2nd place at Licher Hessen Cup

1899 Hoffenheim finished runners up in the Licher Hessen Cup on Friday. They were beaten by Alemannia Aachen, although Ryan Babel was recognised later as the player of the tournament.

Shaky start

Hoffenheim began the tournament in group B, along with fellow Bundesliga side Vfl Wolfsburg and FSV Frankfurt form the 2. Bundesliga. Group A was contested by third division side Kickers Offenbach, and Eintracht Frankfurt and Aachen from the 2. Bundesliga.

Despite pre-tournament optimism, TSG started off with a heavy defeat. Under the leadership of K.P. Nemet, acting as caretaker manager in the absence of Holger Stanislawski, the first game ended in a surprising 6-1 defeat to FSV Frankfurt. But thanks to a draw between FSV and Wolfsburg, TSG still had the chance to qualify for the semi-finals if they could beat Felix Magath's Wolves. And it was a case of a job well done, as TSG emerged 3-2 winners over Wolfsburg to take their place in the last four.

Emotions running high

Their opponents in the semi-final were Kickers Offenbach. In a competitive and keenly fought game, Hoffenheim took an early lead through Knowledge Musona, before OFC hit back to equalise early in the second half. Ryan Babel had a last minute penalty saved and the game had to be decided by a penalty shootout. But before the shootout could occur, a remarkable story at the pitch. After the whistle to end normal time, K.P. hurried across the pitch in the direction of the Offenbach bench and their goalkeeper Sven Endres. Endres hadn't given the ball back to Hoffenheim after Sven Schipplock had kicked it out of play to allow medical staff to come to the aid of Pascal Testroet, an Offenbach player who had injured his ankle. The gesture of fair play was greeted by jeers and whistling from the Offenbach fans in the stadium, but K.P. was vociferously applauded be the fans of Eintracht Frankfurt and FSV Frankfurt, who appreciated his concern for fairness.

In the penalty shoot-out, Babel made up for his miss by scoring to put TSG in front, but the two teams could not be separated after five penalties each, meaning the contest went to sudden death. Babel, Daniel Williams and Dominik Kaiser all converted their efforts, and keeper Koen Casteels saved Offenbach's final penalty to send his team through to the final.

Tight defeat

In the final, 1899 were up against Alemannia Aachen, who had beaten FSV Frankfurt 5-4 in their semi-final. Hoffenheim got off o a fantastic start and went 2-0 up in a flash thanks to goals from Babel and Musona. Aachen then came back into it and were on level terms at the break, through goals from Reinhold Yabo and Timo Achenbach. And their momentum continued in the second half as they opened up a three-goal lead to go 5-2 up. Schipplock and Joseph-Claude Gyau pulled two back, but the Sinsheimers couldn't find an equaliser and the game ended 5-4 to Aachen.

It meant Hoffenheim finished in a respectable second behind Aachen. But TSG did take one prize home with them, when Ran Babel was named player of the tournaments for his goals, tricks and all-round play. He received a giant beer glass and an LCD television from the tournament sponsors, as well as the title of Player of the Tournament.