A narrow defeat. On Sunday (March 15th/3pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team suffered a 1-0 away loss against SC 1960 Hanau. You can read the match report for the 23rd Hessenliga matchday here.
In the first half, Darmstadt’s U21 team appeared solid. „Above all, their stable defence allowed us to create good counter-attacking opportunities from a good basic formation,“ U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt told sv98.de. However, the young Lilies weren’t always able to capitalise on these opportunities and ultimately convert them into goals. When Darmstadt did get in front of the opposing goal, they lacked that crucial bit of luck. Furthermore, a strong Hanau goalkeeper also stood in the way of Darmstadt taking the lead.
Another hurdle was the pitch condition. The match was moved to a different pitch at short notice. Instead of playing in the stadium as planned, the game was played on the adjacent pitch. The hastily arranged change of venue to a pitch that was partly very sandy and woody forced Schmitt and his coaching staff to adapt their game plan. „It was difficult to exploit spaces as effectively as we would on our usual ground in Hanau,“ Schmitt complained.
In what felt like a 0-0 game, which became somewhat less exciting after halftime, a penalty kick in favour of SC 1960 Hanau would ultimately decide the match. Particularly frustrating was the fact that goalkeeper Benedikt Börner initially saved the penalty, but Hanau capitalised on the rebound, scoring the decisive goal of the day in the 73rd minute.
In the final stages, the young Lilies threw everything forward once more. With fresh legs and a boost from the sidelines, they aimed to equalise. Young players like Keanu Blasa and Esad Smailji, normally with the U19 team, bolstered the U21 squad this weekend with their substitutions. Overall, the U21 team fielded a very young squad for this Hessenliga match. The average age of the team was just 18.94 years.
However, a goal eluded the young U21 team on Sunday. „We lacked the cutting edge to capitalise on the crucial moments,“ Schmitt concluded.
„Our primary focus is on the early integration of young talent, but of course we’re now entering a phase of the season where we also need to achieve results. We’ll be preparing for the match against Waldgirmes with this approach in mind,“ Schmitt explained, looking ahead to next weekend. The SV 98 U21 team will host SC Waldgirmes. Kick-off is at 3pm on Saturday (March 21st). While the young Lilies currently sit in 14th place with 26 points, just one point behind a non-relegation spot, SC Waldgirmes is in 16th place in the Hessenliga table with 22 points.
Line-Up: Börner – Kunstmann, Karakayar (Görtler, 85′), Jaadar (Schnerring, 78′), Schlosser, Klappich (Smailji, 78′), Meier, Herbst (Blasa, 85′), Mignano (Kadrijaj, 70′), Merx, Pfister.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.