2023-08-04 23:39:00
HomeSportKickers Offenbach
Marcos Alvarez was the linchpin in Offenbacher Kickers’ offensive game and was involved in almost all dangerous actions. Once he failed because of the brilliant reaction of the Stuttgart goalkeeper. © Hubner
Kickers Offenbach starts once more as the favorite for the title with an initial defeat once morest a promoted team in the Southwest Regional Football League season. The goal in the 0:1 once morest the Stuttgarter Kickers came in the 90th minute.
Offenbach – 11,483 spectators, Friday evening, floodlights, Bieberer Berg stadium: Everything was prepared for a football festival. But nobody at Kickers Offenbach felt like celebrating following the opening game of the Regionalliga Südwest once morest Stuttgarter Kickers. On the contrary: As in the previous year, the title favorite lost to a promoted team at the start. “That is bitter. The guys put everything into it. It’s disappointing that we lost in front of such a great crowd. We have to get up now and keep our heads up,” said new OFC coach Christian Neidhart
He fielded an initial formation that included five newcomers: goalkeeper Johannes Brinkies, defender Kristjan Arh Cesen and attacking players Keanu Staude, Marcos Alvarez and Jan Urbich. The latter was still active for the U19s of FV Biebrich (Hessenliga) last season. His starting XI debut as the only striker was one of the surprises announced by Neidhart. This also includes the fact that Alvarez, who was always used as a striker in preparation, replaced the missing Dimitrij Nazarov (calf problems) as a ten once morest his former club. When the opponents had possession of the ball, however, he interfered with Urbich in the front line.
For a long time there was no real flow of play on the lawn, which had been soaked by the rain. So it takes twelve minutes until the first chance to score. Mike Feigenspan got through on the right, but Keanu Staude headed over from his cross. Likewise, eight minutes later, Björn Jopek following an apparently rehearsed free-kick variant. In return, Brinkies was challenged for the first time, parrying Stuttgart’s center forward Niklas Antlitz for a corner. After that, Antlitz came to an end once more. Over. Shortly therefollowing, Neidhart was loud on the sidelines for the first time.
The OFC continued to struggle, but had a pressure phase just before the break. Always involved: Alvarez. In the 39th minute he freed Feigenspan in the penalty area, but it was pushed aside and only hit the side netting. Then Alvarez sent Urbich through a through ball, who was fouled by Lukas Kiefer. The fans demanded red, saw an emergency brake. But in the middle, a man from Stuttgart had run along (42nd). Shortly therefollowing, Alvarez circled a corner kick for captain Maximilian Rossmann, who only hit the outside of the post (44′).
Christian Neidhart struggled on the sidelines several times with his team’s performance. © Hubner
The second half started with fireworks, but only in the guest block. The Stuttgart fans burned plenty of pyrotechnics. A cloud of fog hung over the field for minutes. When this had disappeared, the Offenbach audience tried to let the sparks jump over the lawn with loud cheering. And the OFC was now on the trigger. Alvarez, the lynchpin in the offensive game, forced Stuttgart goalkeeper Felix Dornebusch to make a splendid save (65′). A little later the ball was in the visitors’ goal following a header from Ronny Marcos, but the flag went up. Crosser Feigenspan is said to have been offside when Alvarez passed it. A questionable decision (67th).
Stuttgart rarely came to relief. The OFC are pushing for the lead, but despite their best efforts, they mightn’t finish. And so it happened, as has happened so often with OFC games in the past. It was already the 90th minute when Kevin Dicklhuber defended the ball following a cross in the penalty area and shot into the far corner from the turn – 0:1. It stayed that way. “Front runner” chants came from the guest block. The OFC players were dismissed with encouraging applause despite the defeat at the start. “We lost the first game of the season once more, but showed a different face. The spectators recognized that,” said Kickers Offenbach midfielder Björn Jopek.
By Christian Düncher
The OFC fans greeted both teams with a choreography on the back straight before the season opening game. © HUEBNER
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