Soccer

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Ibisevic, Niedermeier score as Stuttgart beats Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in Bundesliga

By: Nesha Starcevic, The Associated Press

Sunday, Mar. 17, 2013 at 1:40 PM | Comments: 0

Frankfurt's Takashi Inui, left, challenges for the ball with Stuttgart's Serdar Tasci during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart in Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, March 17, 2013. (AP Photo/dpa, Frank Rumpenhorst)

FRANKFURT - Stuttgart came from behind to beat Eintracht in Frankfurt 2-1 on Sunday and distance itself from the relegation zone in the Bundesliga.

Eintracht ended its five-match scoreless run but could not protect the lead and conceded two goals in a toughly contested, foul-filled second half.

In the late match, Luuk de Jong used a clever pass from Patrick Herrmann to score in the 36th minute and give Borussia Moenchengladbach a 1-0 victory over Hannover, which finished with 10 men after the dismissal of Sergio da Silva Pinto for dissent.

Stuttgart had won only one of its 10 previous matches and appeared to be on its way to another loss when Stefan Aigner scored for Frankfurt in the 17th minute.

But Vedad Ibisevic levelled with a penalty in the 48th and Georg Niedermeier secured Stuttgart's victory with a header at the far post from a corner.

"This was an incredibly important victory for us," Stuttgart's coach Bruno Labbadia said. "Great compliments to my players."

Eintracht had calls for a late penalty denied. Stuttgart moved up to 12th while Eintracht moved past Schalke into fourth despite the loss. Schalke lost 3-0 in Nuremberg on Saturday and now has a worse goal difference than Eintracht. Fourth place means a slot in qualifying for the Champions League. Moenchengladbach is now seventh, but only point behind Eintracht.

"We should have earned more today," Eintracht captain Pirmin Schwegler said.

Schwegler created Eintracht's goal with a perfectly timed through ball. Aigner raced into space and beat Stuttgart's goalkeeper Sven Ulreich with a shot indie the far post with the outside of his boot.

Eintracht missed a couple of chances before Stuttgart replied after the break.

Arthur Boka was awarded a penalty when he was clipped by Schwegler and Ibisevic converted from the spot for his 12th goal of the season.

Niedermeier scored the winner after connecting with a corner from Alexandru Maxim with a powerful header and Stuttgart is now eight points away from the danger zone.

Srdjan Lakic fell in a challenge by Ulreich late in the match but the referee ignored Eintracht's calls for a penalty.

Eintracht is still one point behind its proclaimed pre-season target of 40. Coach Armin Veh's contract expires after the season and he has said he would not discuss his future until Eintracht reached 40 points. Persistent media speculation has linked Veh with a move to Schalke, but he has dismissed the reports.

After the match, Veh said he will sit down with Eintracht's officials in the next few days and make a decision. He denied reports that he had already signed a contract with Schalke.

"I would never do that. We haven't reached 40 points yet but we have to clear up this situation, we can't wait much longer," said Veh, who has urged Eintracht's tight-fisted management to spend on new players as a condition for him to stay.

Veh coached Stuttgart to the 2007 Bundesliga championship. Schalke's sporting director is Horst Heldt, a former Stuttgart player who ended his career and moved into management there while Veh was the coach.

On Saturday, Bayern Munich scored late to earn a 2-1 win in Leverkusen and stayed 20 points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, which beat Freiburg 5-1. Leverkusen is four points behind Dortmund and six points ahead of Eintracht.

Rate this
This article has not yet been rated.

We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.

You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.

Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.

Sort by: Newest to Oldest | Oldest to Newest | Most Popular 0 Comments

You can comment on most stories on brandonsun.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

There are no comments at the moment. Be the first to post a comment below.

Post Your Comment

The Brandon Sun does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Comments are moderated before publication. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.