Manuel Neuer can save Penalties (and Mirko Slomka)

By: Jan | March 5th, 2008

   

Tweet

It was an overall poor performance by Schalke, who were dominated by FC Porto and hardly managed to keep possession, especially once they tried to venture into Porto’s half of the pitch. Given the turmoil surrounding Schalke and Mirko Slomka it probably wasn’t all too surprising. But Schalke got the basics right at least. They defended decently, fought hard and had Manuel Neuer to thank, who kept them in the game on several occasions and then won them the match with two penalty saves – one of which was very impressive.

Technically Schalke lost both matches against Bayern (0-1) and Porto (1-0), so Mirko Slomka failed to live up to president Schnusenberg’s ultimatum. Though, €7m extra revenue from the Champions League quarter final will probably help to convince Schnusenberg to be a bit more lenient with Slomka.

Some Related Bundesliga Posts:

Category: Bundesliga

   

Tweet

« Weekly Dose 5.3.08 | Home | 5 Things we learned in Europe this Week »

Comments  

• Abby |  March 5th, 2008 at 8:57 pm

  
  
  

  Well, his hero is Jens Lehmann, after all. And Jens knows his way around a penalty shoot-out.

  

• Juliet |  March 5th, 2008 at 9:05 pm

  
  
  

  Yay Schalke! Neuer continues to astonish. I’m glad there’s a German team representin’ in the quarter-finals (and I’ll admit it’s good for league depth that, for once, it’s not Bayern Munich). Thanks for posting this so quickly.

  

• diana |  March 6th, 2008 at 4:05 am

  
  
  

  ‘(and I’ll admit it’s good for league depth that, for once, it’s not Bayern Munich).’

  True, Juliet.

  Eh Jan, I see a red x in whatever you are trying to post. Or maybe it’s the computer I am using.

  

• Jan |  March 6th, 2008 at 4:35 am

  
  
  

  Abby: I have to say I was positively surprised. I couldn’t remember Neuer ever saving a penalty in the Bundesliga and most recently he couldn’t get a hand on one in the DFB-Pokal shootout against Wolfsburg. But he rose to the occasion.:-)

  Diana: Can you tell me your configuration (OS and browser)? I’m working with Firefox and Safari on a Mac and have no problems with the videos, but I can ask our tech guy to look into it.

  

• diana |  March 6th, 2008 at 5:19 am

  
  
  

  Mine is on Microsoft XP, Jan. Not really the techie person myself, but that is what I know.

  

• Jan |  March 6th, 2008 at 6:23 am

  
  
  

  OK, and Internet Explorer as a browser I suppose.

  

• diana |  March 6th, 2008 at 6:34 am

  
  
  

  Yup. Thanks for reminding me, Jan. I had forgotten to add in that earlier.

  

• Robert |  March 6th, 2008 at 11:47 am

  
  
  

  Neuer is the best goalkeeper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  

• Joe Westhead |  March 7th, 2008 at 4:41 am

  
  
  

  His second penalty save was superb.

  But I found one of his saves in the match was even better. The Porto striker thought he had scored following a clever-set piece. Reminiscent of Peter Schmeichel vs Rapid Vienna, Neuer threw arms and legs towards the ball and turned it around the post.

  Majestic.

  

• fcbtransfers.blogspot.com |  March 7th, 2008 at 5:25 am

  
  
  

  Today there are rumours in Spain that barcelona could be interested in Neuer. Read more here: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com

  Anybody knows when his contract with Schalke expires?

  

• harriet |  March 7th, 2008 at 6:58 am

  
  
  

  Oh no not barcelona….. Neuer deserved better!!!
  Still I hope he stays at Schalke
  By the way his contract expires at 2012…i feel worried

  

• Abby |  March 7th, 2008 at 9:10 am

  
  
  

  I’d agree with Harriet- he doesn’t do himself any good going somewhere that he’s likely to be on the bench at. Schalke is where he should be right now- he needs the experience of playing before he (perhaps) makes the jump somewhere else.

  

• Jan |  March 7th, 2008 at 9:26 am

  
  
  

  Neuer is a 100% Schalke boy. He was born in Gelsenkirchen (Schalke hometown), grew up as a Schalke fan, was in the stadium when Schalke played the UEFA Cup final, was a ball boy auf Schalke when Porto won the Champions League in 2004 and has a lot of friends in the curve with whom he went to Schalke matches as a teenager. I think it would be difficult for him to leave the club now. He might leave Schalke sometime in his career, but I don’t think there’s any danger of him leaving in the summer.

  

• harriet |  March 8th, 2008 at 5:56 am

  
  
  

  that’s absolute relief to hear
  I hope Schalke marches into the semis of Champions League!!