Blog Entries

Jacob Sweetman: Strikers and miners

Hertha's Adrian Ramos and 1FC Union's John Jairo Mosquera are having very different seasons, that's for sure. Ramos found himself as a multi-million rated player in the second division this year – I was just waiting for him to throw his toys out of the pram, but it hasn't happened.

Oct 20, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (2 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: Kickin's all we got

I needed some football, something to justify my existence in this damned weekend that comes at the right time for nobody. So I was, naturally, at the Olympiastadion on Friday for Germany's qualifier against Turkey, the only Englishman in the terrifyingly named "White Curve".

Oct 13, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog

Jacob Sweetman: Attacking down the right

When Group A in the qualifying for Euro 2012 was originally drawn there was a debate within the German national association as to whether this game should be played in Berlin and be allowed to become a home fixture for Turkey. Jacob Sweetman is glad that it is.

Oct 6, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (4 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: Singularity of mind?

A, what Hunter Thompson would describe as heroic, dosage of Hennessy's second-finest cognac made the decision all that easier not to venture out at an ungodly hour in the pissing rain to watch the finest road race in the world. Sure, it's an achievement to run 26 odd miles at any time, but the sports desk doesn't do fun runs. Fun shouldn't come into sport.

Sep 29, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (1 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: The bragging rights

So that's it all over until the start of February. Hertha BSC and 1.FC Union Berlin have now met in the league, and can start drawing from the necessary mutual wells of resentment that make these games more interesting. As Klaus Kinski was described by Werner Herzog,"mein Lieblingsfeind". My favourite enemy.

Sep 22, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog

"Strong and hard": relay runners at the Olympic Stadium. Photo by Pete Welsch (p373; Flickr CC)

Jacob Sweetman: A different kind of forum

It started with a simple couple of trips to the football this weekend. Two grounds, two different parts of the city, miles apart. Berlin is such a weird mix of contradictions. Always has been. There is too many of everything - and all because of the unique history of a city that has dealt with more shit in the last hundred years than Knut the polar bear's cleaner.

Sep 15, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (1 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: Hearts racing

Bill Shankly had his tongue in his cheek when he said the famous quote about football being more important than life or death. Just to clarify: football is not more important than life or death. Football is a game, a diversion from our otherwise dull, or even sometimes tragic, lives. But it can be lethal.

Sep 8, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (2 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: The first day back at school

There was a a roaring atmosphere in Köpenick this weekend as 1.FC Union hosted spVgg Greuther Fürth in the first home game of the season - old friends met again and showed off their suntans and brand new Torsten Mattuschka pencil cases, the new shirts box-fresh and resplendant in a way that you know will not last.

Sep 1, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (1 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: Babbel-ing idiots

Football fans are idiots. A beautiful and poignantly raging example of this was shown at the weekend, as Hertha Berlin hosted Rot Weiß Oberhausen: the first game of a new season for Hertha in the second division had over 4000 more fans than the corresponding fixture last year.

Aug 25, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (3 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: Your place or Mainz?

"The most glamorous league in the world?" Fortunately, the sports desk had better things to do with our time this weekend than worry about Blackburn at home to Everton. It was the first round of the DFB Pokal - a cup that matters no less.

Aug 18, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (1 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: The man who hates soccer

The weird thing about watching American football is that it is defined by the Crunch. That sound like a train hitting a fence. At the Berlin Adlers vs Kiel Baltic Hurricanes game last Saturday, I was lucky enough to have someone who could explain the tangibles to me, and the plays, too - but mostly all I understood was that noise.

Aug 11, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (2 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: Ladies Love Cool Games

Deportivo La Coruna's visit to play FC Union in Köpenick on Sunday was a must see. And it turned out like that too. LL Cool J might not like to use the term, but now this WAS a comeback.

Jul 28, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (2 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: At her Katarina Witt's end

It‘s been a tough old week for Claudia Pechstein. The most decorated German Winter Olympian of all time must feel as if she‘s trying to break her old 5,000m speed skating world record on sand. Her racing career is a shambles, her professional one is in danger and now her marriage is over too.

