Lewandowski is not allowed to play: Kevin Großkreutz knows no mercy

Sunday, September 19, 2021

Lewandowski is not allowed to play
Kevin Großkreutz knows no mercy

By Tobias Nordmann, Castrop-Rauxel

TuS Bövinghausen has not yet had enough. The miraculous way out of the district league should not end in the Westphalia league. For this, the club has treated itself to an ex-world champion. Kevin Großkreutz is now kicking his old friends. That causes quite heated emotions.

Things might have been different with Lewandowski. But there is currently no place in the squad for the striker. And anyway, the attacker has other tasks this season. He should shoot the second team in the district league in the next (two) years. This is important so that the A-Juniors have a solid stopover on their way to the “first” stage. You don’t want the talented youngsters to leave the club and find happiness via VfB Waltrop or TSV Marl-Hüls. No, SV Wacker Obercastrop wants to be self-sufficient. And that is why the rise of the “second” is so important, which is why Lewandowski has to play a derby against SG Castrop-Rauxel II on this match day and no use at the event of the year in the small metropolis between Bochum and Dortmund. Bitter: Lewandowski didn’t score. The fast-paced derby ended 3: 5.

Saturday night, floodlights, the world champion in town. And not to write greetings and autographs. No, the world champion is here on business. Kevin Großkreutz had an important job to do. He and his team want to take points. Top game time in the shadow of the Erin Tower. Top game time in the Erin arena. And on this Saturday evening it is actually a lot different than usual when clubs like SpVg Hagen 1911, Borussia Dröschede or FC Gerlingen appear here. The police are there. With several personnel carriers. With officials in full gear. Only the helmet is not on the head. That has a de-escalating character. Nevertheless, not every guest feels comfortable. Some turn away when the groups of officials see them.

Großkreutz is a footballer

Noble fan and young talent sponsor “Atze” do not know why the police are on site with such a presence. Maybe it has to be like that, he suspects. After all, it’s the event of the year in the city. Not for everyone, of course. Because in Castrop-Rauxel football is a “national sport” and there is no other way in the Ruhr area, but Castrop-Rauxel is also the German stronghold of Korfball. Four of the best clubs in the country are based here. But well, Kevin Großkreutz is a footballer. And not a korfballer. Hence the elevation. The legend of Borussia Dortmund ended his professional career after a not always nice engagement at Bayer Uerdingen, but not stopped with the sport that he loves so much, that made him so great and famous, that makes him so polarized. Because he wanted to play a little more with his buddies, he hired TuS Bövinghausen at the end of January. Because of Corona, he’s only now playing his first season for the 1904s.

A few years ago “Bövi” played in the district league, now in the sixth highest division. And that’s not supposed to be it yet. The league is the goal. In this season? “Don’t have to,” said President Ajan Dzaferoski to “Reviersport” before the first whistle of the season. Means however: can but. In addition to world champion Großkreutz, Baris Özbek (born in Castrop-Rauxler and active among others at Union Berlin, MSV Duisburg and Galatasaray) and summer fairy tale legend David Odonkor came to the west of Dortmund in the summer. The man with the historic run across the flank in 2006 was not in the starting line-up in the top game. Good for those who can bring such a legend as a joker. Like all this, how is this luxury squad possible? Well, there are many stories to be told in the Westfalenliga, not all of which flatter patrons, hotel owners and President Dzaferoski.

“Atze” doesn’t want to deal with that. Does not matter. There are more important things on this evening in front of 1300 spectators at the arena. That is around 1000 more than usual at the place, which is beautifully forested. The championship lead has to be defended. Sure, TuS is the clear favorite, but Obercastrop is a well-rehearsed team, especially strong on the defensive. There are a couple of real edges. This is how it has to work, work everything away in a stable manner at the back and then move forward via the fixed outside players. The man of hope is Elvis Shala. Elvis, trained at Rot-Weiss Essen, is kind of a hero in the club. He has just extended to 2024. Whatever that means in the Westphalia League. There is even a highlight video from Elvis on Youtube. His strongest moments in the Wacker jersey. Thanks from the club for its loyalty. The clip was clicked 243 times.

