This time no doors slammed, this time there was no excitement in the dressing room, this time no shouting like after the 0:5 pack in the previous away game in Wiedenbrück. After the 2:3 defeat at the Tivoli, there was more thoughtfulness. Why wasn’t it possible to score against this rather harmless opponent? What was missing? Was that the descent? What happens now?
Yes, it would have been quite possible even for KFC Uerdingen, who was at the bottom of the table, to score points against the weak Alemannia, maybe even three times over. Because actually everything pointed to a goalless draw at the break, before the Aacheners managed a double strike with the friendly help of the guests. At first, Erdinc Karakas didn’t prevent the cross, which goalkeeper Justin Ospelt ran under, so that Selim Gündüz, who had been neglected by Pepijn Schlösser, was able to push the ball over the line. When the second goal was conceded, defensive midfielder Müller had a free shot from ten meters out – the preliminary decision.
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It would have required concentrated defensive work to survive in Aachen. Because for the sixth time this season, the Uerdingers managed to score two goals in one game. The fact that they only managed to win once (2-0 against Lotte) and only once to draw (2-2 against 1. FC Köln II) is another indication of KFC’s defensive weaknesses. “We don’t score too many goals, so it has to be enough if we score two,” said coach Alexander Voigt. Leon Augusto scored the first of the two goals with a remarkable long-range shot, the second Luca Jensen, who scored a flattering penalty after a foul on substitute Tim Brdaric.
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“We do it as always,” said Voigt. “We’ll take the positives from the game and keep working.” One of the positive aspects was that the team didn’t collapse after being 2-0 down, but showed character and braced themselves against the impending defeat. After all, that wasn’t always the case in the past.
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KFC have improved over the past few weeks, but are still not strong enough to hold their own against other relegation contenders. As a result, the relegation already predicted at the beginning of the season will occur. The gap to 15th place is ten points, with the team from Aachen playing two games fewer; on 14th streets it is 16 counters. To clarify: KFC has scored ten points in 24 matches. The descent can only theoretically be prevented.
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This situation represents a major challenge for coach Alexander Voigt. He will no longer (be able to) tell his players from today at the latest that staying up in the league is still possible and the goal. If he did that, there would be a great danger that his credibility would be discredited within a few days. The players would no longer believe and follow him. So he faces the difficult task of dealing honestly with the situation and still keeping the players happy. That’s where it’s justified to think game by game.
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