It is said to have been a difficult week for football romantics, not just from the Dortmund area. For German groundhoppers it ended with a comforting, conciliatory experience. They are actually used to faceless functional arenas like Düsseldorf and Amsterdam, where the last international matches took place in September.

The current away trip took them to one of the smallest and most extraordinary stadiums in top European football. The Bilino Polje (in German: herb field) was created in the early seventies, and nothing much has changed since then. It breathes nostalgia. It is in Zenica because Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, does not have a stadium suitable for UEFA.

The size of 13,600 seats in Zenica alone – in the German regional league there are some arenas that can accommodate more people. The rickety camera stands behind the goal are adorned with rust that could have already set in during the Yugoslav era. The VIP area differs from the wooden class in terms of comfort only in that a holder is attached to each seat in which a plastic bottle of water is placed.

The German team has been delighting large stadiums again this year, and they can also do it in small formats. Thanks to two goals from Deniz Undav, they won the last first round game of the Nations League 2-1 in Zenica and continued their successful streak. It is the eighth win in the twelfth game this year, with only one defeat. If they beat the Netherlands on Monday, they would practically be winners of the group after four out of six matchdays.

Hot sausages in a dressing gown for 1.40 marks

But the star of the evening is the stadium. The charm always comes from the surroundings. The Bilino Polje is in the city. Behind the standing stands, residents walk their dogs. In the house in front of the main entrance you will find a driving school and a dentist offers his services.

A bakery opposite the main stand sells hot sausages in a dressing gown for 1.40 marks, and the local currency also serves nostalgia for many guests. In euros that’s 75 cents. The national dish is grilled on the opposite side. There is steam and smoke coming out of the chimney; no ultra smoke pot can keep up with that. Ćevapčići is not a crime!

The Bosnia Mosque is in the immediate vicinity. Her minaret With the old floodlight masts that protrude far above the stands, forms the skyline of the Islamic town. A good two hours before kick-off, the muezzin calls for Friday prayers. Young Muslims follow him, many wrapped in the blue and yellow national flag with the EU stars, because afterwards it’s football. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Inside there is a relaxed atmosphere. When the lawn sprinkler accidentally (accidentally?) wets the cameramen and they have to cover their expensive technical equipment, the crowd cheers. The Bosnian fans on the standing block shout Antonio Rüdiger towards yourself. He fulfills their wish and gives a follower his warm-up jumper. The bystanders applaud.

A flash of inspiration breaks through the harmlessness

The tension rises during the anthems. The Bosnian-Herzegovinian one gets the crowd excited. During the German one, a local man gives a Hitler salute. It’s meant ironically, as an ape. In Zenica, hearts beat for Palestine anyway, as can be seen from individual flags and heard in chants.

The game is balanced for a long time. The Germans control the midfield, but nothing more, until a flash of inspiration breaks through the harmlessness. Robert Andrich lobs up into the penalty area Florian Wirtz. He chooses the more difficult, but intuitively correct path. Instead of shooting, he turns away from the goalie and puts it directly and precisely back to Undav.

Wirtz made a few bad passes in this game, but his assist to make it 0-1 is the moment of the evening. The home fans express their appreciation through shocked silence. The people on the window sills of the prefabricated buildings that frame the stadium also seem impressed.

The opening goal loosens up the game. Germany scores again immediately, through Tim Kleindienst, but it is offside. In return, Stuttgart’s Ermedin Demirović loses a little too much speed and power on a counterattack and his shot thunders onto the crossbar.

Shortly afterwards, Maximilian Mittelstädt hits a pass inside. Undav slides in. 0:2. Undav hardly took part in the game until then. The fact that he still scores two goals will be interpreted as cleverness. But his cheering seems to betray a touch of embarrassment.

The moment of the Bosnian folk hero

After the break, Undav scored a third goal, but again it was offside, like another one from Serge Gnabry. Germany, who started without some of their regular players, let the ball circulate under the guidance of Pascal Groß and Joshua Kimmich. The game comes down to a routine victory.

Then comes the moment of the Bosnian folk hero. Edin Džeko was once German champion with Wolfsburg and was no longer very young then; he later won the Premier League with ManCity. You hear his name all evening long, the kids on the balconies shouting it, the people in the stands.

Even before a corner in the 70th minute. The DFB team mostly covers the near post, but the ball flies over the crowd, including Rüdiger. Džeko, on the other hand, is correct. Alexander Nübel just falls, but doesn’t jump into the corner, and the score is 1:2. Screams of happiness.

