Cristian Fiél called on all available defenders. That was just enough to get a three-man chain together: with Toni Leistner in the center and the two full-backs Jonjoe Kenny and Deyovaisio Zeefuik in the half positions. The offensive was extremely well manned. Hertha BSC played against Hertha 03 Zehlendorf with a double lead (Luca Schuler, Smail Prevljak), two wingers (Derry Scherhant, Gustav Christensen), and Fiél placed the trained attacker Florian Niederlechner in the central midfield on the eight.
In an emergency in the second division, such a formation is unlikely to be an option, even if Fiél, the coach of Hertha BSC, has to improvise a little more than he would like in these days and weeks. In a test match, however, especially against a regional league team, you can send your team onto the field in such a daring formation.
Even without the various national players, without Michael Cuisance, who was rested for reasons of load control, and without Diego Demme, who is scheduled to train again next week, the Berlin second division football team managed to secure an unchallenged 4th place on Wednesday evening in Zehlendorf in front of 1,519 spectators: 0 (2:0) success. Derry Scherhant, Smail Prevljak, Kevin Sessa (with a direct free kick) and Ensar Akakal scored the goals for big Hertha against small Hertha.
The game served its purpose, said Fiél after the final whistle. “You could see that we kept a clean sheet, that we scored four goals – and that we were too careless in one situation or another.” Both in front of our own goal and in front of that of the opponent. There could have been a few more goals against the newcomer to the regional league.
Center forward Luca Schuler, who remained on the bench for over 90 minutes for the first time in the 2-2 draw against Schalke 04 at the weekend, once again left an unhappy impression. Once he spooned the ball over the crossbar from three meters, and once from a promising position he was denied by Zehlendorf’s goalkeeper Nash-Daniel Amankone.
Fiél was asked after the game whether he was starting to worry about Schuler. “Worry is the wrong word,” he replied. “But I know what goals mean for a striker.” Schuler, a new signing from 1. FC Magdeburg, has only scored two goals this season, both in a 4-3 win against 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Fiél is currently more worried about the defensive line-up. In the next league game, on Friday next week against Eintracht Braunschweig, he has to replace the suspended Deyovaisio Zeefuik. “We have to come up with something,” said Hertha’s coach.
Elias Strasner, left-back from the U23, only came onto the field against Zehlendorf after an hour. That doesn’t mean that he is currently number one in Fiél’s simulation games.
Hertha’s coach secretly hopes that Michal Karbownik will be fit in time and can take over the position on the left in the back four. The Pole is already in advanced training, but according to Fiél, he is the only player out of those currently injured who could be considered for the game against Braunschweig.