Dynamo Dresden vs VfB Stuttgart
5pm KO, Friday 29th July 2022
Attendance: 22,644
DFB Pokal 1st Round 2022-23
Rudolf Harbig-Stadion – Dresden
In almost all of the major football nations the domestic cup competition is seen as one of the major high points of the football season. The English FA cup for many years was the ultimate competition; the envy of the world and more prestigious than the English First Division league championship.
Still even in these modern times each team in the domestic cup competition works to reach cup final day; a day of colour, excitement and anticipation whether Wembley or the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
The cups see major upsets season after season with the earliest knockout rounds making cup drama inevitable. For every Kidderminister Harriers or Hereford United there has been a FC 09 Weinheim, TSV Vestenbergsgreuth or FK Pirmasens. The amateur side of Bayern Munich (FC Bayern II) have provided a number of shocks in the DFB Pokal defeating traditional teams like 1.FC Koln, Werder and VfB Stuttgart.
DFB Pokal
The DFB Pokal begins with a First round of 64 teams (36 teams from the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2) along with the top four finishers from the previous seasons third tier – 3.Liga.
Of the remaining cup slots the places are given to the cup winners from the DFB regional football associations. The three remaining slots are almost always given to the most successful amateur sides from the various regional associations.
The 2022-23 version of the competition began on 29th July 2022 with the first of the six rounds. The cup final is due to happen on 3rd June 2023. The draw for the first round was held on 29 May 2022 a little over a week after the 2022 cup ended with RB Liepzig as the winners.
That draw saw Dynamo Dresden draw Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.
Seven times winners of the the FDGB-Pokal ‘Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund Pokal’ the former DDR side now find themselves once again in the 3.liga following relegation from Bundesliga 2 the previous season.
In this tie the Saxony based club ran the visitors from Stuttgart close although they fell behind to a first half Darko Churlinov strike, a goal which ultimately proved to be the winning goal. Intermittently, Dynamo created chances – at least 2 of which should have brought an equalising goal – although the quality of VfB Stuttgart defending and goalkeeping proved to be crucial to the visitors progressing.
Winners of the day were the Dynamo Dresden fans who created a fantastic atmosphere in the home stadium. While not know for hospitality and a welcome for visiting teams the players had arrived onto the field to be welcomed by a spectacular flag display.
The Saxonian fans proved why the Rudolf Harbig Stadium remains one of the best supported teams from the former East Germany.
Full set of images from DFB Pokal – here.
Dynamo Dresden: Sven Müller, Kyu-hyun Park, Robin Becker, Claudio Kammerknech, Tim Knipping, Jonathan Meier, Ahmet Arslan, Michael Akoto, Dennis Borkowski, Julius Kade, Manuel Schäffler (5-4-1)
VfB Stuttgart: Fabian Bredlow, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Waldemar Anton, Hiroki Ito, Joshua Vagnoman, Wataru Endo, Tiago Tomás, Naouirou Ahamada, Chris Führich, Darko Churlinov, Silas (3-4-3)
Referee: Florian Badstubner, Germany
FT: 0-1 (Churlinov, 33mins)