SVE IN FIRST FLOODLIT MATCH OF THE SEASON

SV Elversberg used the international cap break for a test match against Darmstadt 98. Despite suffering a defeat, they are heading into the next part of the season with optimism.

Before enjoying a well-earned weekend off, last Friday saw another test match against Bundesliga team SV Darmstadt 98. Ailing players were spared, as coach Horst Steffen prioritised playing time for players who had been less active in the 2. Bundesliga recently. This also meant that ailing players could ‘take advantage of this break to recover and return to full strength’, explained SVE’s coach Horst Steffen, who once again had to do without Marcel Correia and Wahid Faghir. ‘Overall, we used the time to get ourselves back in the physical shape we need to ensure a great Friday night game.’

BUT FIRST A TEST MATCH

Following an initially well-balanced, pleasing early phase with no major opportunities for either side, the Bundesliga team gradually gained more ground and with it better chances as the first half went on. Once Stojilkovic was prevented from scoring after around a quarter of an hour and the subsequent corner hit the crossbar, the hosts made it 1:0 just a few minutes later. In the twentieth minute, another ball came up from the Lilies’ defence to Mathias Honsak on the left, whose cross was picked up by Fraser Hornby and transformed close range into 1:0. Shortly before half-time, Hornby once again scored for Darmstadt: after a cross from Stojilkovic on the right, the Scottish striker hit the target to increase their lead to 2:0. This half-time lead was absolutely fair, given that Darmstadt had more chances. The second half began with the exact same lineup, but SVE brought more momentum to the pitch, so a catch-up goal was the logical outcome: in the 51st minute, Paul Wanner sent a precise pass to Kevin Koffi’s boot, who shunted it into the top left corner of the goal to make 2:1. But Darmstadt 98 stayed in the match – especially when coach Torsten Lieberknecht made a complete substitution an hour in and brought some regular Bundesliga players onto the pitch. Tim Boss managed a couple of strong saves in the SVE goal, but was powerless when substitutes Luca Pfeiffer and Fabian Nürnberger subsequently made it 4:1 for Darmstadt. But SVE managed to have the final say: after Dominik Martinovic missed a massive chance that just whistled past the right post, shortly before the end of the match substitute Semih Sahin added to Elversburg’s tally, scoring after a beautiful assist from Manuel Feil to bring the final score to 4:2. After the game, the players then had an opportunity to lick their wounds and unwind – much needed, as the promoted team have an exciting few weeks ahead of them.

This evening at 6:30 p.m. in the URSAPHARM Arena on Kaiserlinde, SVE is hosting Eintracht Braunschweig for their first floodlit match of the season – and trying to build on their run of five unbeaten matches. Although this is not the biggest priority for the coach: ‘I would be delighted, but each game needs to be viewed individually’, the coach notes: ‘We have to perform well again today, think about our content, and be extremely good to beat our opponent. That is what we are focusing on during our training week, and that is what the boys on the pitch tonight will be focusing on as well’. Focussed – even when up against the bottom team in the table. ‘It is about watching the games, as the results do not necessarily match their ways of playing, the goal chances they create, and how they perform’, Steffen explains. ‘They push hard and are aggressive and dynamic, and continually create opportunities even in the final third. Although they have recently failed to make the most of these opportunities, we cannot assume that the same will happen against us. We want to assert our style of play, but it is also clear that we will need to defend well and allow very little through.’