Vipers lose second division in Mainz: attack problems ensure defeat

Vipers lose second division in Mainz: attack problems ensure defeat

The handball season of the second division started anything but gratifying for HSG Bad Wildungen. The Vipers had to surrender to FSV Mainz with 20:26 last Saturday in the opening game against FSV Mainz. This result comes after the disappointing end in the DHB Cup, and the team faces a great need for action.

The game took place in the domestic arena of FSV Mainz and was held in front of just 134 spectators. This small number of spectators may also reflect the Vipers' disappointing performance. In the initial phase in particular, the team looked lethargic and was hardly able to cause a stir with only two goals in the first 19 minutes. In order to keep the upper hand in a league as hard as the second division, would have been more necessary.

weak offensive performance of the Vipers

A central problem was the offensive, which was largely weak against the defensive 6-0 coverage of the hosts. The Bad Wildunger women rarely managed to build dangerous attacks and missed using the opportunities that were revealed. Mainz took advantage of the weaknesses of the Vipers game, which led to a frustrating 9: 2 deficit.

In a short phase of relaxation, the Vipers managed to fight back and shorten them to 15:17. However, this was only a straw fire, because the Mainz women used the subsequent time penalty against the Bad Wildung player Nele Wenzel to pull away again to 21:16. The Vipers were noticeably under pressure and the goal quota threatened to decrease.

coach Peter Schildhammer had announced a surprise before the game: the substitution of Kim Ott from Thuringia actually brought a little more dynamic into the game of the Vipers. Nevertheless, this buoyancy was not sufficient to significantly change the course of the game.

home game under pressure

After this defeat, the Vipers will have to increase considerably in the coming week at the home game against Lintfort. With only 20 goals scored, it will be impossible to get the next points. Despite the predominantly negative performance, there are also bright spots: goalkeeper Larissa Schutrups, who delivered a solid game in the second round, could help another psychological upswing for the team.

The pressure is now great to put the mistakes from the last games as quickly as possible and attack again. The Vipers are challenged in the league and must be determined and stable in the upcoming encounters if they want to have the opportunity to achieve a positive result.