130 kilometers run—but no points: Dynamo's dilemma

The emotional roller coaster experienced by debutant Till Neininger was emblematic. “It’s very hard for me—there are so many emotions involved,” he said, fighting back tears. Just 19 years old, his first season with Dynamo Dresden, his first appearance—and starting right from the beginning at Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. A lead, celebrations, and the hope of a major upset against Hertha BSC from the capital—but in the end, nothing but deep disappointment.

Another winless game for Dynamo. Not even a single point. The final score was 1–2 after 90 minutes plus stoppage time in a highly intense match, in which even the early lead proved futile. “If we knew what the problem was, we’d probably fix it,” said Simon Straudi: “It’s hard to explain, and it’s extremely frustrating.”

Three losses and a draw in their last four matches

After a 0:3 loss to start the season, Dresden had defeated Darmstadt 98 at home. However, the Hessians are currently the only team in an even worse position than Dynamo—sitting at the very bottom of the standings. Three losses and a draw followed for Dresden. “It’s a difficult phase, but we all have to get through it together,” emphasized Robert Wagner.

The long international break might help in that regard. It’s not about pressing the reset button, but about recharging our batteries, said coach Thomas Stamm. He is well aware—and can sense—that a defeat like this lingers and weighs on the players’ minds. The Dresden team won’t have another chance to do better until October 10, when they face VfL Osnabrück on the road. 

The early lead—it didn’t help either

Against Hertha, everything still looked so good for the hosts after an already promising start, thanks to the opening goal in the tenth minute. Patrice, the son of Hertha’s former professional coach Ante Covic, sent the stadium into a frenzy.

This time, there were only 29,122 spectators in attendance. This was due to the measures put in place following the scandalous game in April, which had been on the verge of being called off after fans stormed the field. This time, things remained peaceful in the stands; the only fighting spirit was on the field.

Hertha struggled at first, but they also have something Dynamo lacks: the confidence of a team that had won all five of its previous opening matches. “It has to be possible time and again to rattle teams like this, to be so convinced that we can come away with points,” said Dresden’s coach Stamm. The fact that his players covered a combined distance of about 130 kilometers didn’t make much of a difference either. 

What’s “doable” just isn’t enough right now

Hertha was more efficient and kept its cool. Dresden simply squandered too many of the chances it had. “If we just get cleaner in the final third, then we’ll pick up the points,” Wagner predicted. Added to that were defensive errors that allowed Berlin’s Icelandic player, Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson, to score a brace. Both times, the 27-year-old scored from long range.

“The team is currently doing what’s possible. But we’re not playing with the same ease as at the start of the season. There’s no point in sugarcoating that,” Dresden captain Niklas Hauptmann concluded.