Bremen – The pecking order was always clear: if he is fit and healthy, Ludwig Augustinsson is the number one left-back at Werder Bremen. And Marco Friedl only his representative. But suddenly that no longer applies.
Trainer Florian Kohfeldt is about to break up and raise the hierarchy Marco Friedl at least to the competitor at eye level. Augustinsson, who after a long break on Saturday against Schalke 04 will again be a candidate for the starting eleven, will accordingly not receive a free ticket from the coach. “I will not give him a guarantee of commitment,” said Kohfeldt.
Of course, this should not be a criticism of the Swede, who beat 0-0 on Tuesday Borussia Monchengladbach for the first time since Coronavirus mandatory break was back in the squad. Kohfeldt’s statements should rather be understood as praise for Friedl. The Austrian had increased so much after a personally difficult restart against Leverkusen (1: 4) in the games against Freiburg and Gladbach that there is actually no reason to exchange him again for Augustinsson. Augustinsson is therefore now “in competition. I don’t see any automatism that he plays, ”explained Kohfeldt. Friedl, who started as an emergency nail on the position, has got stuck.
Werder Bremen: Milos Veljkovic is missing against Schalke 04
Nevertheless, changes and shifts in the defense against Schalke are not excluded. Milos Veljkovic will be absent on Saturday due to the fifth yellow card, is blocked. Therefore, central defense needs to be rebuilt, and one option would be to have Friedl as one of two or three central defenders. Then Augustinsson would automatically be set as a left-back.
Kohfeldt is grateful for these new opportunities and would love to have the Swedish international on the pitch. “I am very happy that he is back because he gives us incredible quality,” said the 37-year-old. Augustinsson had missed the restart of the game due to muscular problems, but an assignment against Gladbach would have been possible, but “Ludde” remained on the bench. “It would have been enough for him for 45 to 60 minutes,” says Kohfeldt, “but the situation to bring him did not arise because Marco played a very good game again.”
For the 22-year-old in the 27th game of the season it was his 21st assignment – only four of which he completed as a central defender, his main position. In all other games he played on the side to represent the often injured Augustinsson (knee surgery, muscle fiber tear). The 26-year-old only has nine games this season. And now he has to fight to get his regular place back. (csa)
—
To the last message from May 24, 2020
Fight and passion – Friedl is a symbol of Werder change
Freiburg – It was the 19th minute of the game between SC Freiburg and Werder Bremen when Leonardo Bittencourt smashed the ball into the net to score the day’s goal. Beautiful and precise. Davy Klaassen had previously provided the template – with a passport that was no less beautiful and just as precise.
Although executors and preparers deserved all the applause for this, another was something like the father of the Bremen winner: Marco Friedl. But not because everything would have been beautiful and perfect for him when the hit was made, but because he was familiar with the game SV Werder Bremen that day was far more than the precision and brilliance that laid the foundation for the goal: with struggle.
Friedl had conquered the ball on the left corner of his own penalty area with a rustic physical effort. But a fraction of a second later, the gaming device was almost gone because the Austrian had put it too far. Seemingly. But Marco Friedl saved the ball after a one-two with Rashica, played on to Klaassen. A world class action? Not at all. Actually, it’s actually rather wooden and stumbled, but that’s why it’s a little symbolic of Bremen’s performance in Breisgau.
Werder Bremen: Marco Friedl symbol for the appearance against SC Freiburg
It hadn’t been brilliant overall, but just as Friedl had given everything in this 19th minute of play, the entire team had succeeded. The team showed “full emotionality, full mentality”, coach Florian Kohfeldt later praised. That was the big difference to the 1-4 win against Bayer Leverkusen five days earlier.
With no other player the change had been as clear as with Friedl. Against Leverkusen he had looked very bad on the left side of the defense several times, but against Freiburg he ran no opponent and therefore much better for the Austrian. The crowning glory would have been if Marco Friedl’s solo in the Freiburg penalty area that would have brought 2: 0 (48.). Coach Kohfeldt was asked what he did with the 22-year-old in the days between the games. “Nothing” was the answer: “To be honest, I didn’t even talk to him.”
Werder Bremen: “Marco Friedl played a very decent game”
From the coach’s point of view, this was not even necessary. He had Marco Friedls Performance against Leverkusen was not seen so badly that he had to explicitly take the left-back to his chest. Kohfeldt also did not want to highlight Friedl from the collective after the Freiburg match. He said only so much: “Marco Friedl played a very decent game. My trust in the boy is there. “
Perhaps the coach will have to replace him on Tuesday in the Werder home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach (8:30 p.m.). Friedl retired on Saturday shortly before the final whistle after a lunge with muscular problems in the thigh. Diagnosis still unclear: “It is painful. I hope and think that it is not a bad thing, ”said Friedl.
Update (May 25, 2020): Marco Friedl is operational and could be back in the Werder starting eleven against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Tuesday. (csa)
–