Dynamo Brings Cup Momentum into the Dull Routine of League Play

Thanks to its cup upset against Schalke, Dynamo Dresden has left its dreary second-division routine behind. But what can Thomas Stamm’s team take away from advancing to the round of 16? “If we can bring that energy onto the field in our next few games, then maybe we’ll pick up a few more points than we have in recent weeks,” said Coach Stamm after the 2-0 win over Bundesliga side Schalke in the DFB Cup. 

On Sunday (1:30 p.m./Sky), the Saxons will take the field in Hannover. The Lower Saxons, tied with them at just eight points, are in a slump under new coach Sandro Wagner. The coach is still winless, having lost 0–2 with his team in the cup against second-division rival Kaiserslautern. Of the four competitive matches since he signed his contract in September, three have been losses.

Strong Record Against 96

For Dynamo, currently 15th in the standings, there are opportunities if they can play as efficiently as they did against Schalke. The last two games in Hanover ended scoreless; of the last four matchups, Dynamo hasn’t lost a single one and has won one.

Euphoria in Dresden is running high after the victory over Schalke. Goal scorer Patrice Covic (54th minute), on loan from Bremen, was particularly enthusiastic about the atmosphere at Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. “Scoring in front of the K-Block is an unbelievable moment that I’ll never forget. After the goal, everyone gave it even more. You could see what the stadium can do to you,” said the 19-year-old.

Daferner scores again

Christoph Daferner (88th minute) was also overjoyed with the 2-0 win and the team’s first trip to the Round of 16 in twelve years. After all, he’d mostly been warming the bench lately. “I’d been waiting a while for the ball to find the back of the net again. It wasn’t easy. But I still believe that hard work pays off eventually,” said the forward.

Praise came from the coach: “For me, what’s much more important is the intensity with which he worked against the ball. Schalke applies pressure but can’t get into their rhythm. And that’s what it’s all about for me in the end. That’s the foundation for our success; I don’t even want to make such a big deal out of the goal.” 

Stamm on the atmosphere: “The coolest thing”

And now Dynamo wants to clear the next cup hurdles, just like twelve years ago, when their run ended in the semifinals against Werder Bremen (0–2). To do that, Coach Stamm is hoping for “a home game. There’s always a special atmosphere at home. If we could play at home in early December, that would be great.” The floodlit atmosphere was something special for Stamm, thanks in part to his team’s spirited performance: “When we manage to get the crowd behind us, it’s one of the coolest things you can experience in Germany. The fans’ anticipation was huge. It’s great that we were able to give something back.”

And there was also fresh momentum for Dynamo coming off the bench. “Compared to the past few weeks, we were more effective in the second half—that’s what we needed. The guys who came in brought energy: Alexander Rossipal provided the assist for Christoph Daferner’s decisive goal. The result gives us confidence that we can be successful as a team,” said Stamm, looking ahead to the upcoming matches. 

The evening was also financially rewarding. Dynamo will receive 912,755 euros from the German Football Association. The club had already received a total of 684,566 euros just for participating in the first two rounds of the cup. But the final tally will be somewhat different. Shortly before kickoff, pyrotechnics were set off in the K-Block. Another hefty fine will therefore follow.