the week(s) of truth

[mr. bungle]

As our senior correspondents Norbert and DBA have become a bit sloppy with their weekly reports in recent times on the one hand and as there are millions of followers of the Tennis Court longing for news on the other, I will try to use the ten minutes that I have until my take-off to Brandenburg to supply you out there briefly with some informations about the current situation (whoa, what a tapeworm sentence...)

Having started with a 3-0 win at bottom team Ludwigsfelde into campaign's second leg, hopes among TeBe fans had been rather high that the team would manage to get out of the drop zone during the following weeks. Unfortunately this was not the case - if you have taken a look at the table, you will have realized that the situation is serious: With only five games left, TeBe still resides in the relegation zone, with the LFC on position 13 four points clear to us. After a series of not only lost, but also very poor matches our coach Teddy Yildiz decided to resign and give another one the chance of stopping the train down to Berlin-Liga. The person who was chosen for this job by the club is Markus Schatte, coach of the highest TeBe youth squad for very many years, and being very successful with that.

The first games after that change brought visible improvements but not so many countable results yet. As time is getting short, the team urgently needs victories, and judged by their latest performance with the 1-1 in Malchow, it has the skills to accomplish that. TeBe Fans in their majority do not seem to be very optimistic any more which sometimes disappoints me a bit but might be an attitude of self protection. Anyway, the support of the squad in Malchow was quite brillant which proved that there are still remainders of belief, and the guys really deserved that. Now everybody hopes that both the team's as even the supporters' performance will find a resumption in about two hours at Brandenburg Süd. As our main rivals Füchse and Lichterfelde lost their games yesterday chances are pretty good to play catch up until the end of the week when we gonna host our beloved Bowlingkugelverein in the Mommse

Actually wanted to tell something about the team itself and the changes, but as the clock tells me, I gotta fly to catch the train to Brandenburg, which hopefully is the train to another away scoring points. Well, we will see. Come on TeBe!

[mr. bungle]

Next chance missed, unfortunately, and come back with a 1-3 defeat from Brandenburg - once again having been the dominant team, but not capable to convert that dominance into a lead, meanwhile committing stupid mistakes and conceding really unnessessary goals. This is rather pity as the team definitely has made some progress during the recent weeks. Nevertheless it seems that this won't pay out anymore and the team will have to go down. Personally, I was rather optimstic until this evening, but I have to admit that now I can hardly imagine that things will turn out fine. Altlüdersdorf is 8 points clear of TeBe after today's win against Wismar and said goodbye to the relegation battle, and even the other teams will collect some points in the coming matches. I won't bury my hopes and I do expect the same from the team. But I'm getting more and more prepared that we'll have to face relegation in the end. And had the first little Oberliga goodbye tears in my eyes today after the final whistle.

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

I am sorry i have not written much, well anything really, but i do not share any of the optimism of the other fans and see the situation very differently to many others. This makes my opinion very unrepresentative and it would be unfair to give the non-German speaking world the impression that TeBe fans have given up hope completely...

... but after today's defeat against BFC Hühnerhof I think the Berlin league below us is calling and i guess most fans accept that now... there is a place there next year with our name on it... she is singing true, but after my discussion with Bronski last week i guess he is correct that even is she is singing, she is singing beautifully.

Perhaps more later...

[mr. bungle]

Well, I suppose your pessimism was much more representative for the fans than my optimism. And obviously this pessimism proves to be justified at the latest now. Still I'm not willing to give up my hopes as long there is still a slight chance to stay up, but as there have many premises to be fulfilled (Magdeburg has to avoid relegation, Füchse must not win their games but TeBe has to) TeBe needs a lot of luck to avoid relegation. And has there been any single moment in history when TeBe had luck? I don't remember any... Or like Stefan used to say: Leben is für'n Arsch. - Football, too.

Perhaps more later...

[mr. bungle]

http://www.exberliner.com/reviews/TeBe-or-not,-er,-TeBe

[mr. bungle]

Today: Germania Schöneiche vs. TeBe. Meeting place S-Bhf. Ostkreuz at 13.30 Uhr. Looks like the last chance for our side (even if we said this already thousand times before). As it seems very likely that Füchse are gonna win their match against Ludwigsfelde a TeBe win is necessary for not losing touch to them and keeping up the possibility to catch up within the last two games. Keep your fingers crossed for TeBe whereever you are!

