The U19s of VfL Bochum won the last test before the start of the season with 5:1 against RWE. Coach Heiko Butscher believes the team is on the right track.

Next Saturday (August 12, 1 p.m.), Alemannia Aachen and VfL Bochum open the new season of the A-Junioren-Bundesliga West. VfL’s U19s won the last endurance test, coming back from an early deficit to beat Bundesliga relegated Rot-Weiss Essen 5-1.

Heiko Butscher was correspondingly satisfied with the dress rehearsal, even if the ex-professional would like to avoid the term. “That was a super test, RWE is always unpleasant. In the first half, we had a longer phase in which we really got into trouble. That’s when they had a few shots on goal,” the VfL coach analyzed his team’s somewhat bumpy start. Yan Marcos Friessner Montas (16th) even gave the Essen team the lead in the first half.

Then, however, VfL got into the game better and in the end was able to pull off a clear victory. Paul Kalkoff, Joel Schlotter and Luca Erdelkamp turned the game around before halftime. In the second half, VfL made a complete change except for the goal, and Mohammad Mahmoud – who was still playing for the professionals in the double test against Luton Town – scored the final goal with a brace.

“But we also saw what we are capable of when we get our game through. If we are ready in the head and can play technically clean, you can see what potential we have,” Butscher emphasized accordingly the positive findings from the RWE test. “It’s about scoring goals and defending together. That will still take a few weeks and also months, but we are on a good path. The second half was already very good.”

Competition is fierce – “We have very competitive spots”

Nine players from the U19s, including Luc Dabrowski (son of RWE head coach Christoph Dabrowski), collected minutes in total against Premier League promoted Luton Town. Naturally, a special moment for the young players. “We clearly addressed that, because it’s not easy from the head either. You’re playing with the pros in a big stadium, you’re playing against an English first division team, and a lot of them got playing time,” explained Butscher, who was pleased with the morale and seriousness of his team. “The next day, it’s against RWE, who have been relegated from the U19 Bundesliga. Then it’s about coming here with the right attitude. And that’s the most important thing, the boys implemented that well.”

Now it’s a matter of finding the first eleven for the league start in Aachen for the coach. No easy task. “Now it will be difficult, that’s clear. But I keep the tension up that we can always keep the competition high. We have very competitive places,” Butscher looks at his team. with gp

VfL Bochum 1st half: Heufken – Anubodem, Erdelkamp, Boafo, Blackmann, Klinke, Schlotter, Hounsa, Bah, Kalkoff, Lenz.

VfL Bochum 2nd half: Heufken – Tolba, Bernsdorf, Peters, Dabrowski, Mohamadou, Günes, Etse, Nzeba-Bost, Mahmoud, Koerdt.

RWE: Alter – Demirci (46. Hochbaum), Oruc (32. Pirnal), Bollenberg, Swajkowski, Brune (58. Alpkaya), Etri (58. Berzen), Gedikli (58. Youbi), Potnar (46. Reck), Friessner Montas (58. Ademi), Barry (46. Gawryluk).

Goals: 0:1 Friessner Montas (16th), 1:1 Kalkoff (23rd), 2:1 Schlotter (28th), 3:1 Erdelkamp (45th), 4:1 Mahmoud (47th), 5:1 Mahmoud (70th).