Strasbourg: Five Things We Spotted as Brighton Won in Vienna
A pre-season friendly against Strasbourg in the Austrian sunshine was never going to settle the big questions of Brighton’s summer, but the Seagulls’ dramatic 4-3 win over 120 minutes at the Austrian FA training centre in Vienna offered plenty to chew on. A game that swung one way and then the other finished with the Albion on top, and there were lessons, reunions and a few laughs along the way. Here are five things we spotted, as first rounded up by The Argus, on a night the Albion came from behind to see off their French opponents.
A set-piece masterclass against Strasbourg
If Fabian Hurzeler wanted evidence his set-piece work is landing, this was it. We do not yet know how Strasbourg’s set-piece defending stacks up against Premier League opposition, but Brighton repeatedly carved out free headers from corners for Jack Hinshelwood, who really should have scored, Mats Wieffer, who teed up Yasin Ayari, and Eiran Cashin, who did find the net. There was a free-kick routine for the 2-2 equaliser too, and the choreography that freed Olivier Boscagli on the edge of the box for his goal – a very audible shout of “Oli, ready!” from the technical area went completely unnoticed by the Strasbourg defence. For a training-ground drill executed in a competitive game, it was almost too easy.
A familiar face in the stands
There was a warm reunion in the stand, where former Albion technical director David Weir kept a close eye on proceedings in his current role with Strasbourg. He caught up with players and staff before and after the game. And there was another old friend on the pitch: ex-Seagulls forward Julio Enciso came on for the closing stages, his first appearance since the World Cup. Those close to the Strasbourg camp, incidentally, were saying nothing about reported links with a return to Ipswich.
The winger who gave Kadioglu a torrid time
Not everything was comfortable. The Strasbourg player who caught the eye early was right winger Samuel Amo-Amejaw, an England under-21 international previously on the books at Southampton and Spurs. He scored one and made another inside the opening minutes, giving Ferdi Kadioglu and anyone meant to be helping him a genuinely torrid time. Happily for the Albion, it proved short-lived.
A welcome change in the weather
Spare a thought for the players. An unrelenting sun had beaten down on the training pitches all week – locals in the nearby Seestadt shopping area were walking through cold-water sprays to cool off. Then, half an hour after full-time, the clouds finally rolled in and the rain arrived, offering some belated relief even if the temperatures stayed stubbornly warm.
Building towards the real thing
Above all, this was another useful workout as Brighton build towards their return to European football in the Conference League. A comeback win, goals from set-pieces and a full 120 minutes in the legs is exactly what pre-season is for, and Hurzeler will have learned plenty about his squad’s character from the way they responded to going behind. The results will not matter come the autumn, but the habits – and that set-piece sharpness – just might carry over when the real business begins.
