Illuminati-R-Us

Berlin Derby!

Now now. I don't expect them to achieve direct promotion, and having to squeeze past Stuttgart in the playoffs is a very tall order. But of course, we can dream. Maybe you remember how we discussed the Berlin Derby a few years ago in this thread when it happened in League Two - how it had no real history because of the division of the City and hoe the two trams mostly playing in very different Leagues most of the time afterward.

Oh I remember.

The one thing I am really afraid of in all this is that both Berlin clubs would be relegation candidates shitting up our count.

I suspect RCC won't win as many games next season either, not necessarily relegation candidates but maybe not at the top end.

Indeed. Let's aim for a more-won-than-lost balance and try to be content with that. Not much help to be expected from the likes of Hertha, Fürth, and the German National team either.

Heid the Ba wrote:I suspect RCC won't win as many games next season either, not necessarily relegation candidates but maybe not at the top end.

Hey! That’s err... that’s err.... True, I suppose.



Actually, it’s pretty optimistic.

It's not as good as "Meet the Superhumans" but I like this. 'Schland!

After zis Vorrld Kup, ze vorld vill know zeir names, I prommize!

Interesting weekend today for the last match day in the Bundesliga, all matches played simultaneously.

Bayern are favourites to gain their seventh title in a row, but for the first time since antiquitiy, they have to earn it on the last day by not losing at home to cheeky upstart Frankfurt. They are two points and 15 goals clear of Dortmund, who are at away to another top CL/Euro League aspirant, Mönchengladbach and must must must win in order to even have a shot. Should be a clear thing for Bayern, but sometimes, things happen even to Bayern.

Another interersting thing iis that 6 teams, from fourth to ninth are still in it for the CL/EL places, which go down to 7th this year: Mönchengladbach, Frankfurt, Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim and Bremen (although from Wolfsburg down, CL is not possible). None of these teams play each other. Frankfurt and Mönchengladbach are up against the two title contenders, the others play teams for whom the season is basically over, as relegation and relegation playoffs were sorted out last week. Leverkusen, in particular, is away to Auld Auntie Hertha. Expect them to roll over us, but it is still an interesting fixture - they are a massively talented but not very stable side coached by a massively talented but not very stable manager, Peter Bosz of Ajax fame. Having to win at all cost, they could either shoot us out of the stadium or collapse at the first serious counter-attack. Hertha couldn't care less for thge result and are in preparation for 19/20, but at least they want to give their pal Pál a good sendoff.

Tomorrow we'll see if Union (Eisern!) are going to the Bundesliga or into promotion playoffs against Stuttgart, a pairing they'll likely lose. So I guess I'll be on the radio this weekend. Maybe there'll be some live commentary on IRU, of course

Nothing seems to happen to Bayern, 1 - 0 at the half. Same result for Dortmund in Mönchengladbach
Hertha down 2 - 1, which would give Leverkusen a CL place. Oh my.

So it seems to be version one. Hertha down 3 - 1. Leverkusen, the 2001 finalist, is, by the way, responsible for the worst German defeat in CL history, a 7-1 rubbing at the hands of Barcelona in '12.

Yeah. Bayern up 3 - 1. Ribéry and Robben doing the honours in the last half hour.

Franck Ribéry scoring the 4 - 1 in his last game for Bayern.

Oh, and 4 - 1 for Leverkusen

Not unfittingly, the man who scores the 5 - 1 for Bayern is Arjen Robben.

1 - 5 in the Olympiastadion

29th German Championship for Bayern München, after a convincing 5 - 1 against Frankfurt.

Dortmund come in second, after a 2 - 0 against Mönchengladbach. Both M'Gladbach and Frankfurt play in the Euro League after their respective defeats. The last CL spot (Leipzig was already safe in third) goes to Leverkusen after their thrashing of Hertha, who end the season in 11th place with a measly 43 pts. The third EL contestant is Wolfsburg, after an 8 - 1 home win. Hoffenheim botch it, losing 2 - 4 against Mainz after being 2 - 0 up, and Bremen don't make it in spite of their impressive win against Leipzig. As a final flourish in that game, Claudio Pizarro scores the winner for Bremen in the 88th minute, bringing the age record for scoring in the Bundesliga to 40 years and 227 days. And he has threatened to seek another season in Bremen. Chapeau, Pizza!

Played 190, won 90, lost 50, drawn 50.

ETA: Pizarro's goal was his 197th in the Bundesliga. Only Robert Lewandsowski and the inimitable Gerd Müller are still ahead of him. And yes, he signed for another year. I am quite certain he'll crack 200 and blow the age record to 41+x.

Oh. And
Germany 1 - 8 Canada
at the World ice hockey Championship. Let's not talk about it too much.

Our last game of the season is at 1500, away to Kilmarnock who are un third. We’ll finish second regardless of the result.

I was rowing at Broughty Ferry yesterday, there was a team there from Avoch in Lianachanshire. They seemed like a decent lot but there are many wrong ways to pronounce “Avoch”.

So it's not A like in Aden, and -voch rhyming with Loch, stress on the first syllable? Sigh.

SpVgg Greuther Fürth 2 - 1 FC St. Pauli

Played 191, won 91, lost 50, drawn 50. We finish the season in 13th place, only 7 points above the relegation playoff spot.

While Paderborn did lose in Dresden, Union only drew in Bochum, so Paderborn make it to the Bundesliga by virtue of the better goal difference (+26 vs. +21). It was really close. Union are sway to Stuttgart on Thursday, and Monday 27 will bring the showdown at Alte Försterei in Berlin-Köpenick. I'll keep you posted.

I probably know some of them. The locals pronounce it as och - exactly like loch without the l.

Lianachan wrote:I probably know some of them. The locals pronounce it as och - exactly like loch without the l.

That was how the guy on the tannoy who was paying attention pronounced it. There was some discussion as to which letters are silent and whether “v” is a vowel, or just modifies vowels. It is an educated crowd at coastal rowing regattae, while our club has a native German speaker, three Dutchies, various Englanders and a native of Arkansas we lack a Gaelic speaker of any competence. Queensferry in a couple of weeks, I don’t know if they’ll be down for that but Avoch are going to the Worlds in July. “World” means coastal Scotland in this case.

Killing 2 - 1 Rangers in a game that didn’t matter, no IT DIDN’T MATTER.

Played 192, won 91, lost 51, drawn 50.