European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 2, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday August 2, 1991 the stars and stripes b. Page 25 German soccer 91 92 by Rusty Bryan staff writer nearly a year after Germany a political reunification East will finally get around to meeting West on the playing Field tonight and tomorrow As the German Federal soccer league Bunde Sliga kicks off its 1991-92 season. That a the Day that a pair of clubs from the former East German league Hansa Rostock and Dynamo Dresden Ard welcomed into an expanded German first Jedi vision that has undergone changes not seen since the league assumed its present form in 1964. The lag Between political unification and the merging of the two soccer leagues in the former West and East Germany came about because the season was already underway last october when the country became one. As a result the two leagues went their separate ways playing for a National cup and championship in each area with the understanding that the top two Eastern teams would join 18 from the West in an All German first division for 1991-92. That Means that for the upcoming season rather than the 18 teams fans have grown accustomed to there will be 20 first division clubs. And when the grind ends next Spring after a gruelling 10-month, 38-game schedule,.four teams instead of the usual two will be demoted to the second division. Only two will be promoted from the second division and the same numbers will be in effect the following season As the first division trims itself to a More manageable 16 teams for the 93-94 Campaign and beyond. The arrangement left the rest of the old East German teams in the second division but expanded the German entries in various series that Are contested concurrently with the season. The Large numbers Start with an expanded Field for the German cup 88 teams instead of the customary 64. Play in the knockout tournament started saturday among 48 Amateur and second division clubs. There a also a bigger Field of German teams in the three european cup series As the last time winners from the former East German league Are entered along with their Western counterparts. Thus Marcel Witeczek left of Kaiserslautern a Western champions races past roman Sedlacek of Rostock a Eastern champions in tuesdays super cup game won by Kaiserslautern 2-1. The super cup exhibition series heralds the opening of the 1991-92 season. Kaiserslautern and Rostock will play in the champions cup Field and Bremen and East German Amateur club i Senhuy Wenstadt Are in the cup winners series. Qualifying for european cup play Are Erfurt and Halle from the East and four from the West Munich Frankfurt Hamburg and vib Stuttgart. Also on the schedule this season Are National team games As Germany attempts to Quality for the european championship tournament next june in Sweden. But National and cup play is just an enhancement to the league championship race  saturday in 10 German cities and ends next May after a two month break from Christmas fcb Rumary. All play is readily accessible to the casual fan unlike professional sports in the states tickets Are readily available for most games and generally priced at 15-50 Marks for seats and 10 Marks of so for standing room at the ends. Opening of the routes to All the stadia Are Well marked and All Are Well served by Public transportation. An exception to ticket availability May be in Kaiserslautern where the teams first title since 1953 came As a total Surprise to expert and fan alike and provoked the Purchase of 15,000 season tickets in a stadium that holds Only 38,500. Look for frequent sell outs in the red devils Spectator Friendly stadium ask town tries to defend its  could Spring another Surprise Bonn up coaches predict a wide open race for the German soccer league title held by pc Kaiserslautern which ended Bayern Munich a stranglehold on the championship last season. Bayern which had won the title five times since 1985, was favored by All 18 coaches to end up first in 1991. But Munich was upset by pc Kaiserslautern which walked away with the third championship in its Histo a. This season Only seven coaches have picked Bayern to lift the trophy with others choosing Kaiserslautern Ein Tracht Frankfurt Werder Bremen so Hamburg Orussia Dortmund and pc Cologne As Strong title contenders. A i see no favorite. Like last year a team could win the championship without expecting it. The league is so evenly matched that six to eight teams can Hope for Victory a said Rainer Zobel coach of newly promoted Stuttgart kickers. Two clubs from the former East German league join the Bunde Sliga a Hansa Rostock and Dynamo Dresden. Also promoted to the top division were Schalke 04 and mss Duisburg. The first All German season in 47 years will be the longest in history with 38 matches for each team. Kaiserslautern can expect the toughest season in its history As everyone guns for the Champion. A last year everybody wanted them to take the title. Now the wind has turned. Every team will be keen to beat them a warned pc colognes general manager Udo Lattek. A a done to expect title after title from us now but we will try our Best again a Kaiserslautern a coach Karl Heinz Feldkamp urged the clubs fans who have bought a record 15,000 season tickets not to Hope for too much. The Surprise club lost striker Bruno Labbadia to Munich but managed to sign Marcel Witeczek for $1 million to replace Labbadia. Wolfgang Funkel like Witeczek from relegated Bayer her tonight s Gomes a at 8 . Cologne at bochum vib Stuttgart at Duisburg monchengladbach at Leverkus saturday s games an at 3 30 . Kaiserslautern at Dresden Hamburg at Schatke Frankfurt at Dusse Forf Nurnberg at Rostock Munich at Bremen Dortmund at Karlsruhe Wattenscheid at Stuttgart kickers Dingen is supposed to stabilize Kaiserslautern a defense which last season conceded the most goals of All top clubs 45 in 34 games. \ meanwhile Munich has lost almost its entire defense. Klaus Augenthaler retired after 15 years at the club. Jurgen Kohler and Stefan Reuter moved to Italy a Juventud of Turin for a total of almost $11.1 million. The club re invested $1.6 million into German International Thomas Berthold from Italy a Quot As Roma and paid $2.7 million for so Karlsruhe a Oliver Kreuzer three weeks ago a sum even Munich president Fritz Scherer considered a too  the clubs Hope for the new season is that All players grow together into a team unlike last season when the team fell apart into several rival groups. A too May stars too Many individualists and egoist that a what denied us the title a said midfielder Manfred Schwabl. In addition coach Jupp Henckes stated there would be no More promises like two years ago when he had said Munich would win the 1991 european cup. A we wont talk anymore but just act a he said. Bayern opens the season against the 1988 Champion Werder Bremen which signed Stefan Kohn and Torsten Legat from vol bochum for a total of $2 minion to improve on its 1990-91 third place. Adding these two to an intact team under the regime of coach Otto Behagel who enters his 11th season with the club Bremen is Likely to at least Clinch a uefa cup berth for which fifth place is required. Eintracht Frankfurt faces a similar situation because Only Veteran Karl Heinz Korbel ended his career and no Star was sold. A your advantage is that we have kept the entire team at Frankfurt while Munich lost Kohler and Reuter and Hamburg will badly miss Thomas doll a said manager Klaus Gerster. Much will depend on the performances of the teams Leigh Quality Midfield featuring Andreas Moller Heinz Grain Del Uwe Bein and Ralf Falkenmeyer but vice president Bernd Hoelzen Bein is optimistic about the outcome of the season. A we want to achieve what Kaiserslautern did last season a he said. With superstar Thomas doll sold to Italy a Lazio Rome for $8.3 million there is much uncertainty if the team can repeat the fourth position reached last season. Meanwhile the whole league rejoiced at the promotion of Heahlke 04, the 87-year-old club from the Ruhr which always attracts big crowds