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

Today my friend Tito will come and see us play meaning TeBe can possibly add India to its long list of international fan bases So team and fans put in an extra special effort please!

[mr. bungle]

i guess tito was having a good time in schöneiche? - just in brief about the current situation: schöneiche away was terrific for all who went there. actually it was kind of contrary to the matches before: tennis did not play that decent like for instance the first half against Hühnerhof but anyway managed to succeed at the end of the day. whoever thought that our squad wouldn't be able to score was taught better that afternoon: within only 15 minutes they turned a 0-2 into a 3-2 and thus advanced to position 14 which entitles for the qualification matches. both strikers (taflan and djan in his first oberliga appearance at all) were scoring.

not too many words should be made about last weekend which turned out to be a disappointment for TeBe supporters with a clear defeat against top club neustrelitz. fortunately both rivals, füchse and ludwigsfelde, had to face their own disasters with losing 1-5 and 1-7. so nothing really changed and the relegation showdown is going to take place at the very last matchday tomorrow with TeBe playing in rathenow against "optik". which is no bad team, but should be beatable though. ludwigsfelde and füchse play Hühnerhof and Nordsachsen and as you never know, TeBe should not rely on their defeats but try to save itself under its own steam. if we win our game, it doesn't matter at all what the others do. so everybody out there should keep their fingers crossed tomorrow between 2 and 4 p.m. that we accomplish to get into the play-offs. come on TeBe!

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

Yes Tito loved it, in fact even in the first half he was enjoying himself. This could make TeBe the first Berlin team to break into the exciting and expanding Indian-subcontinent market. I am sure we can retain this position as market leader even if our scummy neighbour is in the Bundesliga next season because H****a means dog shit in Hindi.

What was wonderful about the game was the turn around and the sense of belief that the team suddenly had. We dominated the first five minutes and had about ten good chances. Their goalkeeper was livid with his defenders who were still asleep, but none of our chances went in. We just couldn't score and as usual some unfortunate error or lack of concentration and we found ourselves two down with not a chance in hell it seemed.

Our first goal was a corker but still in spirit with the match, a long shot from miles out, more out of desperation than anything else but it was a peach. In it went and it was if suddenly the players and fans thought that the match wasn't over. After that our defence was amazing, shots were saved that would usually have been easy pickings, the offside trap worked incredibly, every ball was chased down and "Pretty Oak" just went to pieces, we ripped them to pieces, throwing the ball back into the mixer again and again. At 2-2 no sensible minded gambler would have predicted anything but a draw, however there was magic in the air, the feeling among the fans was as tense as the cup final of 2006, the reaction an equally amazing mini version of that exact day. With just seconds to play and the goalkeeper was stranded, time seemed to stand still and you could almost feel the air being sucked away around you as everyone took a deep breath at the same second. The ball bounces so slowly and then the header, God I swear i could hear it and it was in. Everyone just went mental and a little TeBe flag earned its place on a map of India forever.

Schöneiche was a great trip, there was a very friendly vibe there, the dj was just "awesome", beers and food cheap and cheerful and the whole mission a credit to Oberliga football fun. Thanks to everyone for a great day out.

Last weekend was, as you said Bungle, not really worth mentioning. We just are not good enough for the teams at the top if they take it a bit seriously. It was encouraging to see that we managed to hold our own for long periods of the match and despite the scoreline our defence wasn't that bad. Certainly a shame not to be in the Mommsenstadion but the catering was a treat and the fans made the best of the situation to create a bit of atmosphere that however understandably died a little as the scoreline disintegrated.

Tomorrow is the big game against Optik and we could have a chance as they really have nothing to play for. We played them a few weeks back and Optik won 0-1 by means of a penalty that they didn't seem to even want to take. As the Germans say "ze hope is dying at the last" or something like that. Anyone wanting to join us should come along. However the result turns out, Rathenow are great hosts and a friendly bunch of football nuts. Party on!

[mr. bungle]

I am sure we can retain this position as market leader even if our scummy neighbour is in the Bundesliga next season because H****a means dog shit in Hindi.

thx for that report, really amazing to read for me who couldn't make it to be in "pretty oak" then. let's hope that there will be some similar initial spark tomorrow like that first TeBe goal in schöneiche, they really seem to need something like that to believe in themselves. an early goal would be priceless. very tensely looking forward...