Werder Bremen showed it was still in the race for the Bundesliga
title by finishing its 111th birthday celebrations with a 2-1 home
victory over Hertha Berlin on Friday.
Bremen snapped a five-game losing streak thanks to striker
Claudio Pizarro's game-winner nine minutes from the end.
Pizarro finally struck home after hitting the right post in
the 20th minute and twice getting stopped by Berlin goalkeeper
Jaroslav Drobny in the 34th and 49th minutes.
"This win was very important for us," Pizarro said. "You
could see that you can't just win with football. We were missing
the fight, but we fought today. And this victory will give us
self-confidence."
Werder jumped to 31 points from 21 matches but remained in
sixth place, four points behind fifth-place Hamburg.
"The main thing was to gain some points," Bremen coach Thomas
Schaaf said. "It was an up-and-down game, but the team showed that
they wanted to win."
Hertha Berlin suffered its first loss of 2010 and remained in
last place with 11 points, seven points from a safe spot.
"Again, nothing. We just have to win some points," Berlin
coach Friedhelm Funkel said.
"We lost the game and there are fewer games left in the
season. But the team has stabilized itself and we will get closer
to staying in the league.
"We will get over this defeat and look forward to our next
game and we have to win it."
After three failed chances by Pizarro, Marko Marin gave
Bremen the lead after 66 minutes, side-volleying a deflected shot
by teammate Mesut Ozil.
But Theofanis Gekas equalized for Berlin just two minutes
later, pouncing on a loose ball which Bremen 'keeper Tim Wiese
could not clear.
Pizarro finally grabbed his goal in the 81st on a setpiece as
he stopped a free kick and struck home with his left foot.
