1899 Hoffenheim 3 Sunderland 1
Stu Vose
Sunderland rounded off their pre-season campaign with a disappointing defeat at the hands of Bundesliga side 1899 Hoffenheim.
Two goals down at the break courtesy of two strikes from Josip Simunic, Sunderland did show some life after a lacklustre first half and reduced the arrears through a fine free kick from Jordan Henderson.
But Prince Tagoe restored the two-goal lead and in truth Hoffenheim were good value for their win following a passing display of the highest quality, particularly in the second half.
Sunderland hardly touched the ball in the first period but improved after Steve Bruce freshened things up with a trio of half-time substitutions.
Hoffenheim, who finished 11th in the Bundesliga last season, made a good start and assumed the lead after just seven minutes with their first effort on target.
It came from a corner as the home defence failed to pick up Simunic, who had the easiest of tasks to head beyond an exposed Simon Mignolet from six yards out.
The early goal was deserved given Hoffenheim's bright start as Sunderland struggled to get going with Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent somewhat isolated up front.
Demba Ba tested Mignolet shortly afterwards with a powerful shot from the right-hand edge of the box, but the Belgian stopper was equal to the task and gathered easily.
Hoffenheim's smart passing game served them well with Sunderland restricted to long balls forward with the hosts dominating the midfield.
A second goal looked likely and indeed it came just before the half-hour after Peniel Mlapa had cleared Mignolet's crossbar with a powerful shot from 20 yards.
Carlos Eduardo's floated ball into the box wasn't cleared and the loose ball eventually fell to Simunic, who looked to be occupying an offside position in front of goal.
The flag, however, stayed down and Simunic had the easiest of tasks to slot the ball into the far corner of the goal.
Vedad Ibsevic almost punished Sunderland for some poor defending just before the break, but he couldn't pull his shot back onto the target from a narrow angle.
Sunderland failed to register a shot on target in the first half, coming closest when Bent charged down a clearance from Hoffenheim keeper Tom Starke, who was able to recover as the loose ball fell kindly for him.
Clearly upset with the first-half performance, Steve Bruce made a triple substitution at the break, introducing Ahmed Al-Muhammadi, Henderson and Jack Colback in place of Kenwyne Jones, Bolo Zenden and Steed Malbranque.
But again it was Mignolet who was the busier of the two keepers early in the second half.
The Belgian did well to get down to Sejad Selihovic's free kick before pulling off a fantastic diving block to deny Mlapa after the big striker eased past Kieran Richardson down the Hoffenheim right.
Fraizer Campbell registered Sunderland's first shot on target with a low effort at Starke.
Mignolet, though, was forced to come to Sunderland's rescue once again soon after with his finest save of the afternoon.
A corner caught the visiting defence flat-footed and allowed Ba to let fly from the edge of the box with a shot which was heading for the corner, but Mignolet went full stretch to claw the ball away with Titus Bramble completing the clearance, lunging bravely at the foot of the post.
Sunderland looked brighter following the substitutions with Bent and Campbell up front but struggled to create against a resolute Hoffenheim defence marshalled well by Simunic, who came close to an incredible hat-trick when he connected with another corner only to head straight at Mignolet.
The visitors needed something - and they got it via a moment of brilliance from Henderson.
The midfielder won a free kick on the left-hand edge of the box after being blocked off by Ibertsberger, and he stepped up to whip the ball across the box, over Starke and into the top right-hand corner.
It was a cracking finish from Henderson, who will now depart for international duty with England's under-21 side.
But Hoffenheim reclaimed their two-goal lead just two minutes later, sub Prince Tagoe stabbing the ball home at the back post after a cross from the left wasn't cleared.
It would have been four soon after had Mignolet not pulled off another excellent save, dropping down low to his left to turn away a low angled drive from the dangerous Mlapa.
Martyn Waghorn replaced Bent for the final 18 minutes, while Jordan Cook came off the bench 14 minutes from the end after Colback almost reduced the arrears with a smart lob which dropped just over the bar.
The midfielder was unlucky not to see the ball go in having done brilliantly to control Bramble's long ball with his left foot before striking it with his right from 16 yards out.
Robbie Weir came off the bench for the final eight minutes as Sunderland looked for a consolation but it was the home side who came closest in the final stages, Mignolet fielding Tobias Weis's shot.
The countdown to the start of the new Barclays Premier League season continues apace, and Bruce must now pick his side for the all-important first game against Birmingham City on Saturday.
Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, Richardson, Bramble, Da Silva, Malbranque (Henderson, 46), Campbell (Weir, 82), Cattermole (C) (Cook, 76), Zenden (Colback, 46), Bent (Waghorn, 72), Jones (Al-Muhammadi, 46).
Subs Not Used: Wilson.
1899 Hoffenheim: Starke, Beck (C) (Ibertsberger, 46), Compper (Eichner, 59), Ba (Tagoe, 59), Eduardo (Weis, 46), Simunic (Kaiser, 72), Mlapa (Thomalla, 72), Ibisevic (Vukcevic, 46), Gustavo, Salihovic (Gulde, 72), Vorsah (Raitala, 72).
Subs Not Used: Haas.
