FC Schaffhausen v FC Breitenrain
We're back on the Swiss equivalent of the English 92 after an enforced absence due to Swiss football's Winter-Break - well if you will try to play football in a country where the average elevation is 700m or so above sea-level, you have to expect the odd inconvenience. This year, the winter-break has gone on a little longer than planned. Football doesn't control the weather and the worst of the winter came just as Challenge League and Super League football was scheduled to return. As a result, FC Winterthur, for example, have had to postpone two matches.
But now we are back. Not much has changed, except that all things Swiss have moved to a separate Blog from all things Donny. Other than that, its the same intrepid English couple taking on whatever Swiss football can throw at them.
So here's our first trip of the "Rückrunde" (as the second part of the season is known in these parts) and we had a first challenge of not spontaneously combusting as we made the short trip to Schaffhausen. As regular readers will know, my wife and I are FC Winterthur fans. Schaffhausen are probably Winti's most bitter rivals. You know how Donny fans chant insults about Leeds even when they are not playing Leeds? Well Winti do the same with Schaffhausen.
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| Schaffhausen - Pretty |
This is a shame really, because Schaffhausen is a really lovely town. I hope not too many Winti fans read this, I could get ejected from the Bierkurve! Apart from enjoying the town and taking a short trip down the road to see the Rheinfalls (Europe's largest waterfall), the other reason to come to Schaffhausen is a really good Chinese Restaurant called Chinatown. Its not exactly fine-dining or beautiful surroundings but the food is great and well priced for Switzerland (meaning the price will give the average Yorkshireman a coronary but a small one).
After filling up there and having to somehow deal with a waitress who spoke only Mandarin or English, we were off up to the stadium. Points Time.
Getting there
9 / 10. No problem at all from Winterthur. Local train services go to Schaffhausen and if you're elsewhere, there are plenty of national services from Zurich.
From the train station, you are signposted with the stadium name to a bus-stop where two bus routes (3 and 4) run to the stadium. It's three stops down the line and the only problem is that the stop you need (Schützenhaus) is not named after the stadium. I know, its a picky reason to deduct one point, but remember that 10 / 10 was given to Luzern who put on match day buses.
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| This gets a pointless notice award |
Friendliness
6 / 10. We found the stadium staff to be fine although we have seen more helpful employees. For instance, when asking about our car pennants, we were told that they didn't have any. We knew this as the website had informed us that they were sold out. But we wanted to know when the club would be getting some more. They didn't know and suggested I asked André pointing to a bloke about 10 yards away.
Unfortunately the bloke I thought was André wasn't. I never did find him. Other clubs (notably Frieburg and Delémont) have ensured that we found the right person and have then gone ratching through stock cupboards to see if they can help.
The other thing that perturbed both in its lack of friendliness and its pointlessness was the sign on the left. It says "STOP - This means YOU Please use the outside toilet. Many Thanks".
Not exactly friendly and aren't outside toilets a bit primitive? Why pointless? The sign is actually on the INSIDE of the toilet door. I didn't spot it until on my way out. I gave it a wry smile and a "you're a bit late son!"
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| For Schaffhausen's in-mates? |
Safety
7/10. Absolutely no problem where I was standing. But regular readers know my opinion on pens and fences. Tear them down Swiss football! But here is something completely crazy. That pen on the right is actually for HOME fans! The best and noisiest fans the club has are put in there while as far as I could see, away fans had the run of the rest of the ground.
On the way to the stadium, because I'm a Winterthur fan, I didn't miss the fact that the stadium is near the Psychiatry centre. I thought it tongue-in-cheek-amusing that fans of our local rivals didn't have far to travel home. After seeing this pen, sod the fans, obviously the people who run the club like to work from home!
View
7 / 10. The positives are that apart from the cage above, the views are un-hindered all the way around. Fans are also nice and close to the action. The negative is that there is no terracing in the standing areas. I'm sure that should Schaffhausen get a large crowd, there will be many who struggle to see.
Atmosphere
4 / 10. I said earlier that the away fans looked to have the run of the ground. Well, they would have done had any of them bothered to turn up!
As for the home fans, well the in-mates of the pen did their best and sang / chanted throughout. Nothing from anywhere else though. Only 547 attended the game.
