the gates basically repeated itself. This time it was Demirovic who pushed the ball over the goal line after a shot from the post by Beljo. But after the cheers of the FCA fans had just faded away, Asano promptly became the spoilsport for Augsburg again when he scored a second time after a chip ball from Kevin Stöger.
Bundesliga schedule Bundesliga table FCA squad