Cup final – here we come! Ten years after they last made it into the final of the ÖFB Cup, SV Guntamatic Ried finally has the chance to win the trophy a third time after 1998 and 2011 after yesterday’s 2-1 (0-0) win over Hartberg to get Innviertel. “Now everything is possible for us. After the tough game against Klagenfurt on Sunday, it was incredible to be back on point again,” said coach Robert Ibertsberger after the Innviertel team’s triumph.
And with 21-year-old Felix Seiwald, it was Rieder’s “homegrown” team that scored the superior Innviertel team after 61 minutes to make it 1-0 and towards the final on May 1st in Klagenfurt. His shot was deflected by a Hartberger. But the goal belonged entirely to the Rieder full-back, who had never scored for the Rieder pros before. Already at the age of 14 he had switched from USV Flachau to Riedern. In addition to football, he is currently also studying tourism management.
And just before the start of the season, it was not at all clear whether he would even be in the Rieder professional squad. As a cooperation player, Seiwald had already trained with second-division club SK Forwards Steyr before he was ordered back – also because Mathias Gragger, a second Rieder self-made player, had been absent for so long. Yesterday he paid everything back for himself, the club and the 3700 enthusiastic fans with his goal. “Reaching the final was a dream for all of us. Of course I’m particularly happy to score in a game like that.” And captain Marcel Ziegl has already appealed to the fans: “I hope that the entire region will now make the pilgrimage to Klagenfurt for the final. This is something really big for Ried.”
Ried dominated the game
The Rieders had dominated the game from the first minute – even if there were hardly any chances worth mentioning on either side in the first half.
In the second half, the Innviertler’s increased risk was gradually rewarded. Immediately after the change of sides, Nene came a little too late with a wonderful assist from Philipp Pomer. In the 58th minute, the people of the Innviertel were lucky: Donis Avdijaj had overtaken the Rieder defense after a pass from the bottom, but narrowly missed the far post in front of Ried’s Samuel Sahin-Radlinger. For this wasted chance, the Hartbergers were not only punished with Seiwald’s 0:1. Ten minutes later, Stefan Nutz went down after a duel in the penalty area. Julian Wießmeier didn’t miss the opportunity and sent Hartberg’s goalkeeper René Swete into the wrong corner to make it 2-0 (71′). The Hartbergers then came almost out of nowhere through Philipp Sturm to score the goal (76th).
But in the end, the Innviertler didn’t let their well-deserved entry into the cup finals be denied. The opponent will only be determined in two weeks at the game between Wolfsberger AC and Salzburg. For the time being, however, only the next final on Sunday against Sturm counts for the Rieder anyway, which is about entering the master group. Coach Robert Ibertsberger: “This victory was a real booster.”
Source: Nachrichten
