KFC Uerdingen won a close match against TSV Meerbusch 2-1. After the game, KFC coach Julian Stöhr explained why the team’s starting goalkeeper was left out of the lineup.

KFC Uerdingen defeated TSV Meerbusch 2-1 in a hard-fought match in the Oberliga Niederrhein.

With the win, KFC was able to maintain its gap behind the league leader from Ratingen and solidify its third-place standing. Meerbusch, on the other hand, remains within striking distance of the relegation zone.

Marcel Winkens, TSV’s coach, was frustrated after the match with his team’s failure to convert chances: “The loss is very frustrating. I just can’t understand it. Our problem—which has come up often in the first half of the season—is simply that we aren’t present enough in the box.”

The coach cited several instances where Meerbusch could have taken the lead: “If we had taken the lead, the game might have turned out differently. There were several situations where we really needed to score.”

“It’s for professional reasons. He’s a good sportsman, which is why I wanted him on the team. But if he can only make it to practice once a week at times, that doesn’t make sense right now. Communication-wise, though, everything is fine.”

Julian Stöhr on Rafael Hester

Winkens would have been satisfied with a draw: “If we have just one chance and convert it, then that’s fine too, and we go home with a point. The second goal we conceded was just frustrating. That hurts us twice or three times over.“

KFC coach Julian Stöhr was hard on his team despite the win: ”This match definitely falls into the category of a hard-fought victory. The performance in the first half wasn’t what we envisioned in many areas. If Meerbusch had taken the lead, it wouldn’t have been undeserved.”

But Stöhr also had words of praise: “We have the quality to make it 1-0, even when things aren’t going well. We started the second half well. The 1-1 was pretty frustrating.”

The Uerdingen coach had no doubts about the victory, though: “I always trust the team. The guys kept pushing. They didn’t let their heads drop. We then scored the 2-1 just as we’d discussed in the locker room. Kaya often cuts inside to look for a shot. So we told him to just play it to Bachmann, who would then set up Reck at the near post—and that’s exactly how it played out.”

Aside from the game, Stöhr also explained the absence of goalkeeper Rafael Hester, who got into a tussle with starting keeper Jonas Holzum early on and hasn’t been part of the squad for weeks now:

“It’s for professional reasons. He’s a good sportsman, which is why I wanted him on the team. But if he can only make it to practice once a week at times, it doesn’t make sense right now. Communication between us is fine, though.”