Bonus in the semi-final versus Alba - 49ers Supporters Recompose Cult Hymn
Title contender Alba clashes with Chemnitz's Niners at Berlin's Uber Arena. A playoff game with a long-standing history...
Chemnitz spent 18 years in the second division, with fans yearning to someday climb to the Basketball Bundesliga and play against the top-tier team Alba. This long-cherished dream took shape, and spectators prayed, "We'll see the Niners against Alba one day."
The motivation has shifted, and fans are no longer content with solely playing in Berlin. They're now looking at bigger prizes as they emerged victorious against Rasta Vechta in the playoff quarterfinal. The song in their hearts was rewritten, "We're heading to Alba to see the Niners win."
Increased expectations, especially after accomplishing success in the Europe Cup last April. Even the homegrown Chemnitz player Jonas Richter (26) shares this enthusiasm, "When I was still a newbie pro, the fans used to sing the Alba song during the second division. This time, though, we're going there to compete in the semi-finals of the German Championship. We're not even considered the underdogs."
In the past, Alba has won both games held in Berlin, not to mention the previous encounters since their promotion in 2020. The only victory for the Chemnitz team was achieved in March 2022 against worn-out Alba players, with a massive score of 81:64.
However, with the newly-composed Niners anthem, they hope for their first win in Berlin. With recent improvements, they consider this the best time to make this happen. As stated by Niners representative Matthias Pattloch, "We're aiming to have at least four games in the best-of-five series, playing twice in front of our home fans in Chemnitz."
Niners coach Rodrigo Pastore can count on all his players present and correct. The recently injured players, Tylor Ongwae (thigh) and Kaza Kajami-Keane (ankle), have recovered from their injuries.
Game 2 is scheduled for Friday (6:30 pm) at the Max Schmeling Hall in Berlin, while game 3 (5 pm) and 4 (6:30 pm) will be hosted in Chemnitz. There's a possibility of a fifth game in Berlin.
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Source: symclub.org
