Analysis of the 2-2 draw with HSV

The controversy surrounding the goal conceded 2-1. First of all, the following applies: “It is absolutely fine that HSV takes the free kick quickly and scores a great goal. You have to say that,” said Florian Kohfeldt, when asked about the scene surrounding Hamburg’s second goal in the 45th minute of the game. “We can’t sleep in this situation,” complained Marcel Schuhen, regardless of the contentiousness of the decisions made previously. But now to the but: In the run-up to this dream goal, there were a number of scenes that sparked controversy about the decisions of the referee team around Eric Weisbach. First there was William Mikelbrencis‘ elbow strike against Fraser Hornby, which should have been punished as a clear foul. This happened a few seconds before the at least controversial free kick, the quick execution of which led to 2-1 from the Rothosen’s point of view. “In addition, Philipp Förster was previously warned with a yellow card because he took a free kick that should have been cleared. Technically correct,“ said the head coach of SV 98. He further analysed the scene of the game with the words: „But then explaining something to our player during HSV’s free kick and having the free kick taken at the same time is questionable. That’s why we’re not technically satisfied with the overall situation.“ Also in terms of the scope: Despite a very good first half, SV 98 went into the break with a deficit.

Darmstadt dominance. First at the late kick-off time on Saturday against Münster, then on Tuesday evening the round of 16 in Bremen and finally away in Hamburg. A busy week. But there was no sign of fatigue from 1:30pm in the Volksparkstadion. The Lilies went all out, ran up to the people of Hamburg and didn’t shy away from a meter in the Hanseatic city. At the end of the game, despite the English week, the Lilies ran almost two kilometers more than their opponents. In addition, SV Darmstadt 98 impressed with impressive dominance and control of the game for almost the entire duration of the game – with the exception of a rather wild final phase. “A huge compliment to my team for this performance,” was Florian Kohfeldt’s words of praise for his men. “I have rarely seen HSV so wait-and-see at home, that shows the respect that we have earned as a team,” analysed Marcel Schuhen.

Mentality and belief in your own strength. Yes, the two goals conceded were unnecessary. But more on that in the lower section of our analysis. But the reaction of the Lilies after the two hits was much more impressive. The South Hessians dominated the game, but conceded goals to go behind at 1-0 and 2-1 precisely in their dominant phase of the first half. But anyone who believed that these would break Darmstadt’s dominance was wrong. The Lilies were not impressed by this and did not become nervous. Rather, they trusted in their own strengths and continued to play their game courageously and consistently. Thanks to this mentality, the Darmstadt team came back strongly with their two goals after the two blows in the neck.

The two goals conceded. Two unnecessary and avoidable goals. Especially in the first half, the Darmstadt backline didn’t let anything go wrong except for these two actions by Hamburg. But Dompé with an outstanding pass to the ice-cold Königsdörffer in the 10th minute of the game and Karabec shortly before the break with an outstanding dream goal – despite the controversy surrounding its creation and decision – ensured the two HSV goals. The two goals, even if they were avoidable, are representative of the enormous individual quality of the Rothosen. It is not for nothing that the sports club from the Hanseatic city is the best offensive in the 2nd Bundesliga with 33 goals this season. It was even more difficult to keep a clean sheet against such an offensive force.

The end result? “I’m happy with our game today, but not completely satisfied with the result,” said Marcel Schuhen shortly after the final whistle in the catacombs of the Volksparkstadion. Florian Kohfeldt also chose the phrase “not completely satisfied with the 2-2” at the press conference. Ultimately, the Lilies deserved the three away points in the Hanseatic city due to their game-defining style of play and an overall very good appearance. “We were clearly the better team until the 70th minute,” emphasised Florian Kohfeldt. “Overall, it’s really good against HSV with its individual quality if we leave here and are not completely satisfied with a 2-2 draw,” was the quote from the Darmstadt head coach that was already mentioned at the beginning and is hereby complete. The truth is that HSV could also have won the game in the final phase. Therefore, when looking at the end result: not completely satisfied, but not completely dissatisfied either.