1. FC Union Berlin lost their opening game of Steffen Baumgart’s new reign as head coach, going down 2-0 away to FC Heidenheim. Despite the guests’ strong start, Frans Krätzig opened the scoring before Tom Rothe was sent off during the 37^th minute. Adrian Beck wrapped things up for the hosts with just over five minutes left to play.

1. FC Union Berlin: Schwolow – Trimmel, Doekhi, Leite, Rothe – Haberer (60. Tousart), Kemlein (73. Vertessen) - Skov, Jeong (46. Skarke) – Hollerbach (60. Vogt), Jordan (60. Ilic) 

1. FC Heidenheim: Müller – Traoré, Mainka, Gimber (72. Siersleben), Föhrenbach – Dorsch (86. Dorsch), Schöppner – Scienza (28. Conteh), Wanner (72.Beck), Krätzig (72. Busch) – Zivzivadze 

The starting XI

In his first competitive game in charge of Union, new head coach – Steffen Baumgart, made four changes to the side which had started the last game before the winter break in Bremen.

Alexander Schwolow remained between the sticks in place of the injured Frederik Rönnow, playing behind a back four of Tom Rothe, Diogo Leite, Danilho Doekhi and Christopher Trimmel, with Leopold Querfeld dropping onto the bench. Aljoscha Kemlein and Janik Haberer were in central midfield – in place of the suspended Rani Khedira and Andras Schäfer respectively, flanked by Wooyeong Jeong on the left-hand side and Robert Skov on the right.

This left Benedict Hollerbach and Jordan Siebatcheu – the former in for Tim Skarke, as Baumgart’s preferred two up-front.

Attendance: 15.000 

Goals: 1-0 Krätzig (17.), 2-0 Beck (83.) 

Union’s strong start cancelled out by Krätzig’s goal and Rothe’s red card

Exactly twenty-one years ago to the day, new Union head coach, Steffen Baumgart, scored twice during Union’s 3-1 friendly win over Hallescher FC. The striker was well on his way to claiming his second ‘Unioner of the Year’ trophy, cementing his place as a Union legend.

Gerhard Schröder was Chancellor. Tom Rothe and Aljoscha Kemlein were not yet born; a lot of water has passed under the bridges of the Wühle since then, but now he was back at Union at last, if his first appearance was under the freezing blue skies of Heidenheim an der Brenz.

However, if everything seemed to be pre-ordained, his start at the helm of Union was not exactly the stuff of fairytales. Indeed, Diogo Leite summed it up succinctly when he called it an “unlucky defeat… We started the game well, found our feet in the new system and showed from the outset that we wanted to impose our game on Heidenheim. Unfortunately, we failed to score the first goal. And as so often happens in football, FCH scored with their first chance.”

Yet, as the game got under way, one thing was clear, Baumgart’s talk of attacking intent in the build up to this game was seriously intended and it was displayed early by Christopher Trimmel’s long pass, flicked from high by Jordan. The striker was certainly not to hunger for the ball and it took an outstanding stop from Kevin Müller to tip his fierce strike, having held his man off the ball with ease as he turned, onto the bar with eight minutes played.

Despite this, most eyes were fixated on the back, particularly the new look four-man defence. Initially, at least, it seemed to be working well. Diogo Leite made two crucial interventions early on – the first on Heidenheim’s recently purchased striker, Georgian, Budu Zivzivadze, the second on Leonardo Scienza - before Hollerbach fired his first shot on goal, a 25-yard drive that skidded off the turf into the clutches of Müller. A couple of minutes later, it took a barged intervention from Scienza in the box to stop him from getting his head onto the next ball which was fizzed into the box.

Union appeared as though they were enjoying themselves, despite the grimace on the face of Janik Haberer following a stamp on his right-foot belying the impression. Next, Leite was a millimetre away from connecting with Jeong’s in-swinging corner on the 15^th minute mark.

But for all that early promise, suddenly, Union were in arrears. Scienza broke away down the right-hand side, collecting a long pass in his stride. He glanced up as the ground disappeared beneath his gallop, and pulled the ball back to where the debutant, Frans Krätzig, was running from midfield.  He shot first-time with his left foot from the penalty spot. Alexander Schwolow had no chance as he dived to his right-hand side.

Schwolow did at least get his hands onto the next effort to come his way, as Patrick Mainka wrapped his foot around a near-post corner to send it the keeper’s way, but proceedings were now running the way of the hosts. They next tested Union with a free-kick from the edge of the box on the 23^rd minute, yet talented youngster, Paul Wanner, clipped it straight into the wall.

