Amateur soccer fans take note: On Sunday, the Kreisliga A top game between Rot-Weiss Essen II and SC Frintrop will take place. The game is for first place in the table.
With four wins in a row, SC Frintrop is the team in the best form in the Essen Kreisliga A (Group 1). Last match day, Frintrop defeated SC Türkiyemspor – who were relegated from the Bezirksliga – 3:1 despite being a man down for 50 minutes, and defended second place in the table. Goalkeeper Fathi Ajbilou was the secret match winner, saving a penalty in the final phase with the score at 2:1.
The season has definitely got off to a successful start for Frintroper with 22 points after nine games. According to team manager Robin Seidel, however, even more would have been possible.
“We are satisfied overall, but of course we would have liked to have five more points on the account. Unfortunately, we lost a 3-0 lead against Alemannia Essen and in RuWa we only conceded the decisive goal in injury time. But that’s football. It evens out at some point,” explains the sports director in the forecasting discussion.
Offensively, things have been going really well for the Schemmannsfeld team so far. With Samir Laskowski and Pierre Kretschmann, head coach Kevin Voss’s team has two players who have already scored nine goals each this season. However, there is room for improvement defensively. Seidel also sees it that way: “For a top team, we are still conceding too many goals. That has to improve. We are rarely able to keep a clean sheet.”
The Essen district league team will definitely need a good defensive performance next Sunday (October 13, 3 p.m.): Then the game of the games in the Kreisliga A will take place at Seumannstraße. SC Frintrop is the guest of the league leaders Rot-Weiss Essen II. First against second, best home team against best away team. With a win, the team in second place could overtake RWE II; after nine games, the gap to the top team is only one point.
This time it’s a real top game and not one that has been conjured up. We are absolutely looking forward to this top game at the club, hopefully with the best weather and a great crowd. What more could a football fan’s heart desire?
Frintrop’s sports director before the top game.
Seidel is looking forward to the top game at the league leaders: “We are trying to mobilize everything at our club and invite everyone to actively support us and become league leaders this weekend. This time it’s a real top game and not something we conjured up. We’re really looking forward to this top game at the club, hopefully with great weather and a great atmosphere. What more could a football fan’s heart desire?”
About the upcoming opponent, the number one favorite for the championship, the 32-year-old sports director says: “It’s a big challenge, of course. Playing against former professionals is the biggest incentive in football. We are really looking forward to it. But one thing is clear: we have nothing to be ashamed of and have a lot of quality in our squad ourselves.”
Last season, SCF narrowly missed out on promotion to the Bezirksliga and finished as runners-up to Fatihspor Essen. This season, too, Voss’s team is again being tipped as strong contenders. When it comes to the season’s goal, Seidel confirms the ambitious approach:
“Our goal was definitely to be up there with the top teams again. You can never plan to get promoted, but if you finish second last year, you naturally want to be more successful the following year, and that would be first place with the associated promotion to the district league. You basically play soccer to win.”