Dortmund's Zorc defends fans, blasts players for abject game

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has defended fans who whistled at the team during a lackluster 2-2 draw at home to Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Fans in the east and west stands were criticized for whistling by Roman Buerki after the game, the Dortmund goalkeeper saying they weren't helping the team by turning against it and that they'd be better off staying at home.

''The statement is inappropriate and wrong,'' Zorc said of Buerki's comments. ''I recommend that the players watch the full 90 minutes again. They'll have to be careful that they don't whistle themselves.''

Zorc added that he experienced worse as a player in the same stadium.

''The fans have the right to show their displeasure when a game is going like that. Everything was within limits,'' Zorc said.

Only Jeremy Toljan's late strike prevented Dortmund from slipping to its first defeat with Peter Stoeger as coach. Stoeger started with two wins in the league but they have been followed by three draws.

Zorc blasted the latest performance in particular.

''We were missing everything that's necessary to play football well,'' said Zorc, who said three points from three games are too few. ''Especially because two of those games were at home, where we presume we'll collect the points we need. Altogether it's much, much too little.''

Dortmund has fallen 19 points behind Bayern Munich, having previously led the defending champion by five.