DFB-Pokal

Cup Week: Maintain plan, improve performance

After the start of the year in Dresden, HSV have a tough cup task ahead of them in Cologne. However, coach Tim Walter is not letting this put him off his guard.

HSV had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Dynamo Dresden on Friday evening (14 January) to start the second half of the season. It was a game that left us dissatisfied not primarily because of the result, but mainly due to the fact that we have already been able to show much better performances on the opponent's pitch this season. "We have done many things better in the past. We were well prepared and also well attuned to what to expect. Nevertheless, some things didn't fit or didn't mesh so well," Tim Walter analysed the encounter at the Rudolf Harbig Stadium with another day's distance. The coach criticised the static play and the lack of rotation of his team, which is the most important factor for the intensity of the Rothosen game. "The boys wanted to play, but weren't quite into it. That's where we have to start again to pick things up in the game," says Walter.

The cup match on Tuesday evening (18 January, live on HSVnetradio) comes just at the right time. In the round of 16, the Reds will face 1. FC Köln, one of the teams with the best form in the current Bundesliga season. This is already a big challenge. In addition, this match will again take place on foreign soil. Although only 750 spectators are allowed in the Rhein-Energie-Stadion in Cologne due to the country's Corona regulations - so a witches' cauldron is not necessarily to be expected - coach Steffen Baumgart's team has already collected 18 points at home this season, even though they lost 4-0 to the record champions yesterday. "Cologne is a very good opponent who is always active, always wants to play football and defends aggressively. We can learn from that. What we didn't do well on Friday, we can now show against an even better opponent," Tim Walter is looking forward to the big challenge.

Tim Tim Walter stands on the training pitch and points his finger. Tim Walter doesn't really like to look back. But the performances he has already shown this season make him positive about the tasks ahead.Walter steht auf dem Trainingsplatz und zeigt mit dem Finger. — Tim Walter stands on the training pitch and points his finger. Tim Walter doesn't really like to look back. But the performances he has already shown this season make him positive about the tasks ahead.

Walter: Development also means being patien

The football coach particularly likes the "do-or-die" character of a cup match. And also his team. "The boys have already shown that they really like the cup. Especially when you remember what we experienced in Nuremberg (5:3 i.E., editor's note). We want to get through to the next round in the cup," was the coach's clear message. For that to happen, many things will have to go better than they did in Dresden. However, the team will stick to its basic direction even against a very strong opponent. "We will not change anything in Cologne. We will defend well and want to have the ball a lot. Only then can you stress the opponent. We will stick to our plan, we just want to improve it," said Walter, who does not want to be steered by one game. Development also means being patient. So it's good that the next chance to do better is just two days away. And with a better performance, the chances of improving the result also increase. And as we all know, there are no draws in the cup.