Union’s next attacking move came after half-an-hour when once again, Jordan was involved with his back to goal – this time with the ball firmly on the ground, as he flicked it with the outside of his boot to the overlapping Hollerbach, who was ultimately bundled off the ball as he bore down on goal. Jeong then blazed his shot over the bar with his left-foot a couple of minutes later.

For all their good play, the sky was soon to fall in. Tom Rothe turned back towards goal, his touch was too heavy, and the ball sprang out of his control to where the early substitute, Sirlord Conteh, was waiting on his shoulder to pounce. Rothe lunged in, searching for the ball, however he was too late and caught him, despite taking a bit of the ball in the process. Referee, Robert Hartmann, wasted no time in showing the youngster a red card, but Rothe was already on his way, knowing that he could not stop the inevitable.

Baumgart was careful not to blame his right-back when he spoke after the final whistle. It’s not his first rodeo, after all. He said it was something “that can always happen to a young player: it was a matter of millimetres as to whether Tom would hit the ball or not.”

Heidenheim upped the pressure before the break, though they would make no further breakthrough. Schwolow made two further solid saves – the second, from Zivzivadze, displaying his reflexes by diving smartly to his left-hand side as the first of four added minutes was played out.

Skarke comes close, but Beck wraps things up for the hosts

Baumgart brought former Heidenheim youth player, Tim Skarke, on for Jeong at the break, turning away from the thought of shoring up at the back, at least for now. However, it was there that the new man received his first touch, robbing Omar Traore almost from his own goal-line as Heidenheim pushed forward.

Traore was now heavily exploiting the space which Rothe’s absence provided – he would shank a shot wide of goal only five minutes later, surely better contact to the ball could have had Union in even more trouble. The guests were all hands-on-deck in the early moments of the second half, their box packed with black clad players, the ball flying from head-to-head; they would scrape it away – anywhere, just away! Yet, it kept boomeranging back somehow.

When they did break away, however, as they did following Kemlein’s delinquent ball out, it took a wonderful stop from Müller to deny Skarke, as he cut inside and let fly to the keeper’s right-hand side. At the other end, Jan Schöppner, rising alone in the box, put his header an inch wide of Schwolow’s back post. There were certainly more goals in this yet.

Baumgart made his next substitutions after Skov had taken the free-kick that Jordan won by the opposition byline, battling away with every ounce of his strength. It was the American international’s last effort however, as Andre Ilic took his place making his Bundesliga debut. He was joined by Kevin Vogt and Lucas Tousart, on for Haberer and Hollerbach respectively, as Union returned to three at the back for the final half-an-hour.

As they began to feel the miles within their legs, Union were now looking to be patient, all-the-while keeping the deficit down to one, before trying to pile some pressure onto Heidenheim during the remaining twenty minutes. As Baumgart skipped up and down the length of his technical area, his slew of positivity never ceasing, Skarke won a corner out on the left-hand side, Skov drove a shot towards the back post from 25 yards out.

Captain Trimmel was keen to dwell on these moments, as he later reflected on the game, “Even though we lost today,” he said, “I saw a lot of positive things out on that field. In the short time we've spent with the new coach, there were a few things that were very good, and we must continue to build on that.”

There was a brief moment of panic, as Marnon Busch drilled a shot from the edge of the box. Though placed directly at Schwolow, the ball somehow bounced out of the Union stopper’s grasp, and spun wickedly like a cue-ball in snooker, around him and back, towards the goal line. Schwolow’s relief as he grabbed the ball was easily inferred, if not seen.

Yorbe Vertessen had meanwhile come on for Kemlein, and immediately made a nuisance of himself, drawing a free-kick from Traore, as he looked to trick past him and on towards goal as he drifted in from the right-hand side.

Heidenheim, however, went two goals to the good up with only eight minutes remaining when Zivzivadze found himself free in front of Schwolow. Union’s keeper did superbly to parry the shot, diving to his right-hand side, however it dropped only as far as the onrushing Adrian Beck – he got to his feet, and again got a hand to the follow up, but this time, hit to his left-hand side, there was too much purchase on the ball, though he took a lot of pace off the ball, it spun, waist-height over the line guiltily, as German attacking midfielder – Beck, rolled away in delight.

Baumgart remained optimistic following the final whistle. “Heidenheim scored with a counterattack to make it 1-0. We are still in the game, still have possession and still have our shots on goal,” he said. “…All this shows that the boys still have the willpower.”

If it was hardly the romantic start that many may have imagined after over twenty years away, he will be forgiven for thinking that his return to the Alte Försterei on Wednesday evening could provide a night of a very different kind.