Suddenly there is tension, Bosnia and Herzegovina hopes again. The smallest country in Group A has just over three million inhabitants Nations League. It is a poor, war-torn country, rich only in graves. However, it still produces good footballers, for example for the Bundesliga. One person who is still very fond of in Hamburg is the coach: Sergej Barbarez. He now pushes his team forward, brings in another striker, but they lack the strength to equalize.

After the end there is applause for both sides and only happy faces. The Bosnians weren’t far away from a draw against another great football nation. The Germans celebrate an away win. None of them will likely forget their visit to Bilino Polje in their lives. You can succumb to his charm.

ATENEO de Manila University opened its title-retention bid in dominant fashion, sweeping Adamson University 5-0 on the first day of the qualifying round of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Badminton tournament, held on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Manila.

Reigning MVP Lyrden Laborte teamed up with rookie Robbie Ramos to propel the Blue Eagles to the early lead with a commanding win over the Soaring Falcons’ Noel Hernandez and Gabriel Gamoy in the first doubles match, 21-18, 21-11, in just 31 minutes of action.

Laborte and Ramos had to fend off a determined Adamson pair in the opening set, which saw Adamson close the gap to 13-15, before the Ateneo duo pulled away. The second set was more one-sided, with a five-point run that stretched their lead to 19-9, sealing the match.

“I’m happy that we started the season with good wins. Okay naman, considering we’re using a venue that we haven’t used for quite a while, so ang ano natin is how the draft is. So far, OK naman and the players are adjusting well, so happy naman kami,” said head coach Kennie Asuncion.

“Again, with the same approach na talagang every point is important. Every match kumbaga hindi pwede ‘yung downtime. You always have to be on guard; you always have to be ready,” added Asuncion, who is also the concurrent national program director, discussing the team’s mindset moving forward.

Laborte, this season’s Ateneo captain, earlier kicked off the sweep with a commanding 19-minute victory over Adamson’s Kyrik Roldan in straight sets, 21-10, 21-7. Senior Arthur Salvado Jr., a fellow UAAP Season 86 MVP, doubled Ateneo’s advantage with a 21-17, 21-14 win over Nathan Acedillo.

Allen Penute and Charles Bagasbas showcased their clutch skills with a 21-18, 21-17 triumph over Julious Fontanilla and Acedillo in the second doubles rubber. Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Lance Vargas, then sealed the sweep with a 21-9, 21-8 rout of Jhon Dema-ano.

Meanwhile, National University and University of the Philippines also secured 5-0 victories over De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas, respectively.

The two powerhouse teams, NU and UP, will clash on Sunday at 8 a.m. in the same venue.

Season 85 MVP Solomon Padiz Jr. and Nestojan Tapales clinched the win for the Bulldogs with a 37-minute battle against Green Shuttlers Yuan Tan and Miguel Cuarte, 21-17, 21-15, in the first doubles match.

Returning shuttler Enzo Rivera and rookie Mark Anthony Bernal of the Fighting Maroons stunned Golden Shuttlers Janzen Panisales and Ron Jacob Galve in the first doubles rubber, 21-11, 21-13, to secure their tie.

Lanz Zafra made a triumphant return to the league, dismantling Jason Pajarillo, 21-5, 21-10, placing the seven-time champions NU in control. The country’s No. 3 men’s singles player, Mark Velasco, extended NU’s lead with a 21-13, 21-9 sweep over James Carl Capin.

Another returning Bulldog James Villarante, alongside former Blue Eagle Jeno Cariño, took the second doubles match for NU, 21-13, 21-16, over Zaki Layno and Joshua Morada. MJ Perez completed the sweep with a 21-18, 21-15 win over Joshua Fajilan.

(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team

Smash Pilipinas stalwart and third-year Fighting Maroon Jelo Albo also had a perfect day, beginning with a clinical 21-3, 21-14 victory over Lennox Cuilao in the first singles match and then mounting a thrilling comeback with Johann Abinales to defeat Cuilao and Bien Miraflor, 14-21, 22-20, 21-10, in the second doubles rubber.

Shan Clar and Charles Alcarpio added UP’s other victories in the first singles and third singles rubbers, respectively. Clar, a rookie, outlasted fellow freshman John Vincent Espinoza, 23-21, 21-17, while team captain Alcarpio rounded out the sweep by defeating Ivan Angelo Tuazon, 21-13, 21-15.

Ateneo will face archrival De La Salle in another highly anticipated showdown, while UST and Adamson will battle for their first win when qualifying round action resumes on Sunday at 8 a.m.