In Erin’s shadow

Shortly after 7 p.m., kick-off. Striker Marko Onucka plays the first ball, directly to Großkreutz. He already has more ball contacts than when he won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil (just kidding). At TuS, the former top player from Borussia Dortmund is the man who organizes everything in the center. To the front, to the left, to the right and also to the rear. His diagonal balls are a feast for the eyes, his duel with all the (ripped off) tricks of the professionals. Großkreutz is still in top physical condition as a “hobby player”. This does not apply to everyone on the pitch, for one or the other, the desire for culinary delights stretches their jersey. Großkreutz is omnipresent. If we counted correctly, he has over 50 ball contacts after 20 minutes. He’s also won a lot of duels, holds out his bones. For the 33-year-old, fun is also maloche. And success, he knows no mercy. Not even in the shadow of the Erin Tower. A powerful and wonderful reminder of the last of five mines in the city, closed in 1983. You can’t get more romance from the Ruhr area.

It’s a completely different world for Großkreutz, Odonkor and Özbek. No longer the glittering show in the goose bumps arenas, no longer the time of great dramas or great triumphs. It’s not the Bundesliga, it’s not the Champions League, it’s not the World Cup. Here football is still real, tough. Here the tackle often comes much too late, here the flanks fly too far through the penalty area. And at the snack bar, the stress level is in the red. Mentally and physically. One soccer field bratwurst XXL after the other flies over the counter. Also as a currywurst. The dog next door thinks it’s good, his master doesn’t. Of course there are also fries. But the mayo tubes are empty. The damned protective film does not come off. It takes a strong helping hand. “Otherwise there is less going on,” says the woman at the grill. She doesn’t have to apologize. 1300 spectators, Obercastrop has never seen them.

Bövinghausen takes the lead (27th), a corner is not cleared well by Wacker, André Daniel Witt takes the rebound directly. The leadership is deserved. The opinion does not have a majority in place. But it is the truth. Obercastrop has no access in midfield and the few counterattacks did not end well. Elvis isn’t on the show yet. “Atze” is not worried. Elvis is the man for the second half and he also plays on the Elvis side after the break. Wacker and his playmaker storm the gate in front of the club home. But then the lightning shock: The very strong central defender Maurice Rene Haar hits ten minutes after the restart to make it 0-2. His header is good, but the freedom he is granted is not (Obercastrop perspective). First whistles at the arena, then a short silence. Only the TuS entourage celebrates.

The miracle of Obercastrop

“Atze” remembers. He remembers the miracle against Malaga! What BVB succeeded in the Champions League on April 9, 2013, should now also succeed at Karlstrasse 44. The problem: Felipe Santana is not there. Don Schreiber has to fix it. A slat cracker wakes up the arena again. Nico Brehm lets the crossbar tremble for minutes with his shot. A little later, a cross from Martin Kapitza almost sinks into the goal. Ricardo Seifried clears spectacularly for the corner. Faith is back and so are the emotions. Kapitza makes the arena hot again. Packs, the occasional throwing of beer mugs and on the grassy hill (grandstand) there is a shoving between two older men. There are ugly words. There is serious disagreement as to whether the referee knows the rules.

Großkreutz intervenes again and again to de-escalate. What a change. As a steward for conflict resolution, he was not always considered a professional. A yellow-red card for Wacker cannot be prevented. Nor is defeat. The “Obercastrop miracle” does not materialize, David Odonkor arrives in stoppage time. Once he pulls in a mighty sprint, on the right track like against Poland back then. But he does not reach the ball. He spins out. On the back straight, loud chants are intoned for Großkreutz. The autograph hunters are already waiting at the gangs. Seconds later: the final whistle, cheers, TuS is the front runner! One question remains unanswered: Where is Fabio Rummenigge, the son of Michael, the nephew of Karl-Heinz? At Transfermarkt.de he is still listed as a player, but without a number. Could President Dzaferoski follow his infamous “hire and fire” policy? The man is known to switch roster wildly when necessary. Always for success. What a spectacle, even without the big names.