On Sunday, the young 05ers face an encounter with identical opponents – while the U17s face FSV Frankfurt at Bruchweg (11 a.m., pitch 1), the U19s travel to the metropolis on the Main to also compete against the Frankfurt team there (11 p.m., Frankfurt-Bornheim lawn).
U19: “We want to take the next step”
After the 7-0 win against SV Darmstadt 98, U19 head coach Jan Kirchhoff only had words of praise for his team. “We were totally satisfied with the game against Darmstadt and have the feeling that the boys have made a huge leap in development in the last few weeks and months. What we have worked on together for a long time is now coming into its own and is paying off,” said the proud head coach about the game against the Lilies. The attitude of his team also played a big role in the latest result: “The boys take responsibility for their performances and are working hard to get better – that is currently reflected on the pitch and this positive feedback in the games “Very good for us.”
For the game against FSV Frankfurt, it would now be important to maintain everything that distinguished Kirchhoff’s team against Darmstadt. “In the game against FSV Frankfurt it will be about staying with us again. We won’t change anything and will focus entirely on our own game,” said Kirchhoff, who, however, warns about Frankfurt’s style of play. “We know that FSV defends very deeply, especially against top teams, and is particularly concerned about not conceding a goal. “It will therefore be important for us to assert ourselves in the duels in the final third, to pose a goal threat and at the same time defend counterattacks,” said the head coach about the route against Frankfurt. “We are convinced that the boys are capable of implementing all of these things and want to take the next step – both in their own development and in terms of results.”
U17: “It’s all about what we invest on the pitch”
In the most recent duel with the table leaders from Cologne, the Mainz U17 had to admit defeat with a clear 2:6 – but head coach Marc Heidenmann’s team was quickly able to put this defeat behind them. “With 1. FC Köln we played against a team that was better than us that day and deserved to win – you can clearly say that and we have to accept that. Nevertheless, for us it is still about the boys continuing to develop, learning from the defeat and improving as a result,” said Heidenmann about the lessons his team can learn from the game against the Billy Goats. The head coach is feeling a lot of anticipation about the upcoming encounter with FSV Frankfurt. “The training week was good and gave us a positive feeling for Sunday. We are really excited about the home game against FSV Frankfurt and will do everything we can to put in a good performance on the pitch at the weekend and win the game.”
The U17s will face the bottom of Group G in the DFB youth league on Sunday – but this opponent has also proven in recent games that they should not be underestimated. “FSV Frankfurt has a lot of bite and is unpleasant to play against. They are in last place in the table, but they are still fighting for every point – we already felt that in the first leg. “Back then, we were able to take control of the game relatively early and deservedly win the game 4-0,” said the head coach about the characteristics of the opponent, who have already managed to win points against top teams. “Among other things, the Frankfurt team got a point in the most recent encounter with a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen. That’s why it doesn’t matter to us where our opponents are – it’s just about what we invest on the pitch and what performance we show. We will approach the game on Sunday in the same way.”
Further NLZ dates on the weekend
- Sun, 1 p.m.: 1. FC Kaiserslautern – U16
- Sat, 2:30 p.m.: SV Elversberg – U15
- Fri, 6:15 p.m.: U14 – FC Augsburg
- Sat, 11 a.m.: U13 – TSV 1860 Munich
- Sun, 10 a.m.: U9 – FC Hennef 05
- So: U14 when comparing performance in Mannheim
- In: U12 at a performance comparison in Frankfurt
- So: U11 when comparing performance in Kelkheim
- In: U10 at the tournament in Geisa
