Defeat with Heart

The sending-off in the 20th minute: In the aftermath of the match, a large portion of the questions revolved around the red card shown to Aleksandar Vukotić in the 20th minute. The Serbian centre-back’s handball was clear, and public opinion on the subsequent sending-off ranged from „dubious“ to „harsh“ to „undisputed.“ Florian Kohfeldt saw „arguments for and arguments against the decision“ made by referee Timo Gerach in that situation, which meant Darmstadt had to play with ten men for more than 70 minutes.

Raoul Petretta wasn’t the only one who later described the incident as „game-changing,“ even though Darmstadt had excellent chances to take the lead while playing with ten men until the halftime whistle. After the break, however, and as the game progressed, the visitors from Hannover increasingly managed to convert their numerical advantage into a degree of dominance and keep Darmstadt away from their goal. Although the depleted South Hessians remained within striking distance in terms of the score until the final whistle, Kohfeldt’s team was unable to truly unsettle the ambitious visitors in the final phase.

The mentality: „We’ll take the team spirit and character from today’s game with us.“ Raoul Petretta didn’t have to think long when asked about positive aspects that SV 98 could take away from the defeat. Indeed, it was impressive how the Lilies managed to put up a fight, both in terms of fighting spirit and skill, after the setback of the sending-off, so that Hannover went into the break with a 0-0 scoreline that was, in their view, rather flattering. „I saw a performance with heart,“ explained Paul Fernie, who elaborated: „The lads gave everything, even with ten men. It’s never easy playing with ten men for that long, but they accepted the challenge, and especially in the first half, we were really dangerous.“

The belief in the chosen path: „We’ve started a new cycle that will take some time.“ The upheaval in the Lilies‘ squad this summer was significant. A topic that has been discussed frequently and yet remains a fact. Of course, everyone who supports Darmstadt 98 wants to see points added to their tally. And naturally, victories would positively influence the team’s integration process and the start of this new cycle. But setbacks are part of such a process, and Darmstadt had factored them in, even though they would have preferred to avoid them. „We believe in this setup and assembled the squad with conviction,“ explained Paul Fernie, echoing Florian Kohfeldt’s sentiments, who also reaffirmed his „belief“ in the team and the chosen path. This same conviction was palpable in the team huddle after the final whistle on Sunday afternoon, evident in the players‘ interviews, and also among the Darmstadt fans in the stadium, who gave the team an encouraging round of applause.

The sending-off: The mentality was right, the passion was there, but as in the away game in Dresden, Darmstadt weakened themselves. „Vuko gave the referee the opportunity to show him the red card. As an experienced player, he probably shouldn’t have gone in like that in that situation.“ Darmstadt have already played almost 100 minutes with ten men this season following the dismissals of Klefisch (in Dresden) and Vukotic. A self-inflicted handicap that doesn’t exactly improve their chances of winning. It’s also clear that game scenarios are unpredictable. Vukotic’s handball was instinctive; football is all about decisions made in fractions of a second. Nevertheless, Darmstadt’s focus should now be sharpened. Because it’s much nicer to play a game with an equal number of players. Or perhaps even to have a numerical advantage.

The feeling of defeat: After the game in Jena, we were able to discuss the „feeling of victory“ at length. An emotion that is virtually irreplaceable for any professional athlete. A completely different emotional landscape naturally prevails after a lost match, even if the team can hardly blame itself. „My emotional state isn’t exactly great, because I hate losing,“ Florian Kohfeldt initially described, before making his point quite clear: „Defeats always feel awful.“ And it’s important that this feeling is omnipresent for everyone, even during a period of transition and team building after a loss. Because the hunger for victory is a driving force and ensures that, in the aftermath of a defeat, the feeling of success is craved even more intensely. And so, Marcel Schuhen’s gaze was already fixed on the future again on Sunday afternoon: „One point from three games is obviously not what we want. Nevertheless, I’m really looking forward to Kaiserslautern.“