After losing to RWE II, Vogelheimer SV secured a 6-0 victory against Fatihspor. Coach Carsten Isenberg assesses the games and looks ahead.

Vogelheimer SV is having a convincing season in the Lower Rhine District League 6: after twelve match days, coach Carsten Isenberg’s team is in second place in the table and has the best defense. Next up for the coach is a reunion when his team faces his former club, Tusem Essen.

But first, let’s take a look back. Two weeks ago, Isenberg’s team suffered a setback when they lost 4-0 to Rot-Weiss-Essen II in a top-of-the-table clash. “It has to be said that the result was a little too high. But we weren’t present enough at the decisive moments. Of course it was a minor setback, but it was important to put this game into perspective; it was clear that we would lose a game at some point. The goal was to show a reaction, because we have enough quality to remain confident,” says the head coach. And the Vogelheim team showed this reaction when they delivered a convincing 6-0 victory against Fatihspor Essen. “The victory was never really in doubt and we took control of the game early on,” said Isenberg.

Now Essen have their next city derby coming up on Sunday (November 9, 3:30 p.m.), which will be a special encounter, especially for the coach. Isenberg himself spent many years on the sidelines with their upcoming opponents, Tusem Essen.

The VSV coach has nothing but praise for his former club: “When they have a good day, they can beat anyone. They are particularly difficult to play at home and will certainly want to make life difficult for us,” reports Isenberg, adding: “I know the team very well and know what to expect. We are prepared and are going there with the aim of getting three points.”

But the next few weeks will also be tough for Vogelheim, as the team still has to face three other rivals (VfB Frohnhausen, SV Burgaltendorf, Arminia Klosterhardt) before the Christmas break. Isenberg has great respect for these challenges and knows that it will come down to a few small details, as he said: “These games will of course be very difficult. They are all rightly up there and have enormous quality. Anyone can beat anyone, so a lot depends on how you perform on the day. We want to approach the games positively so that we feel good about the second half of the season.”

Essen have a few absences to compensate for, but compared to the last encounter, the coach has more options available to him again. “We have one or two long-term injuries and a few players who are carrying knocks. But we also have two players returning from suspension, so the situation is relatively relaxed,” reveals Isenberg.