The mood is great at VfB Friedrichshafen, even though the home games don’t have to be played in their own hall, but in Neu-Ulm, 120 kilometers away. But the topic of the hall and the discussion about an alternative for the arena in Friedrichshafen, which is in danger of collapsing, is currently only a minor matter. Nevertheless, 2100 fans ensured a home atmosphere in the 3:1 victory of the Häfler over the capital club. They had already won the first game in Berlin 3:2.
Nothing won yet
So now the team from Lake Constance already has the first match ball in the “Best of Five” series. But coach Mark Lebedew warns against dreaming of a quick championship: “Anyone who says we already have a hand on the bowl is wrong. But we have it in our hands now and we have to act now,” says the coach , who was head coach at the Berliners from 2010 to 2015 and won three championship titles during this time.
VfB Friedrichshafen wants to use the first match ball
02:14 minutes.
Available until 6/6/2022.
Printing now on the Berlin side
Now Mark Lebedew of all people wants to break the winning streak of his former club and lead VfB Friedrichshafen to their first championship title since 2015. The pressure is now on the Berlin Volleys. They need to win the next game to stand a chance of winning their sixth straight championship title. But not only that – they have to win the next three games to still be champions. A seemingly impossible task, but Friedrichshafen in particular knows how quickly a playoff series can turn around. In 2019, VfB had two match points in the final series against Berlin, but lost the fourth final game in the capital 3-1 and the all-important fifth game in the ZF Arena 3-2. This huge disappointment should not happen again this year.
Make double perfect
So now it’s time to keep your nerves and a cool head. “We’ve had a lot of self-confidence since the start of the play-offs. Nothing has been decided yet, Berlin remains a strong team,” said Argentinian Luciano Vicentin. Nevertheless, the optimism prevails that this 2-0 lead will no longer be lost. The double of cup victory and the 14th championship beckons. Three match points should be enough. If it doesn’t work out with number 1, then at the latest in the fourth game in front of their own audience in the “home arena” in Neu-Ulm. However, the Friedrichshafen team want to avoid a fifth game in Berlin as much as possible. Then the great shaking would begin.
Source: SWR