Surprise at Bornheimer Hang – Can the team regain first place?

FSV Frankfurt had an outstanding first half of the current Regionalliga season and, despite a slight dip in results and with one game less, is currently in third place behind Offenbacher Kickers and league leaders Hoffenheim II at the winter break. But how did this mid-table club, which had been struggling with relegation worries, become such a high-flyer, and can it challenge for the top of the table again by the end of the season, or will it now experience the ups and downs of previous seasons?

Before and at the start of the season, it seemed as though this team was struggling, and to make matters worse, FSV had to cope with setbacks. These included the departures of key players such as Onur Ünlücifci (Kickers Offenbach), Jihad Boutakhrit (MSV Duisburg), and Noah Awassi (Würzburger Kickers). But off the pitch, there was also a loss to contend with in the sporting arena: Thomas Brendel, sporting director of FSV, left the club to join Dynamo Dresden.

The start of the season was also difficult. It began with a fortunate 1-1 draw against TSV Steinbach Haiger, after Malik Memisevic scored the equalizer in the 89th minute. This was followed by the second match day with a clear 0-5 defeat against their rivals from Offenbach. The Bornheimers could hardly have imagined a worse start to the season. On top of that, there were injuries to Tobias Peitz (torn tendon), Justin Ospelt (torn tendon) and Ahmed Azaouagh (hip injury with training deficit), the captain of the Black and Blues. But despite these adversities, the system was clear: a 4-4-2 diamond formation, in which only the new players needed to be integrated. Furthermore, the team did not return from the summer break weakened, as the departures had led to expect. The well-known new signings Cas Peters and Lukas Gottwalt were yet to really come into their own: Gottwalt with an important goal in the 1-1 draw against Bahlinger SC on the sixth matchday and Peters with twelve goals and three assists after 17 games, putting him at the top of the scoring list. Lucas Hermes, the Dutchman’s strike partner, also shone with 14 goal contributions in the first half of the season. The key players have so far delivered on their promises. But the young players from Bornheimer Hang also made their mark in the first half of the season and contributed significantly to the team’s success. Led by 22-year-old Jan-Erik Eichhorn at left back, followed by the players. The top performers have delivered on their promises so far. But the young players from Bornheimer Hang also made their mark in the first half of the season and contributed significantly to the team’s success. Led by 22-year-old Jan-Erik Eichhorn at left back, followed by players from the club’s own youth academy such as Timo Hildmann, who has two assists so far, and Elias Breir, who scored his first professional goal in the 3-0 win against FC Gießen on matchday 15. But it’s not just on the pitch that FSV is relying on young talent and hopefuls; the coaching team is also peppered with young officials paired with experienced professionals.

New signings such as Tim Latteier and Gwang-In Lee have slotted perfectly into head coach Tim Görner’s 4-4-2 system, providing stability in the center of the park and creating dynamic moments going forward. Lucas Hermes has also shown his potential after an injury-plagued debut season with Bornheim. In the previous season, the striker only managed three goals and one assist in 15 appearances, while this season, strengthened by his long and numerous appearances in 17 games, he has already scored eight goals and provided six assists.

The team works well together and fits together, even though previous seasons were unsuccessful and FSV was still fighting relegation until the 25th match day of last season. However, this season has been different from previous ones. The first half of the season gives hope for more. Is it still okay to dream, despite an imperfect end to the year?

Tim Görner is playing down the situation as usual and trying not to raise too many hopes before the last match day has passed. However, the head coach’s words send clear signals about the club’s ambitions to move up a division. This is precisely what the first half of the season reflects, with an average of 2.18 points from 17 league games played. But if we take a closer look at some of these games, it becomes clear that there were also many narrow victories. These include, of course, the matches against TSG Hoffenheim II and FC 08 Homburg, which Bornheim won 3-2 in each case. But three consecutive 1-0 wins against Stuttgart Kickers, Mainz 05 II, and Hessen Kassel are also part of this. Some talk of luck, others of brutal efficiency. In both cases, a clear quality can be clearly derived from this, namely the ability to decide such close games and remain unbeaten in 14 games in a row. The Black and Blues had a great run, which was brought to an end by 1.Göppinger SV on the last matchday of the first half of the season. The cup match against FC Bayern Alzenau also fits into this pattern. It was a hard-fought cup battle with lots of goals and changing leads. FSV fought back from a 1-3 deficit, taking a 4-3 lead two minutes after regular time through Tim Latteier, but conceded the equalizer to make it 4-4 in the last minute of stoppage time. In the penalty shootout, Görner’s team showed incredible mental strength and kept their cool. In the end, they secured their place in the quarterfinals.

There was also a lot to take away from the 2-2 draw against FC Astoria Walldorf on matchday 16. Bornheim’s winning streak came to an end after eight consecutive victories, with the Black and Blues fighting back from a 0-2 deficit to earn a point. But there was much more to this game than that: Bornheim did not lose a single game at their home ground, the PSD Bank Arena, in the first half of the season. In interviews, head coach Tim Görner never tires of thanking the fans for their support.

The only question that remains is: can they fight their way back to the top? It’s impossible to give a precise answer, but based on the facts and performances in the first half of the season, there’s still reason to dream. Close games, such as against Göppinger SV, who put in a strong performance both in terms of fighting spirit and play, Steinbach Haiger, or once again OFC, can be lost in such a highly competitive league. The important thing is to draw the necessary conclusions from the last games of this year in order to be able to attack at the top again and keep the dreams alive.