Schalke out, Dortmund out – Trier's Rudy Tomes becomes DFB-Pokal terror

memorable

October 28, 1997: Borussia Dortmund was eliminated from the German Cup in Trier. The defending Champions League champion was knocked down by Rudy Toms, the player who scored against defending UEFA Cup champions Schalke 04 in the previous round.

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Trier is not a big name in German football. A few seasons in the Bundesliga and that was it. The 1997/98 cup season is a highlight in the club's history – except perhaps for the fact that Gildo Horn, a pop singer from Trier, composed the club's anthem “Eintracht Frankfurt”.

In the summer of 1997, Frankfurt was a completely mediocre regional league team, ranking 9th the previous season. But now in the German Cup, third-rate Trier has brought a different gunner. In the first round, the SpVgg Unterhaching team from the second place in the Bundesliga had to give up. Trier defeated Munich 2-1 at home.

“Schalke completely underestimated us”

Rudy Tomez came on as a substitute after halftime. But the 29-year-old attacker will start in the next cup game. Not only are Schalke 04 a top Bundesliga team, Schalke even won the UEFA Cup just a few months ago. Toms is also a fan of the club.

Rudi Thömmes wears Eintracht Trier dress.Image: imago-images.de

“Schalke completely underestimated us,” Tomes recalled. “At the same time, we gave 100% and became more confident every minute.” Tomes said that when the opponent's dissatisfaction As the situation intensified and the players yelled at each other, they noticed “something was going on.”

A quarter of an hour before the end of the game, the score was still 0-0 at the Moser Stadium, and Tomes kicked the ball 20 meters in front of the goal. “I hit the ball really well with the outside of my foot into the top left corner,” he said, describing how he beat Schalke goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. “In the locker room, Lehmann kicked the door open out of frustration.”

The Birth of the Cup Panic

The joy was immense and continued in Trier when the draw pitted Eintracht Frankfurt against their next top rivals: Borussia Dortmund, the best football team in Europe and the reigning Champions League champions.

Dortmund may be warned. But he also underestimated Trier’s outsiders. Rudy Tomes became a famous hero again: in the 2-1 win, he scored a wonderful goal to make it 1-0, while his foul resulted in a penalty to make the score 2-0. 0. “As a Schalke fan, after knocking my club out of the German Cup, it was of course important for me to do the same thing against Borussia Dortmund. It's a satisfaction,” Toms said.

Striker Rudi Tomes, who played more than 500 games for Trier and Salmrohr, knocked down regional giants Schalke and Borussia Dortmund in quick succession – what a story! “You can't teach anyone to be a cup-phobe,” Tomes said philosophically, “you're born a cup-phobe.” But the team also has to be right, and Fortuna has to support the underdog.

«In the end we had two great days and the necessary luck. Otherwise such a thing would not be possible. Toms believes that the possibility of feeling depends on the opponent. “If a Bundesliga team goes into the game with the right attitude, then as a small club, no matter how you play, you have no chance. “

Almost missed the finals

Trier continues to compete in the German Cup. Waldhof Mannheim, who were relegated to the second division, must believe in the quarter-finals. Trier has reached the semi-finals and is one win away from the final at Berlin's Olympiastadion. It was already clear from the night before the match against MSV Duisburg, where the opponent would be Bayern Munich.

Neither team can hide the stakes. The focus was on defence, and after Duisburg opened the scoring, the Trier Cup fairytale seemed to be over as the game approached 90 minutes. In the 89th minute, Dirk Vonle scored, 1-1, entering overtime. In this one, Frankfurt came much closer to a winning goal, but it didn't happen. This resulted in an epic penalty shootout in which all 22 players had to take part. In the end, Duisburg goalkeeper Thomas Gill scored, while Trier goalkeeper Daniel Ischdonat missed. 10:9 For the “Zebras”, they are now in the final (they will lose to Bayern 1:2).

“It took me a while to process it,” admitted 11-meter scorer Rudi Thömmes. “But you should stay on the carpet. Duisburg was a good Bundesliga team at the time. Despite the semi-final defeat, it was still a very good time.”