Many of the professionals associated with SC Freiburg weren’t involved in the 2022 DFB Pokal Final shootout at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. That didn’t necessarily mean there wasn’t a sense of deja vu when last night’s cup quarterfinal match against Hertha BSC went to penalties. Precisely as was the case on that fateful evening on May 21st, 2022, Freiburg and their Olympiastadion opponents completed 120 minutes deadlocked at 1-1.
Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster wasn’t working the sidelines when Freiburg faced RB Leipzig in the Final. Last night’s PSO-winning goalkeeper Florian Müller also wasn’t with Freiburg at the time. Both Schuster and Müller nevertheless had skin in the game as the Breisgauer chased glory in the penalty lottery. Schuster was an SCF youth coach in 2022. Müller, with Stuttgart those years ago, had previously played for Freiburg on loan.
One man who was on the pitch that night was Freiburg’s record-holding captain Christian Günter. For the skipper, the shootout proved a devastating and traumatic experience. Günter – along with current Stuttgart striker Ermedin Demirovic – was one of two Freiburg penalty-takers not to convert that night. Understandably enough, Günter didn’t wish to make himself readily available last night.
“There are memories of this stadium and they are not pleasant ones,” Günter told Sky Germany after his teammates prevailed. “I wasn’t eager to be among the first five today. I wasn’t feeling 100 percent confident. Eventually it would have been my turn and I had to be focused and prepared for that. That’s all one can do.“
The 28-year-old Müller retains a back-up role behind 23-year-old Noah Atubolu. Müller still hasn’t logged a single minute of Bundesliga action this season. Schuster has nevertheless opted to stick with Müller as his “Pokal keeper”.
Atubolu tended goal in Freiburg’s opening round Pokal victory against Sportfreunde Lotte. Since then Müller has helped see the team past Düsseldorf, Darmstadt, and now Hertha.
“He put in a great performance in the game and saved our asses in the shootout,” Günter told Sk. “He rewarded himself for the work he puts in every week in training, and I’m very happy for him.”
“It’s not easy for him as he’s not in rhythm,” Schuster added at the post match press conference. “Fortunately, he’s always on the ball in training and that’s how one delivers performances like that.
“There’s a great sense of unity within the team and the goalkeeping crew,” Schuster continued. “The fact that Atu was able to develop in this way is thanks to Flo. And the fact that Flo was able to perform so well is thanks to Atu.
“I look forward to every game,” Müller himself said in the mixed zone. “These are the moments one works for when one doesn’t play that often. I’m proud to have been able to show what I can do.
“The trauma of the cup final with the penalty shootout and everything else has now been overcome,” Müller continued. “We’re now ready to be back in Berlin [for the Final on May 23rd.] A home game [in the semis] would be nice first.“
