German cup heats up
February 11, 2010
For three of the four teams left - with the exception of Bayern - the German Cup represents their only realistic chance of winning domestic silverware this season, a fact that rings true for second division Augsburg almost every season.
Bayern Munich are still on course for a league and cup double this season, now that they appear to have grown out of the initial teething stage under new coach Louis van Gaal. As things now stand, they've moved into the overtaking lane beside Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga.
Despite the 6-2 final scoreline, Bayern labored to beat second-division side Greuther Fuerth in their quarter-final. But despite having had an off night against lower league opposition, Bayern will look at semifinal opponents Schalke - as well as either potential adversary in the final - and fear no-one.
The Bavarian giants always want to win every competition they're involved in - and have won the German Cup a record 14 times already. But should Bayern fail to beat Schalke, there will be little sleep lost - as long as Louis van Gaal's team go on to recapture the Bundesliga title and/or win the Champions League.
Bayern's prioritization of the game's greater riches over German Cup glory should not diminish the trophy and certainly won't when seen in the context of the other three teams' ambitions this season.
Fading title challengers' chance for glory
Werder Bremen, the current cup holders and six-time winners, began the league campaign with hopes of challenging for the Bundesliga title, one that they last won in the 2003-04 season. They finished a disappointing 10th last season, but as they had not finished outside the top three in the previous five campaigns, this performance - the worst in a decade - was seen as an anomaly. However, after spending five weeks in second place before the winter break, Bremen now sit in sixth.
Bremen have the distraction of the Europa League to fuel their dreams of more silverware this season after reaching the final last year but their hopes of winning the Bundesliga are fading fast. However, Bremen know from last season's experience that a disappointing league campaign can still lead to European soccer as long as they win the German Cup, which comes with a fourth round qualifying berth in the Europa League. After beating Hoffenheim in their quarter-final, and being drawn against Augsburg in the semis, Bremen will at least hope to make the final.
The cup as snakebite remedy
Schalke 04 are still within touching distance of the Bundesliga summit, and so will not yet have given up all hope of winning the league this year. But this is Schalke, one of the clubs most notorious for choking at the death. Having blown countless league title chances in the past, though, few will trust them not to drop the ball again this year, and many will already be looking elsewhere for glory. Seen in this way, the German Cup could be a great band-aid should Schalke's old wounds of failure in the league reopen again.
Schalke scraped a 1-0 quarter-final win against third-division side VfL Osnabrueck to reach the next round which once more puts their cup credentials into question - even more so as they face Bayern in their semi-final. The Gelsenkirchen club has to look back to 2002 for its last German Cup win, which is admittedly not as wide a chasm as the 52-year gap since their last Bundesliga title.
Last season, after finishing eighth in the league and crashing out of the cup to Mainz in the quarterfinal round, Schalke did not qualify for European football. This season looks more promising. Their current position of third would put them into the Champions League qualifying round, and a German Cup win would guarantee European soccer for Schalke next season even if they have a slip in the Bundesliga.
Chance of a lifetime
For Augsburg, European soccer is as distant a dream as winning the Bundesliga. But winning the German Cup is certainly more achievable than maintaining a league title-winning run over an entire season against the best teams in Germany. This is why the German Cup for the second division high-flyers is a potential portal to the magical world of the Europa League.
Of course winning the German Cup is not going to be a walk in the park for a side like Augsburg, but upsets have happened before. They have already beaten Bundesliga sides Freiburg and Cologne to get to the semi-finals, after all. But even if they do win the German Cup and get into the Europa League, the chances are high that they won't get much further than the qualifying rounds. But for clubs of their standing, this is the reality of their limitations.
Just getting this far is reason enough to be proud, but the glory of winning the German Cup and qualifying for Europe would be a huge bonus. And the cash payout for a win - 2.56 million euros for winning the cup and 90,000 euros in UEFA qualification money - would also mean a lot more to Augsburg than their more moneyed opponents.
Desire, in fact, is likely to be Augsburg's sole advantage. While the top teams will always have their eyes on bigger prizes and riches, competitions like the German Cup will always thrill and excite the smaller clubs - especially once they get to the latter stages and are offered the chance to remind the big boys how much it means to win it when there is very little else to look forward to every season.
Author: Nick Amies
Editor: Matt Hermann