FC Köln: Young talents face a big challenge for a blitz tournament

FC Köln: Young talents face a big challenge for a blitz tournament

As part of a blitz tournament that was organized for the first time by the Football Association Mittelrhein, the 1st FC Köln was not only able to take home the challenge cup, but also received important insights into the current level of performance of his talents and reserve players. Coach Gerhard Struber said after the tournament, which took place on Thursday evening in the sports park North in Bonn, and emphasized that a lot of work was in front of the team.

The goats triumphed in the encounters against Fortuna Cologne (2-0) and Viktoria Cologne (1-0), but the level of the game was not completely convincing, especially in the absence of the regular players. "We see that we still have a lot to do with some boys," noted Struber, indicating that the expectations of the second row are high.

challenges of the reserve

Although some players like Philipp Pentke and Marvin Schwäbe were strikingly strong on the defensive, and Luca Waldschmidt could play in both games, but overall the reservists and talents could not speak for themselves. "In many ways, we did not easily have ourselves," said Struber, adding that the team acted too openly and allowed too many opportunities. This was particularly noticeable in the defense, where the young defensive was put to the test with Meiko Wäschenbach, Arda Süne, Georg Strauch and others. "That shouldn't happen to us," warned the trainer for better defensive behavior.

Christian Keller, the sports director of the 1. FC Köln, also kept a critical look at the performance of the team: "A few processes were very herself. There is a lot to do." These words illustrate the need for action that is necessary to minimize the fluctuations in performance. Keller emphasized that the young generation of players, including talents such as Julian Pauli and Damion Downs, is still in a development phase and takes time.

The focus on game practice will be crucial for the coming weeks to make the players fit for upcoming challenges. "Game practice is essential, so the tournament was important," said Keller and confirmed that it was of great importance for players who were less used in league operations in test games. These insights seem to send a clear message to the players for coaches Struber: If you want to go to the first team, you have to prove yourself in training and in such test games.

The knowledge from Bonn, especially about the defensive problem and the development of young players, will help Struber and his team in the preparations for the next game in the 2nd Bundesliga against Magdeburg. However, the trainer will probably not make any radical changes in the starting eleven, but will continue to stimulate the players to show even more of themselves in order to meet the requirements.