The SV Sandhausen could hardly use the international break to work on the basics. Instead, two high hurdles await the re-start of the SVS, which has recently been battered by Corona.
By their very nature, second division clubs don’t suffer from too many substitutions during international breaks, but for SV Sandhausen, the break now coming to an end felt as if SVS were peppered with international players.
A total of 18 players had tested positive for Corona immediately before the match at FC St. Pauli, and the game at the leaders was cancelled. Instead of fine-tuning or minimising physical deficits in the time off, coach Alois Schwartz had to continue working with a short squad. “Only the last ones came back yesterday. The last few weeks were not so easy for us. Of course, this is not an ideal situation,” said the coach of the Kurpfälzer on Wednesday at the matchday press conference before the duel against 1. FC Nürnberg. But: “I’m glad that everyone who has come back now is doing well. “
SV Sandhausen could hardly use the international break to work on basics. Instead, two high hurdles await the re-start of the SVS, which has recently been shaken by Corona.
The 54-year-old himself once sat on the bench at the club, and at the start of the 2016/17 season he was in charge at the Valznerweiher for eight months. In the 25 second-division games, he celebrated eight victories, but also suffered eleven defeats – after a 0:1 derby defeat at SpVgg Greuther Fürth, he had to leave the post while lying in eleventh place.
Keita-Ruel breaks off training
He was spared a real relegation battle with the Nuremberg side, which is now occupying him again in his second stint at Sandhausen. SVS are in the relegation places with one game less on their account – after Nuremberg, St. Pauli are waiting the following Wednesday. Load management remains an issue, “of course we have to be careful not to overdo it now,” says Schwartz ahead of the two tasks against ambitious teams.
In terms of personnel, Sandhausen will have to do without Daniel Keita-Ruel. The striker had to stop training on Tuesday due to knee problems. The two defenders Tim Kister and Arne Sicker, who are suffering from ankle problems, are also missing.
Schwartz praises ex-club: “FCN defines itself through possession of the ball “
Schwartz has great respect for his former club from Middle Franconia, despite three consecutive defeats in competitive matches before the international break. “FCN have started the round very well, defined by possession,” judges the SVS coach, who demands that his eleven “keep up the pace” and “act courageously again”.
Twelve games in the league and still no draw
So far, both teams have played each other twelve times in the 2. league – the balance is in favour of the club with eight victories. They have never drawn – except in the cup in the 2013/14 season, when the score was 1-1 after 120 minutes and the subsequent Sandhausen cup hero in the penalty shoot-out was Manuel Riemann – something we still know from the current Bochum keeper.