Nerve-wracking duel
Furious FCK “fires” everything for promotion
04/10/2022 1:21 p.m
Marco Antwerpen, the coach of 1. FC Kaiserslautern, has “goosebumps” at the next important victory in the fight for promotion. This is not only due to his team, but also to furious fans. The derby against Saarbrücken is already sold out – while a tricky duel awaits in the next few weeks.
The euphoria surrounding 1. FC Kaiserslautern is growing. The 2-1 (1-0) victory at the Würzburger Kickers on Friday evening in the 3rd soccer league was on paper an away game for the promotion aspirants. However, the more than 4,000 FCK supporters who traveled with the audience among the 6,471 spectators made for a felt home game atmosphere. “What our fans did here was simply unbelievable. I also had goosebumps at times with the atmosphere today,” said coach Marco Antwerpen.
With the 17th win of the season, the second-placed team with 60 points still has the best chance of returning to the 2nd Bundesliga. However, a possibly nerve-wracking duel for second place with Eintracht Braunschweig is emerging. Lower Saxony won 1-0 at SV Wehen Wiesbaden on Saturday and are still only two points behind Lautern. Both Eintracht and FCK still have four games to play.
Terrence Boyd is happy about the three points after the game.
(Photo: IMAGO/photo booth)
In terms of atmosphere, the guest game in Würzburg was only a very small foretaste of what the Red Devils can expect on Easter Sunday (2 p.m.) when 1. FC Saarbrücken visit the Fritz Walter Stadium for the derby. The game has been sold out for days and 46,895 spectators are expected.
“Fight, emotions and firing it all out”
“It’s huge. The fans are looking forward to it, and we as a team are looking forward to it too. It’s going to be a football festival. We want to act accordingly and keep the three points at home,” said defender Kevin Kraus.
Winter new signing Terrence Boyd, who scored in his ninth game for Kaiserslautern in Würzburg for the seventh time, expressed his anticipation as follows: “I imagined what it would be like to play at a sold-out Betzenberg. That makes you proud.” At the same time, the team has the pressure to win the derby and reward the fans. “Derbies aren’t necessarily about standings, they’re about fighting and emotions and firing everything out.” With a win, the Lauterers could not only score three more important points in the promotion race, but would also end the second division hopes of the Saarbrückeners for good.