Axpo Swiss Fussball Super League Game

After the end of our weekend Thun Tiger Senior team camp, we arrived back in Thun at about 12:45 p.m.

The weather was raw and rainy but I decided that I didn't want to just sit at home.

Adventure was in the air!

So, there was only one thing to do, hop on the bus for an impromptu visit to Arena Thun for my first Axpo Swiss Fussball Super League game at 4:00 p.m.

Home team FC Thun (8 wins-7 ties-8 losses = 31 team points) entered the game in fifth place in the nine team Super League. The visitors, from the French speaking region of western Switzerland, were 8th place FC Lausanne Sport (3-5-14 = 14)

Pre-Game Brauts - A MUST!!!

This braut, singular, really hit the spot and for once, it was a finacial bargain.

I would still rank the brauts at Sweden's picturesque Mjällby AIF's Baltic seaside stadium as the best brauts I've enjoyed at any European sporting event but this one was close.

Armed with my umbrella and Nikon D3000 camera with its great zoom lense, I was ready to enjoy the game and take some good action shots for the blog.

On a clear day, you would see the

Alps behind this scoreboard

Not today.

I had to check my umbrella at the door which was fine as all 10,000 seats in the Arena are covered. I might be cold but I would not get wet.

The players would.

Team Thun Logo

Thun's not so rowdy rowdies

They were assembling at the opposite end of the Arena and would be very loud with their endless chants and songs but very under control as well.

Warming up the FC Lausanne Sport goalie

FC Lausanne Sport getting loose

HERE COMES FC THUN!!!

The FC Lausanne Sport fans

The game was about to start with a sparse crowd of only 4,167 fans willing to brave the elements when I was confronted by two rather large Arena Security Guards right after I took this picture.

I asked them both if they would like to play American football as they looked like possible linemen. They asked me to show them my Press Credentials.

My what?

It seems that my Nikon D3000 with its great zoom lense qualifies as professional photographic equipment and without a Press Credential I was facing serious jail time for possibly taking photos illegally that I could later sell for untold riches. My mind flashed to the torture dungeon at the Château de Chillon that I saw last Monday in sunny Montreaux.

Both Security Guards were very polite and professional and offered a very nice compromise that involved neither incarceration or blood letting. They first escorted my to the concessions area to explain the situation to their supervisor who made these two Security Guards look tiny. I, of course, asked him about joining the Tigers.

Think Beast Master at 6 foot-6 inches tall!

Again, this proved to be another gentle giant of a man who assured me, almost apologetically, that my camera would be safely esconced in their Security office until I was ready to leave the game.

I breathed easier, checked in the big camera and went back to my seat assured that my small Nikon Coolpix pocket camera was definetly not professional grade and that I was free to use it at will to take the following pictures.

We dispensed with a group hug as we parted ways.

The view from

Section C, Row 9, Seat 138

Introductions

FC Thun is in red while FC Lausanne Sport is wearing blue.

Good defense by Lausanne and their Goalie

FC Thun Header

The Lausanne Goalie easily stopped this shot but FC Thun's Christian Schneuwly scored early in the first half to stake the home team to a 1-0 lead that would last all the way to the intermission.

FC Lausanne Sport's goal was

under siege most of the game

Airborne

FC Thun's famous "Fancy Footwork"

Christian Schneuwly would score again early in the second half to extend FC Thun's lead to 2-0.

At the 61st minute mark, FC Lausanne Sport lost a player to a Red Card.

At the 63rd minute, they lost a second player to yet another Red Card. Down 2-0, now playing with only nine players and not being very good to begin with, the FC Lausanne Sport club was in way over their heads today.

FC Thun won their ninth game of the season Sunday by a final score of 2-0 to boost their record to 9-7-8 and 34 team points. This victory, combined with Servette's 1-1 tie with Zürich, leap frogged FC Thun over Servette and back into fourth place in the Axpo Super League table. FC Thun now trails the third place Bern Young Boys by only one team point.

A short burst of game action

Listen for the FC Lausanne Sport fans chanting in the background.

I'll be back at Arens Thun on March 31st for a big game against the Super League's top team FC Basel.

GO BIG RED!!!