SuS coach Matthias Walter talks about the derby victory against Tusem, the team spirit and the club’s approach to young players.

Floodlit derby in the district league on Friday evening (August 22, 2025)! This headline, which is sure to set the hearts of some amateur sports fans racing, became reality in Essen last weekend. At Fibelweg, the home ground of Tusem Essen, local rivals and direct neighbors SuS Haarzopf were the visitors on the second matchday of the Bezirksliga Group 6 in the Lower Rhine region.

Haarzopf coach Matthias Walter was delighted with his team’s 2-1 victory: “The floodlit game on Friday evening alone created a special atmosphere. On top of that, it’s always really difficult against Tusem. They are a very strong home team. It’s a tight pitch at Fibelweg. That means a lot of tackles and, accordingly, a lot of emotion in the game.“

The 34-year-old attributed his team’s away win, which came after falling behind 0-1 at Tusem but then turning the game around, to his team’s fighting spirit: ”In terms of the result, a 1-1 draw might even have been fair. But in the end, my boys turned the game around and won it with incredible determination, a lot of passion, and great commitment. We were hungry and, after a change in the second half, we were also much more aggressive. That was the decisive factor in the end.”

We want to give young players a platform where they can develop quickly, both on a personal and a footballing level

Matthias Walter

After successful years with a squad made up mainly of older players, SuS Haarzopf signed several young players in the summer alongside coach Walter.

Among others, Fabian Sörries and Timo Brandt, who were in the starting line-up against Tusem Essen, were brought in by Haarzopf from the strong U19 teams of ETB and SG Schönebeck: “We want to give young players a platform where they can develop quickly, both on a human and a footballing level,” said the coach, describing the club’s approach.

When it comes to working with the young players, the new coach particularly praised the more experienced members of the squad: “The older players in the squad take responsibility and lead by example. That works really well with the younger ones. The team already had a stable core before I arrived. Fifteen players extended their contracts without even knowing who the head coach would be. That speaks volumes for the club and, of course, for the players.”