Youth troops

Away win keeps Stuttgart on Champions League course

BERLIN (AP) -- Marcelo Bordon scored in the 40th minute as VfB Stuttgart's overachieving youth troop dispatched 1860 Munich 1-0 to move back into a share of second.

Hertha Berlin also pulled into fifth with an unchallenged 3-0 victory against Hannover which may cost losing coach Klaus Augenthaler his job.

Stuttgart is points even with Dortmund and six points ahead of Schalke for the Bundesliga's third and last Champions League berth. That's a huge surprise for a team that promoted seven players from it youth team because of its debts only to find their sheer talent has carried it near the top.

Stuttgart spoiled the debut of 1860's new coach, Falko Goetz, with a solid if not brilliant performance in which it controlled play and never seemed in danger of losing its one goal advantage.

"We played very disciplined," Coach Felix Magath said of his young players. "From that point of view, it was a top performance."

Forward Kevin Kuranyi whipped a passback to Bordon as he broke though and the defender squeezed off a roller under a diving 'keeper that hit the right post and went in.

The slide of 1860 Munich continued, with the side failing to score a goal for the fourth time in five matches. Once fourth in the table, it has dropped to eighth.

"We're missing just a little bit. But we fought, we can build on that," said Germany forward Benjamin Lauth, who admitted he was frustrated with his side's attack, almost invisible against Stuttgart.

Berlin's late run at European berths continued as captain Michael Preetz scored in the 15th minute, Thorben Marx in the 40th and Marcelhino five minutes before end.

Nuremberg simply was overran as it fell one spot from bottom, but that didn't stop the 25,500 spectators at Frankenstadion from giving Augenthaler a standing ovation.

That backing from the fans may have saved Augenthaler's job. Nuremberg's management afterwards reversed statements made earlier in the week in which they said the coach had to win or be dismissed.

Nuremberg never stood a chance against Berlin, which attacked over the wings and wasted numerous chances before Preetz legged in his header, which was parried by the goalie.

Marcelhino, who is part of most of his team's goals, then crossed to Marx in the box and the young German volleyed in his first season goal. The Brazilian then reaped an easy goal himself on a counterattack as Nuremberg threw everyone up front in the game's waning minutes.

On Saturday, it was: Bayer Leverkusen 1, VfL Wolfsburg 1; VfL Bochum 1, Bayern Munich 4; Hansa Rostock 1, Werder Bremen 0; Borrusia Dortmund 2, Hannover 96 0; Arminia Bielefeld 4, Borussia Moenchengladbach 1; Hamburger SV 3, Schalke 1; and Energie Cottbus 1, FC Kaiserslautern 3.

Match reports

BERLIN (Reuters) -- Reports of German first division soccer matches played on Sunday:

NUREMBERG 0 HERTHA BERLIN 3

Nuremberg conceded another heavy defeat a week after being thrashed 5-0 by fellow strugglers Kaiserslautern, leaving coach Klaus Augenthaler in great danger of losing his job.

Striker Michael Preetz and midfielder Thorben Marx gave Hertha a 2-0 lead at halftime. Brazilian midfielder Marcelinho sealed victory with five minutes remaining for the capital club, who move two spots up to fifth place.

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TSV 1860 MUNICH 0 VFB STUTTGART 1

The "other" Munich club failed to bounce back a week after a 6-0 rout by Hertha that cost coach Peter Pacult his job. Pacult was replaced by Falko Goetz, who could not have been pleased with what he saw from his men in his first game in charge.

Brazilian defender Marcelo Bordon hit the winner five minutes from the break for VfB Stuttgart, who consolidate third place and can still dream of a Champions League berth.

- - - -

Played on Saturday:

BAYER LEVERKUSEN 1 VFL WOLFSBURG 1

Troubled Leverkusen, who missed a penalty in the first half, did their chances of escaping relegation no favors by sharing the points.

Captain Carsten Ramelow put last season's runners-up in the lead from inside the area in the 68th minute but Croatia striker Tomislav Maric leveled with a header on 81 minutes.

- - - -

VFL BOCHUM 1 BAYERN MUNICH 4

Runaway leaders Bayern, who have not lost in Bochum for 18 years, kept cruising towards an 18th league title with a comfortable away victory.

Claudio Pizarro and fellow striker Elber showed them the way with headed goals before the break. Croatia midfielder Niko Kovac and France defender Willy Sagnol doubled the advantage in the second half.

Bochum, who dropped two spots down to 12th, reduced the arrears in stoppage time through striker Thomas Christiansen.

- - - -

HANSA ROSTOCK 1 WERDER BREMEN 0

Werder Bremen undermined their chances of playing in Europe next season with a nervous display in which they had two players sent off.

The visitors had just lost French playmaker Johan Micoud for a second booking when midfielder Dietmar Hirsch hit the winner for Rostock in the 72nd minute.

Hungarian midfielder Krisztian Lisztes followed Micoud off for a dangerous tackle in the 82nd minute.

- - - -

BORUSSIA DORTMUND 2 HANOVER 96 0

Second-placed Dortmund boosted their morale before Tuesday's decisive Champions League game at AC Milan by making the most of few scoring opportunities.

The champions showed little until Germany midfielder Torsten Frings gave them the lead with a thunderous drive from the edge of the box in the 33rd minute. Substitute Leandro wrapped it up in the 76th minute.

Romania midfielder Gheorghe Popescu hit a penalty wide for the visitors in the 12th minute.

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ARMINIA BIELEFELD 4 BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH 1

A hat trick from Senegal striker Mamadou Diabang helped Arminia Bielefeld increase their chances of remaining in the top flight and send once-great Moenchengladbach back into the relegation zone. Poland striker Artur Wichniarek also scored for the home side.

Moenchengladbach were 3-0 down when Dutch striker Peter van Houdt scored their goal on 75 minutes.

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HAMBURG SV 3 SCHALKE 04 1

Two goals from Argentine striker Bernardo Romeo and one from Japan forward Naohiro Takahara helped Hamburg SV move up to fourth -- one spot above Schalke.

Dutch defender Marco van Hoogdalem scored for the Gelsenkirchen club, who undermined their chances by having two players sent off.

Denmark midfielder Christian Poulsen was the first to go, for a second booking in the 71st minute. Argentine defender Anibal Mattelan followed him off for a brutal foul with six minutes remaining.

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ENERGIE COTTBUS 1 KAISERSLAUTERN 3

Kaiserslautern moved out of the relegation zone with their first away victory of the season.

Germany striker Miroslav Klose, Bulgaria midfielder Marian Hristov and Czech forward Vratislav Lokvenc scored for the southwesterners, who have now gone seven league games without defeat.

Midfielder Timo Rost scored for bottom club Cottbus, whose third season in the top flight could be their last.

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.