The U15 team from Berlin put in an impressive overall performance at the DFB scouting tournament in Duisburg-Wedau and deservedly secured the silver medal in the end. The team played all four games without defeat and proved to be one of the strongest teams of the 22 teams at the tournament.
The Berliners already underlined their potential in the opening game against Lower Saxony. The team dominated the action right from the start and put their opponents under pressure early on. The effort finally paid off in the second period: Nathan Knoll scored twice for a deserved lead. Anderson Sekyere restored the lead after the interval before Lower Saxony reduced the deficit to 3:2 with the final whistle.
It was a similar picture in the second game against Bremen - albeit without a goal. Despite clear superiority and numerous chances, the ball would not find the net - the crossbar, post or Bremen keeper prevented the team from taking the lead. Berlin had to settle for a 0:0 draw.
In the third game against Saxony-Anhalt, the team left no doubt. Berlin laid siege to their opponents' penalty area from the outset and created chance after chance. Even a missed penalty did not throw the team off course. In the second period, Akon Nde Lippert took a deserved lead with two outstanding goals, before Darnel Djemmo increased the lead to 3:0 just a short time later. Further opportunities remained unused, but the success was unchallenged.
Medal decision in the final and satisfied association sports coach
Finally, a real final match for the medal places awaited the South-West selection and Berlin went one better. Dominant in the build-up play, variable in attack and with numerous chances, the team dominated the game. Once again, the second period was decisive: Arian Esati took the lead with a shot from distance and Anderson Sekyere added a remarkable header. In the final period, Harry-Peace Tekwe scored the final goal to make it 3:0. Despite further top-class chances, the result remained the same. With the victory, Berlin secured second place behind the unbeaten winners from Baden and received the silver medals from national coach Marc Meister.
Association sports coach Rudy Raab was highly satisfied after the tournament: "We were able to experience an excellent tournament performance by our young players from Berlin. The team presented itself as a strong unit on and off the pitch. We played a bold and dominant game in every match, even without the five current national team players."
The variability in attacking play was particularly noteworthy: "We had 60 to 70 percent possession in every game. On top of that, we were diligent defensively - three games without conceding a goal is impressive proof of that." Raab sees potential for improvement above all in terms of finishing: "We need to convert our superiority even more consistently into clear chances and goals."
Four DFB nominations and a little soccer fairytale
The Berlin team also made a strong individual impression. With Adel Mustafi, Marwin Hoffmann (both Union Berlin), Amin Saidi (Hertha BSC) and Nathan Knoll (Stern 1900), four more players were nominated for upcoming DFB training courses. The development of Nathan Knoll in particular seems like a fairytale. The Stern 1900 player from the third-tier Landesliga only joined the squad in the winter. Raab recognized his potential, deployed him in the unfamiliar left-back position and had the courage to call up the "nobody" for the DFB tournament. There, Nathan repaid the favor with strong performances and important goals, even playing himself into the focus of the DFB judges.
In addition to Knoll, the squad included Luca Keßel and Keylian Tientcheu from Viktoria 89, two other players from Berlin amateur clubs. The dual strategy of promoting talent from youth development centers and amateur clubs is thus bearing impressive fruit. Raab was supported in Duisburg by assistant coaches Roberto Luzardo and Christoph Bartodzeij as well as physiotherapist Yussef Hasan.
