Justin von der Hitz: Dream goal at the U19 Elite Cup for FC Köln

Justin von der Hitz: Dream goal at the U19 Elite Cup for FC Köln

The A-Juniors of the 1st FC Köln looked back at the U19 Elite Cup, which took place at the weekend in the Dürwißer sports park. In addition to the billy goats, Alemannia Aachen, Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt also took part in this event. With the upcoming start of the DFB youth league, the Cup was an important opportunity for the Cologne boys to measure themselves under competition conditions.

Challenges and injuries

Preparation for the tournament was not entirely ideal, since some key players, such as Kian Hekmat and Youssoupha Nian, could not take part due to injuries. Hekmat is in the rehabilitation phase after a ligament injury, while Niang keeps fit by training on the tartan track. These failures could prove to be decisive for the start of the season because the team is dependent on their strongest actors.

Breathtaking Gate from Von der Hitz

A highlight of the tournament was an impressive goal by Justin von der Hitz in the game against Bayer Leverkusen. The U17 world champion hit the corner of the gate from 25 meters and thus showed his enormous potential. This campaign turned out to be the most beautiful goal of the day and temporarily caused enthusiasm in the Cologne camp. However, the game ended with a 1-1 after Leverkusen was also able to equalize. Coach Stefan Ruthenbeck praised the performance of his players and noticed that many actors could recommend themselves for the upcoming season.

First results: Toress draw and defeat

The tournament start against Alemannia Aachen did not score points despite a goalless draw. Although the FC dominated the game, the offensive was missing from the necessary punch. This performance continued in the last game against Eintracht Frankfurt, where the billy goats had to accept a 0: 3 defeat. Ruthenbeck made it clear that in this game he consciously relied on players who had less experience, which led to a significantly noticeable drop in performance.

Meaning for the DFB youngsters

The results from the games at the U19 Elite Cup are of great importance for 1. FC Köln, as they serve as an indicator how well the team was able to prepare for the challenges of the DFB youngsters. The team had to cut back, which shows that there are need to catch up in certain areas, especially in the final strength and stability. The experiences from this tournament could be decisive for how the players will do in the coming season and to what extent their skills can assert themselves in the league.

- Nag