Rot-Weiss Essen pulled off a surprise 4-0 victory over VfL Bochum in a friendly match. VfL coach Uwe Rösler was furious after the game and criticized his team.
VfL Bochum was crushed 0-4 in a friendly against second-division side Rot-Weiss Essen. VfL head coach Uwe Rösler was furious after the match.
Nine players from the VfL first-team squad were unavailable due to call-ups to their respective national teams. The second-division side’s coaching staff filled out the roster with players from the U21 and U19 teams.
In the first half, VfL Bochum lost 0-1 to Rot-Weiss Essen. Rösler explained the circumstances: “In the first half, only two players from the first team were on the field. Some players had played as recently as Wednesday. So I can’t say it’s okay. But I can live with it.”
Rösler’s assessment of the second half, in which VfL conceded three more goals, was much harsher: “In the second half, eight players from the first team were on the field. To put it mildly, the way we gave up was abysmal. The goals are scored the same way every time.“
”I wasn’t satisfied at halftime and was forced to make substitutions early on, and of course I was hoping for something from those changes. The exact opposite happened.”
Uwe Rösler
The manner of the defeat alarmed the Bochum head coach: “The goals we conceded are embarrassing. But you can always concede a goal now and then. What’s much worse is how we gave up after that. This is the first time my team has given up here, and that’s obviously critical in our current situation.”
Rösler demanded commitment from his team: “I asked for the right mentality and didn’t expect us to play an outstanding game at all. I was focused on the basics. I wanted a clean sheet. Then we saw that we got exactly the opposite. We didn’t build any confidence, we got caught on the counterattack every time, and the way we defended—every shot was a goal. I don’t know if the team realizes what kind of impression this gives to the outside world.”
A clear difference in class was evident throughout the match. Third-division side Rot-Weiss Essen dominated the game at will. The VfL players lacked aggression and fighting spirit for long stretches.
After the game, the Bochum head coach was at a loss as to why these qualities were missing. “You’d really have to ask the players that. I’m not inside their heads. I demanded the right mentality. I don’t know what the problem was,” mused the former pro.
Starting players Philipp Strompf, Koji Miyoshi, and Philipp Hofmann were substituted at halftime after a weak first half. This was different from the original plan, as Rösler explained: “The plan was actually for them to play 30 minutes.”
Rösler expected the regulars to turn things around: “I wasn’t satisfied at halftime and was forced to make substitutions early on, and of course I was hoping for something from those changes. The exact opposite happened.”