Delay in Irvine's Return
In a friendly encounter between FC St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel, both teams showcased their skills at the Millerntor Stadium. The game ended in a 1:1 draw, with Oladapo Afolayan scoring for St. Pauli and Marcus Müller equalising for Kiel.
The match marked Martijn Kaars' starting debut for FC St. Pauli, replacing the defender Robatsch who played the full 90 minutes alongside Ben Voll. Initially, only striker Mathias Pereira Lage and goal scorer Adam Dzwigala from the derby starting lineup were on the field for St. Pauli, with Afolayan and Dzwigala later being substituted out.
Afolayan had a chance to score early in the second half, but his shot was set too high. Meanwhile, St. Pauli's midfield talent Rawley St. John had a big chance but missed the goal. The goal for St. Pauli was scored in the first half, at the 41st minute, with captain Adam Dzwigala wearing the armband.
Unfortunately for St. Pauli, Marwin Schmitz made a mistake that led to Holstein Kiel's equalizer at the 57th minute. The young Kiel fans had already left by the second half, as it was a camp afternoon. Around 100 children from the Holstein football school provided atmosphere beside the pitch.
In the second half, Nick Schmidt, Jannik Westphal, and Rawley St. John were substituted into the game for St. Pauli. Jesper Becker and Wissou Kaba were also brought on as substitutes.
It's worth noting that Nikola Vasilj and Andréas Hountondji of FC St. Pauli were absent due to international duty during the match. Vasilj played for Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Hountondji for Benin in their respective World Cup qualification matches. Irvine was rested for the friendly due to a decision made by the sporting management after the Tuesday training session.
Despite the draw, both teams showcased promising performances, promising an exciting season ahead for both clubs.
