U13 WITH PARTIAL SUCCESS IN RELEGATION BATTLE – U12 AND U14 ADVANCE TO CUP ROUND 4
While the third-round match of the U15 in the Rheinlandpokal was postponed, the U14 seized their opportunity and qualified for the fourth round. Despite an upcoming clash against Rheinlandligist FC Cosmos Koblenz, who has remained scoreless in league play so far, Senad Sukic's team entered the match as favorites. The skillful young C-Juniors of ABC lived up to this favorite status. After trailing 1:2 at halftime – Noah Richter had scored the interim equalizer to make it 1:1 – the team showed their strength in the second half. With goals from Raphael Saftig, Jonas Printzen, and Leon Bertram, the junior footballers from the Ahr Valley ultimately secured their well-deserved advancement to the next round.
After four consecutive losses, the U13 team of the ABC stopped a potential freefall in the Rheinlandliga. On Saturday, Julian Hilberath's team drew 1:1, a fair result, against fourth-placed JFV Schieferland. Both goals were scored in the first half due to individual errors. Elijah Edokpayi equalized the early lead of the guests from the 7th minute after just fifteen minutes. Subsequently, an intense game developed with a lot of midfield movement, but without numerous scoring chances. Until the final whistle, both teams had few opportunities, mostly arising from set pieces. This partial success is less about the points – the U13 is currently six points behind a non-relegation spot – and more about morale and motivation for the remaining five league games before the winter break.
With a healthy dose of luck, the U12 team reached the fourth round of the Rheinlandpokal. On Saturday, head coach Thomas Lorenz's team won 7-6 (1-1) after a penalty shootout against JSG Zissen in Wehr. The youth team from Brohltal took a 1-0 lead at halftime, but Tom Hildebrandt equalized in the 40th minute with a long-range shot. In the final minute of the game, the hosts missed an early victory when they shot a penalty kick over the crossbar – fortunately for the ABC juniors.