A dozen duel sends the Grasshoppers to defeat
The Grasshoppers are still waiting for their first win after four rounds. Against St. Gallen, they mostly defend. And just before the end, they miss the chance to earn a point.
This goal decides the match: Jovan Milošević beats Justin Hammel from the penalty spot.
Photo: Marc Schumacher (Freshfocus)
After the match, St. Gallen’s coach Enrico Maassen says: “In terms of heat, this was one of the toughest matches of my career.” The temperatures in Kybunpark affected everyone: Before the game, one photographer said to another photographer, “I’m looking for a shady spot today.” The colleague replied, “Then sit on the side of GC’s attacks.” Like every joke, this one has a grain of truth, as it indeed takes a long time in the Zurich game for bright moments to occur.
Giotto Morandi is the first to shoot at the goal, half an hour has already been played; immediately after the break, Lawrence Ati Zigi saves a long shot from Maksim Paskotši; after nearly an hour, Morandi misses the chance after a mistake from the otherwise outstanding St. Gallen central defender Abdoulaye Diaby; and in the 89th minute, Kristers Tobers misses the best chance: he fails from about ten meters out. The goal should have been the equalizer, could have been, must have been.
Thus, the Zurich team loses for the third time in four games, as Ayumu Seko wrestles his opponent Jovan Milošević to the ground in a dozen duel ten minutes before the end. Milošević converts the penalty in front of nearly 19,000 fans in the sold-out Kybunpark once again.
GC coach Marco Schällibaum says: “That’s a tough penalty, a 50/50 situation. You can whistle it. But you can also choose not to whistle it.”
The St. Gallen team thus finds its fortune in a penalty. They invest everything that is possible in this heat for 90 minutes. They continually approach the goal of GC goalie Justin Hammel. For example, through the strong left side, played by Chima Okoroji and Christian Witzig. Or through the center, for example six minutes in, when a clearing header from defense is enough to send Chadrac Akolo alone on goal. Hammel saves the attempt from St. Gallen’s top scorer.
The cross to the inside post
The East Swiss team started the week with a 2:0 home win against Slask Wroclaw in the third round of the Conference League qualifiers. It was the sixth win in the seventh season game under the new coach Enrico Maassen. And when you are performing like this, you can also disguise shots on goal as crosses: After 20 minutes, Konrad Faber sends the ball so into the middle that it bounces off the far inside post and practically flies back into the field parallel to the goal line. Hammel just watches the ball. Either he knows he can’t reach it anymore. Or he is a goalie who knows exactly where the goal is.
Schällibaum changes his starting formation in comparison to the 0:3 loss against Basel at five positions. New players include Tsiy Ndenge, Evans Maurin, Abubakar, Tim Meyer, and Benno Schmitz. Schmitz, right back, trained at Bayern Munich and with experience from 132 Bundesliga games for 1. FC Köln, makes his debut in GC colors. He mainly contributes by defending until he is substituted after an hour. Another newcomer, South Korean forward Young-joon Lee, is waiting for his work permit. As soon as he has it, he will try to revive this GC attack.
After the defeat in St. Gallen, the Grasshoppers occupy the last place behind the Young Boys. However, their first win is likely to come soon: Next Sunday, the Zurich team will play the first cup round against the second-division team FC Regensdorf. They will hardly defend as much as in St. Gallen then.(saw)
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11.08.2024, 16:11
FC St. Gallen beats Grasshopper Club Zurich 1-0 thanks to a penalty goal by Milosevic.
11.08.2024, 16:07
…remain for the Grasshoppers to avoid another defeat.
11.08.2024, 16:07
Abrashi is cautioned for being too vocal in his complaints to referee Fähndrich.
11.08.2024, 16:05
After a corner, Tobers gets a free shot but Zigi makes a strong save. That was so far the best chance for the guests to equalize.
11.08.2024, 16:01
Mabil and Schürpf replace Morandi and Meyer.
11.08.2024, 15:59
Cissé is cautioned for unsporting behavior.
11.08.2024, 15:58
The fouled player takes the penalty himself, Milosevic deceives Hammel and shoots the ball into the middle of the goal for St. Gallen’s lead.
11.08.2024, 15:57
Seko brings Milošević down in the box, Fähndrich points to the spot and cautions the Zurich defender. A disputed scene, as the St. Gallen striker was also fully committed.
11.08.2024, 15:54
Maassen makes his last available substitution: Milošević comes on for Akolo, who has missed several good chances.
11.08.2024, 15:49
Morandi receives the first yellow card of the game after a foul on Stevanovic.
11.08.2024, 15:41
Ndicka replaces Schmitz.
11.08.2024, 15:40
Enrico Maassen makes three substitutions: Csoboth, Stevanovic, and Cisse come on for Witzig, Görtler, and Geubbels. For Csoboth (a new signing from Hungary), it is his first appearance in the green-white kit.
11.08.2024, 15:32
After a careless loss of the ball by Diaby, Morandi gets a shot but misses the hosts’ goal by a wide margin.
11.08.2024, 15:30
Marco Schällibaum brings de Carvalho and Muci on for Maurin and Abubakar.
11.08.2024, 15:26
Geubbels tests Hammel from a tight angle, but he manages to clear for a corner.
11.08.2024, 15:25
Akolo drives alone towards Hammel and wants to slide the ball into the far corner, but the St. Gallen player’s shot is far too weak; Hammel can make the save. That should have been the lead for the East Swiss.
11.08.2024, 15:23
The first opportunity of the second half goes to the guests. Paskotši’s shot is deflected, but Zigi still manages to get his feet on the ball and can save.
11.08.2024, 15:21
Fähndrich resumes the match.
11.08.2024, 15:13
No goals have been scored yet in Kybunpark; however, there have been plenty of opportunities, especially on the St. Gallen side. The hosts controlled the game particularly in the early phase and had to face the accusation of not converting chances in this phase. Since the East Swiss did not score, the Zurich team gradually found their way back into the game and nearly took the lead through Abubakar, as the striker was slightly offside at the time of the pass, which is why his goal did not count (25.). A setback for St. Gallen was the early substitute of Isaac Schmidt, who had to be replaced after just a quarter of an hour.
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