[ad_1]
Saturday 3 October 2020
Max Kruse’s remarkable recovery in fitness is an example of the change in mood at Union Berlin. The atmosphere is totally contrary to the Mainz rival, who was defeated with four goals. Acting coach Lichte finally wants to make opponents stress again.
When his colleagues were still being celebrated by fans in their lap of honor, Max Kruse was already back in civilian clothes. In black pants and a black sweatshirt, the new 1. FC Union Berlin leader went directly to the Alte Försterei stadium for the winner’s interview. What the 32-year-old had to say on television after 4-0 (1-0) in the Bundesliga against FSV Mainz 05, rival coach Jan-Moritz Lichte had to dig in bitterly.
Tore: 1: 0 Kruse (13th), 2: 0 Ingvartsen (49th), 3: 0 Friedrich (63rd), 4: 0 Pohjanpalo (64th)
Union: Luthe – Friedrich, Knoche, Schlotterbeck – Trimmel (69º Ryerson), Prömel, Andrich (82º Griesbeck), Lenz – Becker (64º Bülter), Ingvartsen (82º Endo) – Kruse (64º Pohjanpalo); Coach: Fischer.
Mainz: Zentner – Mwene (71. Martin), St. Juste, Alexander Hack, Brosinski – Latza, Kunde Malong (60º Nebel) – Boetius – Onisiwo, Mateta (60º Burkardt), Quaison (71º Kilian); Coach: Light.
Referee: Stegemann (Niederkassel)
Viewer: 4400
“I think you saw that I was a little further away than last week. But it is also clear that this is not 100 percent what I can play. I know I can still improve myself.” Kruse said after his successful debut for Hierro on Friday, including the first goal. “It’s a great feeling to score in the Bundesliga, I don’t need to tell anyone, it’s always been like that.” However, Kruse didn’t know if it was a perfect match game. “We’ll see, the coach must have some things. But if you win 4-0 at home, it’s definitely a very good game,” said the forward, who missed another great opportunity apart from his goal, but otherwise mostly as noisy driver than as a source of ideas in the field.
Not “soulless”, but …
After his long injury break, Kruse was strong for a good 60 minutes this time, and that was enough to keep Mainz’s team in total crisis mode. Lichte declined to call his team’s appearance “heartless” on his acting debut. But since many things don’t work, “his self-confidence dropped rapidly,” said the 40-year-old. Goalkeeper Robin Zentner was well served: “In the crucial moments we looked bad. We also defended a lot of actions well, but not many. We left the Berliners too much room to score really easy goals. It’s too cheap.”
With zero points and many problems, Mainz enters the international break after the leadership chaos around former coach Achim Beierlorzer. Lichte wants to work on “physicality”. Your players should be able to “stress” their opponents again. Like Kruse in Union. Their coach, Urs Fischer, was almost elated by their cautious Swiss conditions after the biggest win in the Berliners’ young Bundesliga history. “If you have won 4-0, you can be satisfied,” said the 54-year-old. To put in perspective a little later. “It was an important victory, but it’s good to be on the ground.”
With four points, Union is fully in goal and probably in the international break against local rivals Hertha BSC. Better staff prospects also ensure attractive prospects. Marcus Ingvartsen, Marvin Friedrich and Joel Pohjanpalo with their first goal just seconds after being substituted increased the result after Kruse’s first goal. Hierro’s six goals this season have been scored by different scorers. Fischer recently complained that he didn’t have a real forward in his lineup.