Refreshments
7 / 10. Food-wise its the normal variety of sausages that is available although I was pleased to see Currywurst on sale. The one I had was very nice too. On the drinks there was a decent selection of hot and cold drinks available and for the drinkers among us red or white wine or beer. The prices were fair enough and the refreshments could be enjoyed either while watching the game from wherever you chose or in a small restaurant. The restaurant was a bit sterile for my liking and I'd have liked to see more club-identity in there.
Overall
40 / 60. Not bad - no real disasters! A few strange things though!
The Match
Schaffhausen started the match in third place of the 1st Promotion league with Breitenrain in 15th (one above last place). Earlier in the season, Breitenrain had been mauled 6 : 0 at home to Schaffhausen and with just two wins in the Vorrunde (first half of the season) they shouldn't have had much chance.
Sure enough, Schaffhausen did dominate possession in the first half. The away 'keeper Alain Portmann did well to keep out two good efforts, a header from a corner and a decent shot from the edge of the penalty area. But the visitors certainly weren't going to get rolled over this time. They looked organized, even under pressure and looked to counter quickly whenever they won possession.
And it was one of these counter-attacks that had the Schaffhäuser blushing. Claudio Zenger finished off the move with a precise finish into the bottom corner of Vaso Vasic's goal. Incidentally, I do not know the names of these players from memory (except Vasic and Schnorf who formerly played for Winti togehter) and have to look them up on the net. I was looking for Zenger's first name and noticed that on the Breitenrain team photo, the third guy from the left (seated) was called "Rui...." Obviously he's delivered a few memorable performances.
But I digress. Back to the match and the Bern team held on to their 1-goal advantage to half time.
An interesting contrast to note here. In England, if a top of the league side is a goal down to a basement side, the fans will voice clear displeasure at half time. Booing, whistles even personal abuse thrown the way of the most guilty parties would not be unusual. In Switzerland in this situation, generally you see only encouragement. For me, this is pure common sense. Schaffhausen hadn't been terrible, Breitenrain had been better than expected.
Into the second half and the game didn't change too much. Schaffhausen had the possession but Breitenrain were dangerous on the counter and had Manuel Gloor been more composed with his two great chances, the visitors would have extended their lead.
But that's not what happened. Instead, Schaffhausen's persistent probing eventually paid off. They found space on the left in the 65th minute and a good cross resulted in an easy tap in for Faruk Gül. After further chances for both sides, it was the home team who finally sealed the points. It was a set-piece goal, Frontino with the free-kick and Patrick Rossini with the close range header.
For Breitenrain, encouraging. The difference between the sides was better finishing from the Schaffhäuser and a better ability to hold possession. For Schaffhausen, much to consider. In third place at the moment, they have a lot to do to make up the 5 points needed to join the promotion battle. What they showed on Sunday wasn't enough.
FC Schaffhausen 2 : 1 FC Breitenrain
And it was one of these counter-attacks that had the Schaffhäuser blushing. Claudio Zenger finished off the move with a precise finish into the bottom corner of Vaso Vasic's goal. Incidentally, I do not know the names of these players from memory (except Vasic and Schnorf who formerly played for Winti togehter) and have to look them up on the net. I was looking for Zenger's first name and noticed that on the Breitenrain team photo, the third guy from the left (seated) was called "Rui...." Obviously he's delivered a few memorable performances.
But I digress. Back to the match and the Bern team held on to their 1-goal advantage to half time.
An interesting contrast to note here. In England, if a top of the league side is a goal down to a basement side, the fans will voice clear displeasure at half time. Booing, whistles even personal abuse thrown the way of the most guilty parties would not be unusual. In Switzerland in this situation, generally you see only encouragement. For me, this is pure common sense. Schaffhausen hadn't been terrible, Breitenrain had been better than expected.
Into the second half and the game didn't change too much. Schaffhausen had the possession but Breitenrain were dangerous on the counter and had Manuel Gloor been more composed with his two great chances, the visitors would have extended their lead.
But that's not what happened. Instead, Schaffhausen's persistent probing eventually paid off. They found space on the left in the 65th minute and a good cross resulted in an easy tap in for Faruk Gül. After further chances for both sides, it was the home team who finally sealed the points. It was a set-piece goal, Frontino with the free-kick and Patrick Rossini with the close range header.
For Breitenrain, encouraging. The difference between the sides was better finishing from the Schaffhäuser and a better ability to hold possession. For Schaffhausen, much to consider. In third place at the moment, they have a lot to do to make up the 5 points needed to join the promotion battle. What they showed on Sunday wasn't enough.
FC Schaffhausen 2 : 1 FC Breitenrain
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