The game itself was threatened by the weather. Heavy rains had pretty much turned the Zoo-Stadion field into eine Schlammwüste, basically a pigsty. A final announcement on whether the game would even be playable was only due over Wuppertal Radio by 10:00 am of game day. As it turns out, they did play, and although WSV hardly covered themselves with glory, they did bring home the bacon and handle the 1998/99 Oberligist Bonner SC.
The only real change from last week was that Raduta was dropped from the lineup and replaced by Christian Broos. Perhaps coach Gores decided to reward Broos for his successful coach-imposed crash diet. In any case, Brent Goulet was once again back in a midfield role. Bad luck for WSV that Richard Mademann was forced out after less than a quarter hour, replaced by Frank Wüster.
Babacar N'Diaye continued to display excellent form. He was virtually unstoppable by the Bonn defense, as he continually dribbled past defenders to create chances for WSV. Despite these chances however, Wuppertal didn't seem to interested in putting anything in the net.
Bonn, as expected, didn't have much to show. Goalkeeper Talik was impressive keeping the score down. They did force Jochen Gramse to make a good save in the 33rd minute. Enis Brcvak shot from 25 meters, but Gramse paid attention and fisted the ball over the goal. Other than that, Bonn was pretty much content to let WSV control the game, counting undoubtedly on WSV's inability to find the net. As a result, the 1st half was a complete bore. The only entertainment was provided by N'Diaye's one-man ballet act, and the usual "Runge Raus!" chants from the WSV fans. As one observer put it, "...you might as well gone to the stadium pub for a drink..."
After a warranted dressing down in the locker room at half, WSV pressured Bonn more resolutely. The guests now forgot what the WSV half looked like. Despite continued pressure, WSV was not making too much progress. Finally, after a corner kick, Sven Backhaus headed in from a crowd, (Photo, 8K) , and Bonn pretty much collapsed. Despite being a man up (Vlatko Glavas got a silly 2nd yellow card because he wanted first dibs on the showers), the Bonners were toast. N'Diaye knocked in another, and then assisted on Gerrit Meinke's first goal of the season.
Markus Kaul had one of his better games, as he completely neutralized the midfield of Bonn, and played the most important role in WSV buildup. Babacar N'Diaye had another decent game, and was greeted by the fans as he trotted off (Photo, 23K) , especially since he provided the only entertainment in the 1st half. The defense was solid, but of course were never tested. Overall, a deserved win for WSV, although they would have won about 6-0 if they had looked interested in the 1st half.
Standings after Round 20
Photos from Ralf Deiss