- Due to Lewandowski and Dzwigala's contributions, St. Pauli triumphed over their Cup adversity.
St. Pauli's Adam Dzwigala received top compliments from Hallescher FC's Regionalligist in the Leuna Chemie Stadium's hallways. His teammates likened the actual defender to their fellow Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski, calling out, "Hey Lewandowski!" The 28-year-old, playing as a center forward, shielded Bundesliga rookie St. Pauli from a season-opening football upset in the fourth minute of extra time.
"He truly aced it, I couldn't have done it better myself," commented newly appointed St. Pauli coach and ex-Bundesliga striker Alexander Blessin. Dzwigala's equalizing goal in the 2:2 draw set the stage for Blessin's triumphant debut, as well as lifting a 33-year-old curse for Hamburg. Since 1988, Hamburg had been axed in the first cup round following every promotion.**
Blessin had taken issue with his side's performance in the first half, accusing them of sluggish ball movement and failing to seize opportunities. "Simply put, we were woeful during transitions." St. Pauli went behind early when Cyrill Akono scored for the underdog due to a goalkeeping blunder by Nikola Vasilj (11'). However, St. Pauli showed significant improvement in the second half, equalizing through Johannes Eggestein (48'), and almost saw Marius Hauptmann extend the curse (63'). But it was Dzwigala, brought on as a second striker by Blessin, who salvaged the situation.**
"We're establishing a fresh brand of football, and moments like these are integral parts of the evolution process," explained Lars Ritzka, referring to the trials faced by the promoted team. The substitute defender became the second match-winner for St. Pauli, scoring their third goal in the 110th minute.**
Not only did St. Pauli progress further in the cup, but their resilience signaled a promising start for their Bundesliga debut against FC Heidenheim next Sunday (5:30 PM/DAZN). For goal scorer Eggestein, these gritty victories strengthen their team bond: "Perhaps this is even better than a classic 4:0 win to kick off the season."
In recognition of Dzwigala's exceptional performance, Halle's coach voiced his admiration, saying, "Dzwigala played like Lewandowski against us." The victory against Halle further solidified St. Pauli's position in St. Pauli, with Dzwigala's performance leaving a lasting impact on the team.
