Bielefeld. The semi-final in the Westphalia Cup competition between DSC Arminia Bielefeld and Preußen Münster was a nervous affair. With a goal almost in the last minute to make it 1-1, Arminia saved itself into a penalty shootout. There, coach Mitch Kniat’s protégés showed better nerves and won 4:3.
DSC Coach Mitch Kniat actually didn’t want to make any personnel changes to his squad. Reaching the final and winning the national cup are too important. But then the coach was forced to make a swap in the position in which he had explicitly announced his number one. However, goalkeeper Jonas Kersken reported sick shortly before the game. After cup appearances against Herringhausen/Eickum and Victoria Clarholz, Leo Oppermann made competitive appearance number three for the DSC. He won’t forget him anytime soon.
Among the field players, Marius Wörl had to be spared – after all, he was on the bench. Instead of the midfielder, Nassim Boujellab played. Sam Schreck moved into Wörl’s position six. And another personality was worth mentioning: Kaito Mizuta was on the field. His inglorious excursion into Bielefeld’s nightlife, including his arrest, had no further consequences.
Mizuta prevails after 22 seconds
Only 22 seconds had been played when the Japanese – quite legally – made the Münster penalty area unsafe: After a good cross from Boujellab, Mizuta prevailed, but the angle for a finish became too acute. A little later, Merveille Biankadi – served by Boujellab – shot from a half-right position, and guest keeper Johannes Schenk cleared it for a corner.
For ten minutes, thanks to the newcomers in the starting line-up, everything looked like the DSC was in control. And then pure slapstick happened. After Münster hit a ball from the corner flag into the penalty area, Oppermann and Maximilian Großer had a huge misunderstanding. Nobody took the leather. Sebastian Mrowca thanked him and pushed in the piece of equipment that was rolling through the penalty area to make it 1-0 for Münster.
And Münster followed up. Marc Lorenz nailed a free kick from 18 meters onto the crossbar (15th). The next Bielefeld incident came in the 19th minute, when Boujellab headed a Lannert free kick from the right side onto the goal. Keeper Schenk reacted at the last second.
Penalty missed in the 37th minute
In the 27th minute, Oppermann made a save against the onrushing Joel Grodowski. There were further good chances on both sides in the first half and – this is also a theme that Arminia seems to be following this season – a missed penalty: In the 37th minute, Klos fell in the penalty area after an Oppie free kick. The Bielefeld team attacked referee Felix Weller with their demands for a penalty in vain. Shortly before the break, Klos and Mizuta missed a good cross from Oppie. So we went into the locker room with a deficit.
It was time for Mizuta to finish after the break. Aygun Yildirim came. The first shot of the period came from Boujellab (48th) – not without danger because Münster’s keeper could only high-five it. Biankadi then only took a corner. Captain Fabian Klos headed the ball at a corner (57′), but didn’t get any pressure behind the ball. In the 59th he missed a good Yildirim cross by one step.
In Arminia’s effort to at least save themselves into the penalty shootout, Boujellab had to make way for Manuel Wintzeimer in the 67th minute. In the 76th, Wörl and Leandro Putaro came on for Schreck and Biankadi.
Münster brings Arminia to 1:1
Unlucky Oppermann was on the post with a lightning reflex in the 81st when substitute Dominik Steczyk had a great chance. Was that the missing impetus for the offensive? Wintzheimer put the ball outside in the 84th minute, from where Lannert crossed back into the penalty area. Simon Scherder wanted to clear in front of Fabian Klos, who was ready to shoot, and pushed the ball into his own goal to make it 1-1. It stayed that way.
According to the cup rules, it went straight to penalties. Münster’s first shooter, captain Marc Lorenz, was immediately denied by Oppermann. Then Großer and Mrowca met. Mael Corboz shot well, but was denied by Schenk. Scherder, Oppie, Wegkamp and Wintzheimer scored again. After Dennis Grote missed a shot, Putaro had victory in hand – and shot the DSC into the final.
Coach Mitch Kniat said after the game: “It was a typical game for us. We could have used the first one or two chances, then it would have gone our way. But then we chase after it. But it was another good game from us us. It wasn’t our best performance, but there are a lot of things we can build on.” The coach spontaneously said to his keeper: “A goal like that happens sometimes. If you save two penalties afterwards, it doesn’t matter at all.”