VfL Bochum’s U19 team has completed its first matches of the year in Bavaria. Coach David Siebers is returning to the Ruhr region feeling positive.

VfL Bochum’s U19 team resumed match play with a friendly doubleheader after a break of just over a month. Coach David Siebers’ team traveled to Bavaria for matches against 1. FC Nürnberg this Saturday and Bayern Munich the following day. “We gained a lot of insights,” Siebers explained after a “balanced weekend.”

After Bochum initially fell to the club’s youth team 2-4 (0-0), they celebrated a 3-1 (1-1) victory against Bayern the following day. “We’re naturally pleased with the goals we scored,” said Siebers. “But we’re certainly not happy with the four goals we conceded in the first game against Nuremberg, nor with our performance in that first match.”

VfL had quickly fallen behind 0–2 after the break (56th, 59th). But they managed to equalize through Luis Pick (72nd) and Prince Agyemang (82nd). “We weren’t able to hold on to that result and ended up conceding the 2–3 in the closing stages,” said Siebers. “In the end, when we had another big chance to make it 3–3 and had opened up the play, we conceded the 2–4 in the third minute of stoppage time.”

It was a deserved defeat, “because many of our players hadn’t found their form yet in the first game after the long break and were far from their best,” said Siebers. The Bochum team was able to put the results of the evening’s analysis into practice the very next day—and that’s exactly what they did.

Against Bayern, Pick once again scored Bochum’s first goal (29th minute). A powerful shot found the top left corner. Bayern gained momentum and equalized (39th minute). VfL had to work hard not to fall behind again and also missed a penalty just before halftime.

“We apparently found the right words at halftime and made the right adjustments,” said Siebers. “That led to us playing our best half of the four halves we played this weekend.” Many chances went unused at first, until Gustav Schjott (67th) and Daryl Tschoumy Nana (72nd) sealed the final score following two set pieces.

“We’re heading home feeling good because we won the second game,” Siebers explained. In addition to Nana and Agyemang, Ole Van Eck and Janek Herzberg also celebrated their comebacks for VfL.

The next friendly is scheduled for this coming weekend. VfL Bochum will face Werder Bremen at home (January 25, 2 p.m.). by gp

Here’s how VfL lined up against Nuremberg:

VfL: Intven (46. Ferrara) – Meyer (46. Weber), Schneider (46. Van Eck, 77. Agyemang), Boltersdorf, Gezer (46. Kovacevic), Fischer (46. Pick), Mbome, Zeppenfeld (60. F. Koscierski), Brands (60. Salamone), Santo (77. Herzberg), Schjott (46. Tschoumy Nana)

Here is how VfL lined up against Bayern:

VfL: Janusch – Tschoumy Nana, Weber, Pick (87. Agyemang), Schneider (67. Fischer), Gerth (67. Santo), Herzberg (46. F. Koscierski, 87. Zeppenefled)), Kovacevic (46. Boltersdorf), Van Eck (46. Gezer) , Salamone (87. Brands), Schjott