The SG Schönebeck sold itself dearly in the first test against Rot-Weiss Essen. The rest of the summer schedule is also tough.

“First and foremost, of course, we want to defend cleanly. It’s about conceding as few goals as possible. Ideally, of course, none at all,” explained SG Essen-Schönebeck coach Olaf Rehmann ahead of the match against 3rd division side Rot-Weiss Essen.

It was not to be expected that the regional league team would actually not concede a goal. In the end, the SG Schönebeck keeper had to make five saves. However, the performance of Rehmann’s entire team was certainly impressive. The defense did an excellent job and there were always accents up front.

“I’m very happy with the first half. I wanted us to try and play soccer – and that worked quite well. The fact that we repeatedly had phases of possession makes me very positive as a coach and makes me proud of the squad. It’s a shame that we didn’t manage to score,” said Rehmann afterwards.

Preparation began earlier for the SG Essen-Schönebeck players – partly due to the highlight of the test against Rot-Weiss.

The team will finally start their pre-season preparations next week. The coach has a tight schedule for his team: “We’ll be going to a training camp during the week, which will be essential for us. There we will work on the tactics we saw in the test against Essen. Many players still don’t know how to move.”

Once this step has been taken, Schönebeck will test against SC Weitmar 45 on July 8, where Rehmann “can expect the same tactics from all players.”

Instead of taking a long breather, Schönebeck will then take part in two tournaments – a packed schedule over the next few weeks. Preparation will definitely be intense, but the 43-year-old is not worried: “I’m actually satisfied so far. The team is good and I am convinced that we will prepare very well for the new season. “