1. FC Cologne had a crazy evening against 1. FC Magdeburg. The defeat shows why the FC is a candidate for promotion, but not a favorite.
If a football team shoots at the opponent’s goal 33 times in 90 minutes plus injury time – that is, every three minutes – but loses the game even though the opponent only tried eleven times, something must have gone terribly wrong. 1. FC Cologne has known this since Saturday evening’s 1:2 loss against 1. FC Magdeburg.
Three times as many shots on goal, but only half as many goals as the opponent: FC did almost everything right against FCM. The Billy Goats dominated the game, created one big chance after another, hit the post twice, shot, headed and fought the ball towards the goal. But the ball only crossed the line once.
This game showed why FC is one of the candidates for promotion this season, but not a favorite. The game system worked so well against FCM that it should have been enough for half a dozen goals. But then it became clear again: FC was unable to strengthen its team in the summer due to the transfer ban, meaning that the squad lacks any alternatives.
Davie Selke, who was allowed to go, might have scored the win. Tim Lemperle and Damion Downs, on the other hand, missed numerous top opportunities. And because other strikers with more experience on the bench, such as Luca Waldschmidt and Sargis Adamyan, are in frightening form, Lemperle and Downs, two youngsters who deserve their chance but still need to develop, came up front.
Part of this development process is that the balls don’t go in every weekend. The FC strikers had to show a high level of frustration tolerance against Magdeburg. Lemperle’s shot from three meters into the empty goal was deflected onto the post. Downs’ shot from eleven meters to make it 2-0 was deflected onto the post by a thigh. And those were just the worst moments of bad luck for the Billy Goats.
That can happen, and the two youngsters are not to blame for Cologne’s defeat. But when a striker has a day like that, someone else has to come off the bench and do it better. But the alternatives that coach Gerhard Struber has in the squad neither meet the expectations nor the requirements. So on Saturday a game of total dominance turned into a result of total disappointment.
To make no mistake: This 1. FC Cologne can still get promoted. The quality of the first eleven is outstanding, the game idea has been so internalized after just five match days that the FC can completely dominate any opponent. But the squad is too weak to be a favorite for promotion. The FC has now missed a win for the second time – after Elversberg it was the second setback. The young team now has to learn from this.
