Since the SV Darmstadt 98 team is already in Franconia to prepare for the game against Greuther Fürth (November 2nd/1pm), the press conference with Florian Kohfeldt took place in digital form on Friday (November 1st). In the team hotel in front of his laptop, the head coach of SV 98 answered the virtually connected journalists' questions about the upcoming opponent and the cup success in Dresden. He further analyzed his team's defensive behavior and exploitation of opportunities. We have summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Luca Marseiler and Oscar Vilhelmsson are ready for action again. Aleksandar Vukotic is missing due to suspension. Fabian Holland, Paul Will, Matthias Bader as well as Christoph Zimmermann and Klaus Gjasula are still not available.
Of course the victory in Dresden gave us a mental boost. It was an emotional milestone. It was a game that showed many facets on an emotional level that had been lost in Darmstadt for a long time: overcoming resistance and dealing with setbacks. An important aspect for us was that we were the physically stronger team at the end.
Coupled with the relatively stable development of the last few weeks overall, there is a feeling of security in the team and belief in their own strength. Nevertheless, the boys have a high level of self-criticism, but also the greed to continue delivering results and developing themselves further. The team is positively encouraged and has good and healthy self-confidence. But she also knows that we have to fight hard in every game to make the duels successful. I like the mix of confidence in yourself and the hunger to be successful.
On Thursday and Friday the focus was on regeneration. Also big praise to the staff and the club, who have created optimal conditions here. I am sure that we will be in very good condition again in Fürth. Because we were also able to use the full breadth of our squad in Dresden. In addition, Luca and Oscar are two players with a certain freshness. That’s why I’m positive that we can physically deliver our performance. The possibilities for regeneration and shortening travel time were important topics in this English week. The club approached this very professionally. We have created all the conditions so that the boys can be in top shape on the pitch on Saturday.
Fürth has had a surprising change of coach. They’ve changed the way they do things a bit. Under Alexander Zorniger, the team was all about pressing and switching. They’re trying to adjust this a little bit right now. I can’t say much about the basic order as there is no clear picture. We are preparing for all systems. We certainly also have to prepare for the fact that we will have to react during the game in our positional play and defensive behavior. Fürth has exceptional players in their ranks with Hrgota and Green, who represent enormous quality in the second division. Since it’s not a game in which we can specifically adapt to the opponent because they’re currently not that clear, it’s even more important that we act based on belief in our own strength.
Despite all the positive developments, which are largely reflected in the results, we are still by no means in a relaxed situation. Accordingly, we want to keep up the points in order to create a certain distance from the unpleasant regions of the table. So the game against Fürth is of course an important game.
Anyone who conceded two goals in Dresden did not defend perfectly. That is clear. We have to find a way to defend that suits our style of play. Little by little we have to develop how we behave after losing the ball. This is a big issue for us because we want to have the ball a lot and the opponents like Ulm and Dresden also give us the ball a lot. Overall, on average, we have allowed significantly fewer big chances for our opponents in the last few weeks. We are on a path of development.
Compared to the chances we create, we don’t score enough goals. Even if that sounds strange given our goal tally. This is a training topic that we continue to work on. We are working on how we want to play out certain situations. We can be much clearer, especially when it comes to the topic of half chances. We need clear processes in the final third. We are working with our young strikers to ensure that they don’t have to think about it at the moment of finishing. You have to know from which positions you want to finish and how. In training, the focus is on a mix of repetitions and game-like forms of exercise.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.
