Image: Lui
Which team will be crowned the new state cup winner? On Thursday (4.30 p.m., Wallern sports facility) the Upper Austrian division SPG Wallern/St. Marienkirchen and Landesliga-West-Klub SV Bad Schallerbach for their first title in the Upper Austrian Cup competition.
But for the duo, the local derby is about much more than just the cup trophy: the champion is rewarded with prize money of 10,000 euros and a starting place in the ÖFB Cup. “The final is a nice treat for us, especially since we’re going against Wallern in the Trattnachtal derby,” says Bad-Schallerbach’s sports director Harald Ruckendorfer, whose team is aiming to return to the Upper Austrian league in addition to the state cup title: With the 3:0 in the Landesliga West against the second SK Schärding, the Trattnachtalers can hardly be denied the championship plate due to an eight-point lead.
Even the double would be possible. There was already some skirmishing between the local rivals: Bad Schallerbach would also have liked to host the final, but Upper Austria’s football association chose Wallern. “If we play on artificial turf in the summer, at least a cancellation is out of the question,” said Ruckendorfer with a smile.
An unpleasant task awaits Wallern in Upper Austria with his team. In the current competition, coach Erich Renner’s team has already thrown out OÖ-League leader Oedt and bribed them with a top defense – only conceding two goals in five rounds.
The way to the cup final: SPG Wallern/St. Marienkirchen: Rohrbach (3:2), Andorf (3:1), St. Martin/M. (4:2), SK Schärding (2:1), Pregarten (4:2); SV Bad Schallerbach: Gaspoltshofen (3:1), FC Wels (3:1, aet), Oedt (2:0), Donau Linz (5:0), Mondsee (2:0)
Source: Nachrichten
