Urs Fischer turned 55 today

Grischa Prömel got another one today. It was even better because this felt like a vintage lineup—pretty much all of the Aufstiegshelden that are still around got serious minutes—in addition to Prömel, we had Trimmi and Lenz playing significant minutes. To that, we can add Marius Bülter, who played like a wild man in his return to the starting eleven, a place which he unluckily lost due to a system change and the after effects of COVID.

At the same time, the vintage lineup is one more reminder of how much harder it will be to keep the band together. Trimmel’s deal expires at the end of the year, without a peep from either side about an extension (though that’s not entirely a surprise given that Oli Ruhnert likes to operate with all the openness and congeniality of the CIA). But it’s the Union way: as long as I’ve followed the team, we’ve never held on to guys out of sentimental reasons. It’s one of those Occam’s razors that exist in sports: when we win, it looks smart. When we lose, it looks disloyal and shortsighted. I just hope we keep Trimmel. And if we don’t, I hope the club doesn’t continue its unfortunate tradition of turfing longtime heroes (Polter, Mattuschka) out.

Players come and go; the club is eternal. One of the guys who recently arrived, and who has recently had a bit of a moment is Loris Karius. Forced to play second fiddle by Luthe’s outstanding performances, he’s shined in his last two outings. At this point, we’d also like to express our support for Luthe, who’s had to miss two games for personal reasons. Hoping he returns soon.

Anyway, Karius is definitely making the most of it, and really leaving nothing to chance. How insane has he gone when it comes to preparing? At one point, the cameras caught sight of his water bottle, which had, taped across the middle section, a detailed description of possible Freiburg penalty takers and their preferred spots. Asked about it after the game, he said “a quick sip would help to prepare”.

Looks like Loris is playing some three-dimensional chess out here. The water bottle?! The water bottle! Why has no one thought of this before? That’s some legendary stuff. We’re so lucky to have two great goalkeepers and I hope that the conclusion of the season will see them both having success. The team clearly looks to be enjoying their work; I’d like to think it mirrors the positive spirit of the fans.

Speaking of whom, a little trip down memory lane as a sign of changing times. Our last away game against Freiburg was also the last game we played in front of a full stadium, nearly a year ago. Moreover, that stadium—a charming old-style setup in a charming valley in one of Germany’s most charming cities—is slated to be soon replaced by a more soulless building in the city’s industrial district. I was lucky enough to see our 2019 Pokal win in the old stadium.

It reminds me a lot of the AF—small, friendly, classic. The cops in Freiburg—apparently they’re quite rabid around games—took our banners (what security reason could that possibly serve?). After shoving around innocent bystanders they beat a swift and ignominious retreat as both Ultra groups suspended their support in protest. It made for an awkward 70+ minutes: follow the lead of the Ultras, or support the team on the field? I wasn’t the only one thinking this, as fierce debate and discordant, half-baked support continued through the rest of the game. We narrowly avoided extra time, and I narrowly avoided missing the nightjet to Berlin after snaking through Freiburg’s darkened alleyways in a tram that could have easily come from the 60s.

It was, without a doubt, a wonderful soccer evening, of the kind that makes me love this club. And it reminds me of how soulless and meaningless soccer feels in the midst of the pandemic. It’s supposed to bring us together, face to face, in a stadium, where we can come unhinged as one, and support each other through our support for the team. It’s this sublimation of the individual into a higher cause, a shared cause, even one as prima facie irrelevant as sports, that is so sorely missing and so sorely needed right now. I can’t wait until we get it back. Because when we do, we get our soccer back. The real soccer.