HSV Analysis: Set Pieces a Crucial Point

The goal that made it 1-0: „The goal conceded changed the dynamics of the game in everyone’s minds,“ explained Florian Kohfeldt, referring to the deficit in the 23rd minute. Up to that point, the Lilies had not only dominated the game, but also created good chances to take the lead themselves. Killian Corredor, Fabian Nürnberger, and Isac Lidberg could have put the South Hesse side in front, but they missed their chances.

The Hanseatic League’s 1-0 goal from a corner kick prompted a lot of self-criticism from the Lilies, who had done a really good job defensively from set pieces so far this season. „We defended poorly,“ explained Fabian Nürnberger, who took responsibility for himself and for the goal conceded by his opponent Ludovit Reis.

With the lead behind them, HSV not only gained confidence, but Kohfeldt also recognized a „very clever style of play“ from the Hanseatic League. The Hamburg team sat relatively deep and waited for counterattacks. A game plan that Merlin Polzin’s team followed from the start, and the 1-0 lead logically played into their hands. It’s pointless to speculate how the game would have developed had the Lilies taken the lead themselves. Thus, HSV’s opening goal became a key moment for the rest of the game.

Commitment and determination. Of course, these things should be basic requirements in every football match. And yet, the enthusiasm and courage with which the Lilies played from the start was not a given. While HSV needs every point to achieve its big dream of promotion, SV 98 has planning security for another season in the 2. Bundesliga. However, there was no sign of a decline in Florian Kohfeldt’s team. „If there had been no excitement, we would never have started the game so well,“ Fabian Nürnberger rightly concluded, echoing Paul Fernie, who explained: „We’re obviously disappointed with the result. But I saw a team with a lot of energy that also went into every challenge. It wasn’t due to a lack of greed.“

Even after the 2-0 deficit, SV 98 fought back against the impending defeat. Kohfeldt praised this attitude at the press conference: „We tried until the very last moment to get back into the game. That speaks volumes about the team.“

Earned respect. HSV’s style of play at the Merck Stadium could certainly be seen as a compliment to the Lilies. „We knew it was extremely challenging to defend the kind of football Darmstadt plays. We noticed that again today. The overloaded centre and the movement out of the centre – it’s extremely difficult to put pressure on them.“ With these words, HSV head coach Merlin Polzin explained his team’s rather defensive approach, which was also reflected in the match statistics. SV 98 recorded 63 percent possession on Saturday afternoon against an opponent who has the second-highest ball possession rate in the league so far this season. Both Kohfeldt and Fernie therefore saw the South Hesse side largely in control, but with the exception of the opening stages, they lacked any truly compelling scoring opportunities. Nevertheless, the Lilies have earned a certain amount of respect in the league with their football and are confident enough to play dominant football against any opponent. However, they still too often lack efficiency in front of goal against opponents who sit deep.

The two set-piece goals. „Those two things decided the game.“ With these words from Florian Kohfeldt, we could almost end this passage. In a match on equal terms, two corner kicks put HSV on the road to victory. Both Reis (23′) and Königsdörffer (58′) found the net from close range. „We lost our position on the first set piece, and we didn’t get a chance to double up on the second,“ Kohfeldt summarised, looking back at the two incidents, adding: „That has nothing to do with ‚the opponent played us in.'“

The Lilien head coach also placed the double strike from a set piece in the overall context of the season so far: „That’s totally unusual for us. We’ll look at it in detail, not just brush it aside and address it critically. These are game-deciding situations. That’s a shame, because up until then we’ve been very good at defensive set pieces this season.“

The remaining defence in the final phase. This point can be viewed in several different ways. It’s to the Lilies‘ credit that they tried everything until the final whistle to get back into the game. Accordingly, SV 98 positioned their entire team high and shifted the play almost entirely into the opponent’s half. That this increased their vulnerability to counterattacks was inevitable. And yet, Hamburg’s transitional moves could have been defended better. „We lost our man-marking in the box for both goals. Those are basics,“ explained Kohfeldt, who also noted: „HSV played well.“