The Berlin U15 team competed in the regional championship in Lindow from October 16 to 18 and, after three games in which they scored a whopping 13 goals, were crowned tournament champions. The team arrived with a diverse roster that reflects the breadth of talent in this age group. Seven clubs provided players: Hertha BSC, 1. FC Union Berlin, Berliner AK, Stern 1900, BFC Dynamo, Viktoria 89, and Tennis Borussia Berlin.
Right from their first game, the Berliners demonstrated their scoring prowess, defeating the Saxony selection by a decisive 6–0 margin. On the second day of the tournament, they faced Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a team known for its strong offense. The Berliners trailed 0–2, 1–3, and even 3–4 at various points, but showed great spirit and ultimately fought back to earn a 4–4 draw. Idriss Maskan scored a hat trick in the process.
The final game was the championship match against Saxony-Anhalt. The game could hardly have been more thrilling. Berlin dominated the early going and could have built a larger lead, but went into the first intermission with only a 1–0 advantage. The second period then belonged to Saxony-Anhalt, which briefly turned the game around to make it 2–1. In the final period, the Berliners threw everything forward once more and managed to turn the tide again. In the end, it was a well-deserved 3–2 victory, securing the tournament title for the Berlin U15 team and allowing them to proudly accept the NOFV Challenge Cup. Hennes Wilke received an additional honor when he was selected for the tournament’s All-Star Team.
Association sports instructor Rudy Raab was pleased with the team’s performance: “The boys executed their task—to play very courageously and, above all, to hold their own offensively and defensively in one-on-one situations—very well at times. We scored plenty of goals, half of them by players who don’t play in the youth academies. We have great depth in Berlin and many exciting players.” His coaching staff was rounded out by Robert Zander (assistant coach), Oliver Hettner (team manager), and Simone Lehmann (physical therapist).
