2023-04-16 09:15:05
Dhe word “sensation” is not always used sparingly in sports journalism. It is indisputable that, for example, Freiburg’s entry into the DFB Cup semi-finals at the beginning of April was a surprise that would have been worth betting on. Whether the narrow victory over the ailing Munich team actually justifies the large number of “sensational” headlines that online media came up with that same evening may be questioned in view of the well-known Freiburg quality.
On the other hand, less judgment is required when talking about the events that took place almost eight years ago in the football stadium at Böllenfalltor. When Florian Mayer whistled off the second division game between Darmstadt 98 and St. Pauli at 1-0 on May 24, 2015, some people said they saw a modern fairy tale, others even a “mistake in the matrix”.
A place of longing for football romantics
And they are all right: SV Darmstadt 98 achieved incredible things on the last day of the game by marching through from the third division to the top flight of football. The club that two years earlier had not been relegated to the fourth division because the local rivals from Offenbach did not have a license for the third division.
At that time, Darmstadt became a place of longing for football romantics. The team around captain Aytaç Sulu and striker Dominik Stroh-Engel is a collective of inexperienced youngsters and old professionals who have been retired elsewhere, the club started the season with the lowest budget of all second division clubs, the stadium was ailing. At the moment of promotion, goalkeeper Christian Mathenia resounds: “It’s cold in our dressing room, it stinks here, Bayern will be happy about it.” Announcing the season’s first-rate visit.
A picture from 2014: The players around Dominik Stroh-Engel (left) celebrate the opening goal on the first day of the second Bundesliga match.
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Image: dpa
Eight years later, the southern Hesse are again on the verge of promotion to the Bundesliga. But even if parallels are obvious: this time many things are different. There will probably only be talk of a “sensation” on the last day of the game if the Darmstadt team gamble away the current nine-point lead over fourth place. The performance of coach Torsten Lieberknecht’s team, who have held first place in the table since October, seems too constant – with the exception of a dip in the result in March.
Today, like eight years ago, the “lilies” share the burden of scoring goals on many shoulders. Even if Phillip Tietz 2022/23 (eight goals so far) and Dominik Stroh-Engel 2014/15 (nine goals) contribute or contributed a little more to the goal account than their colleagues: other top scorers were and will probably be others.
In general, scoring goals is not the core competence of the two Darmstadts from 2015 and 2023, but defending is: In 2014/15 the defense of SV 98 conceded the fewest goals in the league, and this season this discipline is followed up with only 22 goals conceded 27 games. The motto of the then trainer and promotion hero Dirk Schuster was “mentality beats quality”.
This year it should be different
In the present, Lieberknecht likes to characterize his team as “annoying troops” who want to “climb to the top”. You gave and give yourself as an underdog, even if the image has long been crumbling. Last season, the Darmstadt team narrowly missed promotion in a league with the heavyweights Bremen, Schalke and Hamburg, this year it should be different. An away win in Düsseldorf on Sunday (1.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the 2nd Bundesliga and on Sky) would help.
Lieberknecht will then have to do without Fabian Holland, who is ill. Alongside Tobias Kempe, the “Lilien” captain is one of two players in the current squad who were involved in the 2015 promotion. A lot has happened in Darmstadt compared to back then, a promotion would not be surprising. And the stadium is no longer a crumbling construction site, at the latest since the most recent renovation in 2022. Should Bayern visit Darmstadt again next season, no one will be able to complain about broken heaters or smelly cabins.
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