VfL Bochum II won the city derby against SG Wattenscheid 09 with a score of 3-0. Head coach Heiko Butscher praised his team and was thrilled by the record crowd.
City derby, 6,000 spectators, Bundesliga stadium – what a great afternoon for amateur football in Westphalia. VfL Bochum II won the local derby against neighboring SG Wattenscheid 09 3-0 (1-0). Both sets of fans created an extraordinary atmosphere and a record crowd at the Ruhrstadion. Never before have so many fans attended an Oberliga match this season.
VfL U21 head coach Heiko Butscher spoke of the “most complicated game of the season.” Why? “We’re in first place, playing very consistently, and have professional support. Everyone expects you to win clearly against mid-table teams,” explained the former professional.
Contrary to expectations, this was not the case. The visitors from Wattenscheid played with courage and commitment, holding their own against the league leaders for long periods. “Wattenscheid demanded everything from us. We had to go above and beyond to be successful. As so often, we came up against an organized and strong team,” analyzed Butscher.
His counterpart, 09 coach Christopher Pache, saw the required attitude from his team but felt they lacked composure in the penalty area: “We had a lot of the game, but unfortunately we lacked concentration on the final ball and the punch in the final third. Overall, we didn’t shoot enough on goal to put the opposition under pressure.”
The opener for VfL’s 1-0 lead came from a header by center back Mohammed Tolba from a corner kick shortly before halftime (43′). “That’s why a team is at the top. They have incredible power and presence in the air, which is very difficult to defend. That’s what makes the difference,” explained Pache.
“Insane” – 09 coach Pache praises away fans
In the second half, the Blue and Whites brought more and more routine into the game. When SGW threw everything forward, VfL finally sealed the deal with goals from Benjamin Dreca (85th minute) to make it 2-0 and Luca Bernsdorf (90+1 minute) to make it 3-0.
Afterwards, there were exuberant celebrations in front of the east stand. “Our humility sets us apart. We have an incredibly positive team spirit. I have to compliment all the players. It’s not a given that you win a game like this. It was a great match for the city,” said the VfL II coach.
On the other side, a disappointed but proud SGW coach thanked the nearly 1,000 Wattenscheid fans who had traveled with the team for several minutes. “Insane, that’s absolute madness for Oberliga standards,” said Pache. The 36-year-old enjoyed the atmosphere on the sidelines with every breath he took: “This shows once again what Wattenscheid is capable of. This interaction between fans and players is the most important piece of the puzzle for a club. We can be incredibly proud of that.”