Training Camp Ends in Victory

By: Scott | July 25th, 2009

Two more friendly wins ought to help keep confidence running high before the competitive play begins in earnest next weekend.

The Werkself’s first match in the four-club, two-day Kaiserstuhl Cup brought new Leverkusen defender Daniel Schwaab face-to-face with the squad he left behind. Newly-promoted SC Freiburg were given a taste of 1. Bundesliga-style defeat as we dropped them 2-1.

Proving he wasn’t the least bit sorry for leaving Freiburg, Schwaab helped set up a strong, distance goal from Toni Kroos. Gekas tapped in goal two off a dropped ball by the Freiburg keeper. Another class stop by Adler in added time kept the scoreline steady for the win. Freiburg will be given the opportunity to lose by a wider margin when we visit them on the 09/10 season’s third match day.

The next day’s match saw Leverkusen showing no mercy on tournament hosts, Bahlinger SC. Our squad left the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg side with the open wounds of a 5:0 defeat. Kießling had two occasions to kiss his tattoo, finding the back of the net at the 71st and 89th minute marks, but it was the wily, young Turk, Kaplan, who opened the scoring. Gekas and Kroos added to Bahlinger’s troubles at the 74th and 87th minutes, respectively.

The 25th Kaiserstuhl Cup wrapped training camp for us, and the next bit of action comes Friday, when Leverkusen travel to take on SV Babelsberg in the opening round of the Pokal.

In off-pitch news, rumours out of England have a potential Leverkusen signing in French ‘winger Julien Faubert. Faubert, content on downloading the match later if it turns out to be worth seeing. Currently with West Ham United, the 25-year-old spent the latter part of last season at Real Madrid, where it seemed his main role was to watch quietly. Faubert’s stay in Madrid was highlighted by his grabbing his Johnson and nodding off on the bench. The sleepy ball-fiddler comes with a guestimated price tag of 5.7-million Euros. If there’s a vote, I’m in the ‘no’ camp. The money could be better spent on a striker and most of us know plenty of places to see out-of-form guys on benches who, for no fee whatsoever, will also piss themselves.