Kainz and Hübers on Köln's goal-scoring drought: "One will go in eventually."
Speaking on his team's third consecutive match without a goal, 1. FC Köln defender Timo Hübers expressed optimism that his team would get one in soon enough and spoke on the challenges of defending on 1. FC Union Berlin's newly laid turf.
Returning Köln attacker Florian Kainz also spoke to the Sky-Germany broadcast team after the full-time whistle.
Returning Köln attacker Florian Kainz also spoke to the Sky-Germany broadcast team after the full-time whistle.
| Timo Hübers. | Photo: 1. FC Köln |
Köln were able to get some chances in against their Köpenick hosts. Returning winger Florian Kainz, midfielder Eric Martel, winger Linton Maina and squad captain Jonas Hector stung the palms of FCU keeper Frederik Rønnow. Kainz and Dejan Ljubicic also sent efforts wide. In his own post-match interview, Union trainer Urs Fischer credited Rønnow with "preserving the point."
Kainz and Köln defender Timo Hübers spoke on the Kölner scoring drought when speaking to the Sky microphones afterwards. The Domstädter duo did their utmost to convey feelings of optimism despite the team's recent struggles. Neither player seemed particularly frustrated.
"We can be satisfied with the point," Kainz noted, "Though we did had the better chances, Ljubicic missed one before the break and I missed one afterwards. In those cases we simply have to score so that we can walk away winners off the pitch."
"We came close again today," Hübers said of the 274-minute goal-scoring drought, "One will go in eventually. This was just a typical game at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei."
Something "atypical" about the game that the Köln center-halve wished to mention concerned the newly laid turf on the hosts. Hübers noted that the emergency replacement sod, laid only on Thursday, made life difficult for himself and central defensive partner Julian Chabot. The 26-year-old emphasized that he was proud that he and Chabot had defended well despite the pitch.
"On a catastrophically wobbly turf without naturally grown edges," Hübers remarked, "We managed pretty well and didn't allow any breakthroughs."