KNOLL: "WE MANAGED TO GET THE CROWD WITH US AFTER THE BREAK"
Sunday, 14. April 2019, 18:14 Uhr
The 29,546 spectators at the Millerntor saw a game of two halves against Arminia Bielefeld, a view shared by players and officials alike. The consensus was that, though the game could have been all over by half-time had Bielefeld made better use of their chances, the Boys in Brown earned themselves a point after the interval. Here's the post-match reaction.
Interim director of sport Andreas Rettig: "The players passed the test of character today because they fought their way out after a really bad first half. The conclusion we can draw is a positive one because of the tactical change the coach made at half-time and the passion and the attacking focus of our play, though we must be honest and say the game could have been over at half-time. Bielefeld are no pushovers, they're a good, experienced side who've been in the ascendency in recent weeks. In the end, though, we knew what we had to do to get out of trouble."
Robin Himmelmann: "The draw is a fair result. We had problems in the first half. We wanted to press Bielefeld high up the field and put them under pressure early. When they bypassed us, though, we left them a lot of space and had to do a lot of running back. We were able to defuse one or two dangerous situations at the last minute, which was crucial to avoid going two behind. In the second half we didn't create any clear-cut opportunities from the back, but we did move the ball around well and dictated the play. We showed some good energy in that phase. That's what we need to take on board from day to day, and if we do that, I'm positive looking into the future."
Marvin Knoll: "We had big plans going into the game but didn't really get into it and were fortunate to be only 1-0 down at half-time. In the second half we came back with some really good energy and were determined to take a least a point. We managed to get the crowd with us after the break. We were getting close and were desperate to win it. We tried everything, but unfortunately it wasn't enough to get the win."
Justin Hoogma: "We set out to attack them right away, but Bielefeld did really well from the start and stopped us doing that. They hit a lot of decent long balls, and so we had hardly any grip on the game. We could have been further behind at half-time because Bielefeld had loads of chances."
YiYoung Park: "I'm happy to have played at the Millerntor again today. In the first half I took a while to find my way back in again. My teammates helped me lot, though, and the fans gave us great support. That enabled us to fight our way back into it and take a point. Unfortunately, it didn't go entirely to plan today."
Alex Meier: "We started the second half well and the early goal gave us a boost right away. I'm pleased we at least got the equaliser in the second half. Robin did well in goal as well, which as you saw, gave us even more confidence at the start of the second half."
Johannes Flum: "It started with the penalty, which obviously unsettled us. That's not meant as an excuse, though, we were simply poor in the first half. The thing is, though, we sat down together at half-time and then showed a reaction against a strong Bielefeld team."
Photos: Witters
