Crushed ambitions: "Title dream shattered" - Gladbach's equestrian wonder falls through!
Following their 6:2 loss in the first leg, Gladbach's U19 team faced a crushing defeat in the semi-final return match against Hoffenheim, losing 4:0 on Sunday. This mirrored the result that the Borussia pros had obtained in Stuttgart the previous day.
With their title aspirations shattered, Coach Oliver Kirch made three alterations to his team. Florian Dimmer stepped in for Tiago Pereira Cardoso, who would be training with the pros next season. Dillon Berko replaced Niklas Swider in midfield, who was unwell, and David Arize filled in for Josiah Uwakhonye up front.
The Foals' intention to avoid a sluggish start, as they had been 2:2 down within the initial eight minutes of the previous 6:2 loss, was evident. However, they were caught off guard once more. Henrichs managed to score for Hoffenheim just three minutes after kickoff, finding the net from a sharp angle.
Despite their efforts, the dream of a comeback remained elusive for the Foals. After ten minutes, Winsley Boteli missed an opportunity from a favorable position. Twenty-nine minutes into play, a missed double chance arose from a corner kick, with both Arize and Boteli failing to capitalize. Additionally, Kilian Sauck couldn't capitalize on a solo run after the break (71').
Unfortunately, the Foals' struggles persisted. After a successful corner kick, Boteli squandered another chance after striking the follow-up shot over the goal. Coming back from the break, they were again tardy, with Henrichs scoring another goal to make it 2:0 for Hoffenheim. Makanda, who had already netted twice in the first leg, scored again to increase the lead to three goals. Finally, Hoffenheim's imposing goalkeeper, Frees, scored from a header (after Dimmer's sole error) to close out the game with a 4:0 victory.
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Source: symclub.org
