The U17 team of Ahrweiler BC bid farewell to the Rheinlandpokal on Friday evening. In the fourth-round match, the district league club had to concede a 1-5 (0-1) defeat against the favored Rheinlandliga team SG 2000 Mülheim-Kärlich. Despite a committed first half, the team of Fabian Lorca, Karl Heinz Classen, and Jürgen Deutsch ultimately could not prevent the heavy loss.
The young ABC players started the game bravely and kept up well with the favored guests in the first 45 minutes. Although SG Mülheim-Kärlich took the lead with a goal, everything was still possible at halftime with only a one-goal deficit.
However, hopes for a surprise quickly shattered after the restart. With the 0-2 in the 53rd minute, ABC's resistance seemed to break. Within just five minutes, the Rheinlandliga team extended their lead to 0-4 with a quick double, establishing clear dominance early on.
A silver lining for the hosts was the consolation goal from Jakob Forster, which reduced the score to 1:4. However, Mülheim-Kärlich had the last word and sealed the game with a 1:5, underscoring the superiority of their higher-ranked opponent.
For the ABC U17 team, which has already suffered some setbacks in the league recently, the winter break is now upon them. This offers an opportunity to prepare intensively for the upcoming tasks and lay the groundwork for a more successful second half of the season.