Jul 21, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (1 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: The end of the World (Cup)

My friend Khaled says the World Cup is like Ramadan, but with goals. Everything stops for it. Having said that, Khaled knows as much about football as I do about religious fasting periods. The World Cup is nothing like Ramadan.

Jul 14, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (5 Comments)

Photo by Paul Ripke

Jacob Sweetman: Union City reds, silvers and, er, greens

Germany four, Argentina nil. What is there to be said that hasn't been said already. If only Diego Maradona had deigned to turn up with a midfield it might have been a game. So for light relief, there was the launch of the new 1.FC Union Berlin kit at the 11 Freunde WM Quartier.

Jul 7, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog

Jacob Sweetman's World Cup: How many Argentinians can you fit in a Mini?

"We have to show we can finally beat a big team," said Philipp Lahm. The German captain wasn‘t wrong, though the English would certainly hold it up as an example of the arrogance of which we assume is just beneath the surface of the stereotype.

Jul 2, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog

Jacob Sweetman's World Cup: Yesterday's whine

Well that was a farce. Some idiots predicted that Thomas Müller would pose very litttle threat to Ashley Cole, but that may have been a little wide of the mark. As wide, say, as a Steven Gerrard's crossfield pass.

Jun 30, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (1 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman's World Cup: Gerd vibrations

Berlin will be rocking for Sunday's game between England and Germany. A screaming mass of face-painted, stupid-hatted, vuvuzela-tooting Teutons will be swarming the city, and if you don't like football or combinations of the colours gold, red and black, then maybe it's time to get out to the lake.

Jun 25, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (3 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman's World Cup: The coup day grass

Sat at my day job watching South Africa vs France, with the cricket one dayer on the radio and live updates from Wimbledon on the computer, a Russian tourist just fixed me with a stare that could only be described as being sent by confused of Leningrad.

Jun 23, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog

Jacob Sweetman: It's not easy being Green

I met Gerd Müller the other day. He was out celebrating Germany's excellent victory over Australia on Sunday evening, and seemed as surprised as I was...

Jun 16, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (4 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: Why I might not want Germany to lose in the World Cup

As Gary Lineker once said, "Football is a simple game, 11 men vs 11 men over 90 minutes and the Germans win." You can forgive Lineker the bitterness as he has experienced losing to them in a semi-final at much closer quarters than any of the rest of us.

Jun 9, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (8 Comments)

Jacob Sweetman: Liga of the Pack

Well, we can't complain that it's been a boring end of season in the Regionalliga Nord: Werner Lorant took high office at Tennis Borussia, fur is flying at Mommsenstadion, and Türkiyemspor rounded it off under new coach Bahman Foroutan – who arrived with them about as likely to stay up as Rivaldo in stilettos. On ice.

Jun 2, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (5 Comments)

Photo by Jacob Sweetman

Jacob Sweetman: The dustbins of football history

I was feeling paranoid as I skulked around in the middle of a classic Berlin shitstorm on Sunday, looking for a trace of the Stadion der Weltjugend, once the showpiece stadium in East Berlin and the second largest in the DDR. I couldn't find one.

May 26, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (1 Comments)

Photo courtesy of Turbine Potsdam

Jacob Sweetman: Shit, Potsdam - get off your ass and jam

The sports desk is confused. More Berliners seemed to be willing Bayern to lose in the Cup final against Werder Bremen than even know about Turbine Potsdam's appearance in the Women's Champions League final on Thursday.

May 19, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (4 Comments)

Photo by Dee.lite (Wikipedia CC)

Jacob Sweetman: Horses and traps

I've always been a bit more reclined than equine-inclined, if you know what I mean, but on entering the sprawl of the Mariendorf Trabrennbahn it became immediately clear that this was going to be alright...

May 12, 2010 by in The Berlin Blog (2 Comments)