U21: Young Lilies defeated shortly before the end

Less than five minutes in, the visitors from Waldgirmes took the lead, putting Darmstadt behind 1-0 (4th minute). U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt explained to sv98.de that it was „a mistake in the build-up play“ by the young Darmstadt side that led to the goal. His players thus found themselves chasing a deficit early on. However, the young team showed resilience and fought their way back into the game. Their efforts were rewarded shortly before halftime: a long-range shot from Milian Herbst found the back of the net in the 45th minute. The score remained 1-1 at the start of the second half. „The team came out of the locker room with great energy,“ said Schmitt. After the restart, Darmstadt were immediately determined to turn the game around. They converted their fresh start into „two good chances,“ but couldn’t find the net. „As the game progressed, it became more balanced again,“ Schmitt reported. Seven minutes before the final whistle, the team from Waldgirmes launched another decisive attack, this time from a set piece, and Nico Goetz put them ahead 2-1 (83′). Just as they had after conceding the first goal, the young Lilies showed resilience and fought for a late equalizer. However, Schmitt’s team squandered one last golden opportunity, ultimately suffering a narrow defeat.

Following this defeat, SV 98’s U21 team sits in 14th place with 26 points, while SC Waldgirmes closes the gap to just one point with their victory. Everything is still possible in the fight to avoid relegation, and the team maintains a positive attitude, according to Schmitt: „The energy and commitment are there.“ While the evenly matched game featured many good plays, „a very young team sometimes lacks the necessary cutting edge,“ Schmitt explained.

The young Lilies‘ next match is on Sunday (March 28th/3:00pm) away against SV Weidenhausen. A win against the seventeenth-placed team would bring home some crucial points. Therefore, the U21s will „give it their all against Weidenhausen,“ says Schmitt, who adds: „The team believes in themselves and the lads understand what the challenges are.“