Eggestein and Grifo emphasize need for improvement despite strong Freiburg start

SC Freiburg regulars Vincenzo Grifo and Maximilian Eggestein had plenty of (qualified_ positives to report after this weekend's win over Heidenheim lifted the Breisgauer up to third place in the Bundesliga table. 

The Bundesliga tenure of rookie SC Freiburg trainer Julian Schuster could have hardly gotten off to a better start with an upset victory over VfB Stuttgart on match-day one. Schuster's Schwarzwaldverein - a predictable loss against Bayern notwithstanding - have certainly done a lot to silence those critics who believed a quiet summer transfer window and the difficult transition away from the legendary coaching regime of Christian Streich would leave them tethered to the mediocrity of a "rebuilding year."

Schuster's men again proved their mettle on Saturday afternoon by traveling to Frank Schmidt's "FC Heidenheim phenomenon" and digging out a 3-0 victory. SCF mainstay Vicnezo Grifo bagged a brace in the win. Right flanker Ritsu Doan scored a scintillating distance goal. The new midfield tandem of Maximilian Eggestein and Patrick Osterhage appeared consistently in sync for the first time, helping the team gradually find their rhythm against the German Conference League representatives.

Speaking to Kicker Magazine journalist Thiemo Müller for an interview published in the Monday print edition of Germany's preeminent footballing publication, Eggestein emphasized that the team still needed to do a better job starting matches. The 27-year-old - a regular fixture in south BaWü since joining from Bremen in the summer 2021 - remained critical of how his squad often found themselves in the position of having to play catch-up after falling behind early.

“At the end of the first half, we were lucky that Heidenheim didn't take the lead,” Eggestein said, “We allowed too much. We missed out on finishing off situations better, were a bit restless, and a bit sloppy. It was much better in the second half. Luckily, we didn't have to play catch-up.”

"Consistency isn't something we had in our successful seasons either," Eggestein continued, "[Schuster] told us at the half that we had to play cleaner. We did. In previous seasons, it was always one of our strengths that you could never write us off. We have regained that this season."

Grifo - whose brace enabled him the chance to reach the mark of 60 top flight goals - also underscored the need for more consistent play. The 31-year-old  - second only to Nils Petersen in the club's all-time scoring charts - praised his teammates first and singled out Doan as an example to emulate. 

“The individual is good, but the team, if we stick together, has a lot of quality," Grifo told the Sky mics, "We're stronger if we stick together. It's all about the collective."

"I have guys who support me a lot," Grifo continued, "They make it easy for me because we play good football. We're brave, and we play forward a lot. That gives me more chances.”

"Ritsu scored the most beautiful goal in this game," Grifo concluded, "I'll keep trying to score goals like him."