“Have to talk about performance!”: Brutal setback for HSV in Kaiserslautern

And they’ve faded away again, the beautiful songs of ascent. A week after the 6-1 win against Hannover, HSV landed very roughly on the hard ground of facts and lost 0-2 (0-0) in Kaiserslautern. A brutal setback in the promotion battle. Before the city derby against St. Pauli next Friday, HSV is only third – and is under massive pressure against local rivals.

In the end, they had to endure the abuse of the Palatinate fans. “Second league, Hamburg is in,” rang out the euphoric FCK fans while Walter swore in his team on the pitch. “We’ll shake ourselves and then we’ll continue,” said the coach shortly afterwards.

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Whether it’s really that easy remains to be seen. Because this bankruptcy really hurts. “Actually, it was more of a 0-0 game,” said Walter. “But then we encouraged the opponent to score goals.” Twice. Twice as many as it turned out. The hits from substitute Boyd (71st) and ex-Hamburger Opoku (85th) decided the game.

The HSV experienced a hellfire on the Betzenberg

Bad for HSV, who had traveled to the Palatinate so hopeful. The Betzenberg, floodlights, 49,327 fans in the sold-out hut. An almost childlike anticipation was written on the face of many a HSV professional when they walked in. The Betze was on fire and lived up to its reputation as the country’s most devilish football temple. An experience that evoked emotions in each of the professionals. But Walter had a premonition. “It’s going to be disgusting,” the coach said before kick-off.

And that’s the way it was. A further complication for HSV was that, in addition to Heyer, who was suffering from the flu, Meffert was also absent with muscle problems. Reis moved up to sixth in his place, giving way to Suhonen a little further up. In fact, Reis then became one of the key figures of the evening – just different than the HSV fans imagined.

HSV came close to taking the lead three times

HSV came close to taking the lead three times before FCK struck. Through Suhonen (44′), Glatzel’s header (57′) and Muheim’s shot, which hit the crossbar (64′). “Overall, we weren’t compelling enough,” said Walter. “And then we also gave the opponent the goals…”

Reis became the unlucky man of the evening in the closing stages. The Dutchman, of all people, who is playing an extremely strong season. Before the 0:1 he took a sloppy pass from keeper Heuer Fernandes with difficulty in front of the touchline and unintentionally put it in front of the oncoming room. Boyd completed his cross with the hoe.

Ex-HSV professional Opoku made the decision

The FCK attacker had been in the game for just six minutes. But things got even worse for HSV. Opoku, who left Volkspark discouraged in the summer, capitalized on his first touch of the ball after receiving it to make it 2-0. Again, Reis had blundered before.

The bitter end of a fiery evening on which HSV never came close to achieving its goal of promotion at the end of the season. Neither in terms of aggressiveness nor in terms of cleverness, playfulness or callousness.

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“We have to talk about this performance because it just wasn’t enough for a win,” said Heuer Fernandes. “But we’ve often shown in the past that we have qualities.” They have to show it next Friday. Otherwise St. Pauli could even draw level with HSV on points…