In Magdeburg, HSV got a point despite being outnumbered and with considerable fighting power after being 2-0 down. That may still not be enough for promotion to the Bundesliga. Especially since coach Steffen Baumgart’s team can’t get one thing under control: their lack of discipline.
After the late equalizer by Jonas Meffert, the Hamburg camp quickly decided how the 2-2 (0-2) at FCM should be interpreted: as a moral success, as a strong performance in terms of character and fighting spirit. “We can be proud today,” said captain Sebastian Schonlau, who started the comeback with his remarkable goal (67th): “We showed this unconditional greed that everyone is pulling together for the club.”
And the “way we dealt with the setbacks shows what we’re made of,” continued the 29-year-old, in view of two penalty goals conceded and an early red card against his central defender colleague Guilherme Ramos (23rd). .
“That’s how we have to approach the last few games. Giving up is not an option.”
— HSV midfielder Jonas Meffert
Meffert, who made it 2-2 and at least saved a point with his goal deep in stoppage time, said about the dominant performance in the second half: “We played a little bit all or nothing.”
From his point of view, the substitutions made by Baumgart were also crucial: “Dompé brought incredible momentum and Bobby’s presence also helped us,” he said about the appearances of winger Jean-Luc Dompé and center forward Robert Glatzel.
“That’s how we have to approach the last few games. Giving up is not an option,” said the midfielder. Schonlau and Meffert’s analyzes were not only absolutely permissible and also understandable after overcoming the two-goal deficit when they were outnumbered. They were also spot on. On the one hand.
HSV before a groundbreaking duel with Holstein Kiel
On the other hand, however, they ignored the fact that the team had once again dug itself the hole of being two goals down and outnumbered, from which it fought its way out again – with a mixture of a lack of consistency and exploiting opportunities in the game, moving forward and impetuously – unfortunate behavior behind.
The analyzes also ignored the fact that the one point in the table meant an increase in the gap to Fortuna Düsseldorf and thus the relegation place.
Because the simple reality is that the promotion favorites lost further ground to the Rhinelanders, who have been playing confidently for weeks, over the weekend. And that means for HSV in second division year number six that the northern duel against the new league leaders Holstein Kiel on Saturday (8.30 p.m., in the NDR Livecenter) already has a kind of “do or die” character with a view to the promotion ambitions.
The only chance of third place is with a win
In the event of a victory (“Do!”), the Hamburg team could actually put themselves in position to attack third place again after the moral “victory” in Magdeburg. Especially when it comes to self-confidence. In the event of a defeat (“Die!”) – and even in the event of a draw – the hope of relegation, assuming a Düsseldorf victory against Greuther Fürth (Saturday, 1 p.m.), would not finally die. However, it would only send very weak signs of life.
And so in the remaining games – starting with the northern clash against KSV – the obvious greed mentioned by Schonlau will be important. On the “horniness” that was noticeable right from the start – and not just in the face of absolute hopelessness – to defeat the most consistent team in the league alongside Fortuna. Because one thing is clear: If HSV wants to jump to third place or even have a chance of doing so, it has to win almost all of the remaining five games.
HSV is often undisciplined and too clumsy
But that’s hard to imagine given the performances of the past few weeks. Even under Baumgart, the team lacks consistency in terms of results. An expression of this: They remained winless in their fourth away game in a row. But – and this is even more bitter and part of the problem – it shows consistency in other areas: in indiscipline and in clumsy behavior.
Even though Baumgart criticized referee Robert Kampka’s decisions after the game, especially on the first penalty (“The referee played a large part in the fact that we didn’t achieve our goal.”), Ramos and goalkeeper Matheo Raab each contributed Impetuous behavior before the penalty kicks contributed significantly to the fact that HSV, which had been dominant until the 23rd minute, had to play outnumbered for more than two thirds of the game.
Already six expulsions
In the ranking of yellow cards and expulsions, the “Rothosen” are in third place this season. From underneath. Only Magdeburg and 1. FC Nürnberg are worse. Hamburg have already finished a game with only ten men six times – in the second half of the season, for example, in the defeats against Hanover and in Düsseldorf. For comparison: All three teams that are ahead of HSV – Kiel, city neighbors St. Pauli and Fortuna – have received a maximum of three expulsions so far. The Rhinelanders even only have one.
This is also a factor to score consistently, to score three times, to start a series. To rise. It’s a factor that hamburgers lack. And which played no role in the analysis on Sunday.
This topic in the program:
Sports current | April 14, 2024 | 4:17 p.m
