On the 8th of June it was time again to participate in the yearly football cup of the Elite Network of Bavaria. This time it was set to be played in Regensburg, why we left Bayreuth in the early morning.
This year’s team consist out of around 15 alumni, spectators and current GCEs, equipped with a brand-new set of jerseys provided by the sports faculty. To prevent a repetition of the of the mediocre performances of the last years, we committed ourselves to hold a few practices beforehand. Nevertheless, the last tactical directions were given during the train ride. We arrived at the University of Regensburg without much trouble and were blessed by a beautiful sunny day.
This was accompanied by a pitch in splendid condition, which is no comparison for the Wilde-Liga pitches we were practicing on. Moreover, there was a sufficient supply of drinks, food and snacks. Everything was set to show our skills and surprise the competition which travelled from all over Bavaria to Regensburg. The tournament started with a group phase, followed by knockout rounds. Each game lasted 15 Minutes and was played 6 vs. 6 (+goalie).
After starting nervous, we were able to take control of the first game. The only thig which we weren’t able to do was scoring a goal, so we ended up being a draw. Because our second opponent didn’t show up, we already advanced to the quarter finals, without having scored a single goal. This shouldn’t be changed in our next game, which was mainly played between the boxes. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal just before the end of the match.
After the lunch break, we actually faced another team of the University of Bayreuth the scientific computing program. As in previous games our defence was solid, but just couldn’t make use of our chance in offence. This was changed roughly 3 minutes before the end, with Mateo scoring an artistic goal (see picture). The goal seemed to wake up our opponents, who now attacked us with the mute of despair, but the GCE defence once again was standing strong, and we manged take home the win and advance to the semi-finals.
Even though our mood was great, we also started to feel exhausted from the previous games. Moreover, since there weren’t many teams left, we had little to no break before having to play our semi-final. Right around mid-game our opponents went up front. But if anyone thought that would be it, it wasn’t. Quickly after being behind Mateo scored a beautiful equalizer. From that point onwards the match was much more spectacular, since both of the teams weren’t able to prevent passing mistakes, leading to good chances at both sides, with an optical advantage on the GCE side. After the extra time of 5 minutes not only the game ended with a draw, but we also ran out of energy. Since there was a winner to be determined, there was a penalty shoot-out, which we unfortunately lost.
It was just as all of us were pleased with the performance and would gladly make our way home, as we realized we also had to play the next match for the third place. Hereby we couldn’t offer much of a fight and lost the game 2:0 and were finally able to get home. We proudly reached Bayreuth at 8pm and with this much later then expected. We hope that we can built up on that performance in the next year.
My aim is to understand the complex interplay of humans, nature, technology & society. Therefore, I did my bachelor in sustainable development with a focus on engineering and energy transition. Global Change Ecology offered me the opportunity to dive deeper into nature & society. These interests are accompanied by a great passion for all kind of sports.
very good content