It doesn’t happen that often that Urs Fischer takes on the role of favorite for his team. Certainly not without discussion. On the eve of the quarter-final game against FC St. Pauli, however, the coach of 1. FC Union Berlin had no choice but to accept them. It had nothing to do with a lack of humility. Here the first division club Union, there the second division club Sankt Pauli, there the relevant questions were superfluous. Even if a class difference could not be determined: the augurs were to be right. With a 2-1 win against St. Pauli, Union made it into the semi-finals of the DFB Cup for the first time since 2001.
“The little bit of luck was missing,” said Sankt Pauli’s captain Leart Paqarada in an ARD interview. “We were better and in the lead, but then two individual mistakes were severely punished. That’s a shame.” Union managing director Oliver Ruhnert naturally saw things a little differently. “We were aggressive and brave on the ball. In the end, it’s a deserved win,” Ruhnert told Sky. “I’m very happy that we’re in the last four. In terms of sport, it’s good to have such an experience in these times.”
It was hard work, devoid of any frivolity. The biggest one was Fischer when he filled the goalkeeper position, and it wasn’t even that big. Instead of the well-rehearsed regular keeper Andreas Luthe, Frederik Rönnow was allowed into the box – a goalkeeper of a certain reputation and with extensive first division experience, but without match practice. The Dane celebrated the last of his five appearances this season at the home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach at the end of January. And the second scene, in which he had to intervene against Sankt Pauli, raised the question of whether entrusting Rönnow with the game against Hamburger was the best idea.
The first shot, which flew at the Köpenicker goal, by Marcel Beifus, was easily parried by Rönnow (4th minute). The second challenge, however, turned out to be too great for Rönnow. Referee Florian Badstuber whistled for a very flattering foul on Daniel Kyereh on the crescent in front of the Union penalty area – and the Ghanaian took the free kick himself. Kyereh converted it by shooting the ball into the goalkeeper’s corner and duping Rönnow with a bounce. That meant the 1-0 lead for the lower-class guests, Kyereh celebrated with a flick-flack of Olympic format.
The Unioners needed their time to digest the goal. One reason for this: Union and Sankt Pauli are not only brothers in spirit because both organizations are considered so-called cult clubs. But also because they are related in terms of football, because they impress with their order and concentration. On Tuesday, this meant that the favored Köpenickers had great difficulty creating chances.
Basically, they only succeeded in the 32nd minute, when the recently outstanding Dutch striker Sheraldo Becker chased a not perfect but well-placed shot on goal. The only Berliner on the field, Pauli’s goalkeeper Dennis Smarsch, parried with flying colors. However, seconds before the end of the first half, Smarsch slipped as he tried to run towards a long ball that Union striker Taiwo Awoniyi was chasing. It was a fatal mishap, because it cost Smarsch crucial seconds. When he had pulled himself together, the ball bounced to Becker. And the Dutchman completed a volley – with the same freezing cold that prevailed in the old forester’s house: one degree below zero.
After the break, Union came out of the cabin with more verve. The people from Köpenick still lacked convincing ideas. And where they seemed to appear, the final precision was lacking. But you could tell that in their first division membership, which has lasted since 2019, they have not forgotten that it may be necessary to defeat opponents through work. Conversely, the difficulties for Sankt Pauli to carry the ball into the areas that were defended by Union grew. The greatest excitement came in the 69th minute when Union substitute Andreas Voglsammer fell to the ground in a clinch with Jakov Medic in the penalty area as he was about to take the shot. That was forgotten in the 75th minute when there was another duel between Voglsammer and Medic: After a long ball from Knoche, Pauli’s defender slipped and Voglsammer pushed in to make it 2:1. After that, Union exercised routine, maturity and prudence – and is only one win away from the cup final.