MSV Duisburg’s 5-1 friendly win in Homberg did not go entirely to plan from Dietmar Hirsch’s point of view. Here is what the coach had to say about the Lower Rhine Cup draw.

Just a few minutes before MSV Duisburg’s fifth friendly against Oberliga side VfB Homberg (5-1), it was confirmed that the Zebras would travel to Mönchengladbach for the first round of the Niederrhein Cup. The Zebras won the first round against Landesliga club Victoria Mennrath exactly three years ago. Back then, they secured a clear 8-0 victory. Dietmar Hirsch, who was born in Viersen and grew up nearby, spoke briefly about the lower-ranked opponents at the PCC Stadium. “It’s hard to say much about it right now. But it’s nice to come back home a bit.”

Of course, the 53-year-old was much more preoccupied on Wednesday evening with the 90 minutes at Duisburg’s Rheindeich against an Oberliga team that played courageously, especially at the beginning, and made life very difficult for the supposed MSV starting eleven in the first 25 minutes.

“It wasn’t such a good performance. The first half was a little better. We found it very difficult to get into the second half, tried too hard and played complicated football, and often made the wrong decisions,” criticized Hirsch, who was also less satisfied with the positioning.

“We had three clear chances at the beginning, and you have to take those. I told the guys at halftime that we won’t get that many in the 3rd league. That’s also a question of quality that we need to work on,” the coach made clear.

In the third-last preparatory game before the start of the competitive season on August 2 against VfB Stuttgart II, the third-division team nevertheless gained important insights: “In the end, it was clear. The result was too high. Homberg did well. The goal we conceded from a set piece was too easy and we can’t allow that to happen. We can do better, but of course every win in the preseason is good.” On Saturday, Meiderich will face Belgian second division side SK Lommel at the same venue. The kickoff for the 120-minute XXL test at the PCC Stadium is at 2 p.m.