Soccer

Borussia Dortmund’s Lifeline Was A Midweek Clash With Fans

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By @DFresh39

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The fans had enough with the losing ways of Borussia Dortmund after a midweek defeat to Augsburg. Roman Weidenfeller and Mats Hummels approached the fans who stayed to express their anger. The fans were quite animated, as their team was alone in last place in the Bundesliga. The winter break was supposed to be BVB‘s wake-up call, but that was not how it played out. Instead, it was the odd moment of players facing irate fans that sent Dortmund their much-needed lifeline.

Dortmund was in the Champions League final two years ago, they have made it to the knockout rounds this year, and they won the Bundesliga three years ago. From a soccer perspective, it was hard to fathom how Dortmund had only earned 16 points in 19 games. The Augsburg victory was their first at Signal Iduna Park – this is what rock bottom in the Bundesliga looks like.

After the loss, Hummels said the team needs to fight and forget about playing attractive football. It’s assumed that the conversation in the locker room ratcheted up a gear after the defeat. Hummels notes that the team has created more than 270 chances, yet find themselves in a relegation fight. The team needed some kind of confidence, and Hummels plays a big role in that. It seems that seeing the anger on the fans’ faces sent the right message to the squad that lit a fire under the team for their match against Freiburg.

Dortmund needs to score first and then sit back and play for the counter attack. That is what happened on Saturday, as BVB stormed to a 3-0 win. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus, two players who must lead the attack, were impressive as the team recorded their first victory since Dec. 5. Reus scored in the ninth minute and a different team emerged. The relief was evident as the final whistle blew, and it was the first away win since Aug. 29.

Dortmund will return home for matchday 21 in front of the Yellow Wall. Instead of waiting until after the match against Mainz to salute the fans, Dortmund should salute them during warm-ups. The face-to-face encounter with irate fans was the rescue line Dortmund needed.

Douglas Smith is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DFresh39, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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