The Hamburger SV has been synonymous with draws this season. The Reds have often been a bit closer to victory – against KSC they only managed one point.
Unbeaten for ten league games, the fewest defeats of all second division teams: HSV’s record actually reads like that of a top team, yet it is currently only good enough for a place in the midfield of the table. “Our ambition is to win the games,” said captain Sebastian Schonlau after the 1-1 draw against KSC, the eighth draw of the season.
Nevertheless, he and his colleagues were not dissatisfied with the point they fought for at the Wildparkstadion. “We have to accept the draw, there wasn’t more in it today overall – especially when you look at the distribution of chances,” Schonlau continued. Indeed, KSC showed a strong performance, winning 54 percent of the duels and also had the statistics on its side in terms of shots on goal with 22:14 in the end.
Walter: “We are where I expected us to be “
That’s why coach Tim Walter agreed with his captain: “The opponent did well today and set us tasks,” said Walter, who, however, attested that his team had “defended well”. Although the point does not move HSV up in the standings, the coach is not really dissatisfied with the way the season has gone so far. “I think we are where I expected us to be in terms of performance and development with the youngest squad in the league. We are on the right track,” said Walter.
The gap to a direct promotion spot is already five points for the ambitious Reds, but the series of unbeaten games at least testifies to a consistency that was not always present in the past seasons.
Regensburg visit Hamburg – will HSV get closer?
After the international break, HSV will host current runners-up Jahn Regensburg – with a win, Hamburg could move to within two points of the Upper Palatinate side. After five draws from six games, a three-goal win would certainly give Walter even more confirmation of the path he has chosen.