Kleindienst comments on missed sitter against Dortmund: “Ghastly!”

Heidenheim striker Tim Kleindienst found himself on the wrong end of two massive scoring opportunities within a four-minute-span early in the first-half. The 28-year-old shot wide of an empty net after a Dortmund passing error in the 14th. Four minutes after that, he headed a erect cross away from goal from close range. Both Kleindienst and his head-coach Frank Schmidt looked disappointed when conducting their post-match interviews. 

“It was more difficult to miss than score,” Kleindienst said of his first chance when speaking to German broadcaster DAZN after the full-time whistle, “Personally, I’ll be lamenting that miss for a few days. Missing a chance like that is very, very hard. Ghastly to witness something like that.”

FCH trainer Frank Schmidt was a little kinder to his striker, noting that Kleindienst did have to “complete a turn” in order to get the effort off. Moreover, Schmidt noted, the team did “gain an important point” to help them avoid relegation. Schmidt still noted that his team could have won.

“That was a huge chance,” Schmidt told his DAZN interview, “The xG on that chance was closer to two than one. Then there was a huge headed chance. We missed out on a deserved lead. In the end, we had the chances but just couldn’t secure the points.”