Sweating It Out: Hertha BSC's Struggle for Fitness in Pre-Season
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Challenging Beginning: Hertha BSC Aims to Establish Standards and Secure Goals - Hertha seeks specific details and desired outcomes
The first pre-season test match for Bundesliga 2 team Hertha BSC was all about sweat and conditioning, according to coach Stefan Leitl. "We need our boys to hit those markers we've set," said the 47-year-old coach, emphasizing the importance of physical preparedness as his team faces the 2022-23 Bundesliga season.
Running with the Kids
On a steamy summer day, the squad trudged through extra laps after notching their opening goal with newcomer Leon Jensen and a brace from Fabian Reese. Even the post-game celebration included a surprise guest - a group of excited kindergarten kids, who eagerly hopped along with the team for about 200 meters.
Goal Gluttony: A Recurring Problem
Leitl also acknowledged an issue that has been plaguing Hertha in recent years; their inability to find the back of the net often enough. "We gotta score more goals," the Munich native stressed, voicing his concern about multiple squandered opportunities in the first half, which left the game scoreless at the break. He's giving newly signed, Danish forward Sebastian Grönning time to find his footing.
A Nasty Knock for Zeefuik
The loss of Deyovaisio Zeefuik to injury is a pain in the calf that Leitl can't ignore. The versatile defender sustained a calf injury during the initial week of training and is expected to be out for a while. "Losing those crucial weeks in preparation is a real letdown," said Leitl.
John-Anthony Brooks Makes His Mark
The debutante John-Anthony Brooks, signed last August, made a significant impact despite injuring his ankle at the beginning of last year's training camp. Brooks played 22 minutes in the friendly match, a step forward for the defender's recovery. "I wanted him to get some playing time," said Leitl, "and I'm looking forward to amping up his workload in the following week."
Upcoming Challenges: Quality and Quantity
As the pre-season progresses, the opponents' quality will rise alongside the workload. This weekend, Hertha will take on Regionalliga side BFC Dynamo, followed by a test against promoted third-tier team TSV Havelse. Leitl places great emphasis on fitness and increasing the challenge for his team, even though the players may be feeling the fatigue. The focus for these test matches remains, "Win games—preferably without conceding—and put our goal opportunities to good use."
- Stefan Leitl
- Hertha BSC
- Pre-Season Test Matches
- Ludwigsfelde
- Physical Conditioning
- Hertha BSC Berlin
- Bundesliga
- Leon Jensen
- Fabian Reese
- John-Anthony Brooks
We've sprinkled some insights on Stefan Leitl's coaching style from general knowledge up to 2025, including his focus on team stability and improving performance consistency. However, since we lack specific details for the 2022-23 season, we can infer that Leitl is monitoring player conditions closely and using pre-season test matches to gauge tactical setups and player readiness to help Hertha BSC tackle the competitive demands of the Bundesliga. 🌟🌟 #football #herthabsc #stefanleitl #bundesliga #preseason #trainingcamp
- The Commission might inquire about the Commission's lack of information regarding the fitness and readiness of Hertha BSC players, particularly given their participation in European football leagues and the emphasis on physical conditioning in pre-season training.
- Despite scoring goals during pre-season friendlies, Stephon Leitl, coach of the Bundesliga team Hertha BSC, is concerned with the team's ability to maintain goal-scoring consistency, a challenge that has persisted for the European football league club in previous seasons.
