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Loris Karius: It gives you that extra push
On Saturday (23/8), Loris Karius’ penalty save played a huge part in FC Schalke 04 picking up all three points against local rivals VfL Bochum. The crowd at the VELTINS-Arena were on their feet for the first time when the goalkeeper kept out Kevin Vogt’s 25th-minute spot kick on a special evening for the Royal Blues. The 32-year-old himself did not initially realise the impact that this had.
“At that moment, I didn’t realise what was happening in the stadium,” said Karius, who was still fully focused on the situation on the pitch. Directly in front of the Nordkurve, Kevin Vogt had aimed for the corner, but came out second best against Schalke’s number 1. “As a goalkeeper, saving a penalty feels like you’ve scored a goal yourself,” added Karius, who also made a stop from 12 yards last season in Fürth.
He does not have a particular strategy for these situations. “I don’t decide where I’m going to dive before the penalty. Instead, I’m always looking at how the taker acts and whether I can read anything into his demeanour or his run-up. Obviously, there’s always a bit of luck involved as well,” explained Karius, who, after the save, was congratulated by his teammates and everyone in the stadium apart from the away fans. “After the game, I was told that it got very loud at that point,” Karius smiled.
It’s always an incredible feeling to celebrate with the fans after the final whistle.
For the ‘keeper and his teammates, the evening had already begun with a magical moment. “We knew that something special was planned for before kick-off, because we’d met some of the fans a few days earlier,” said Karius. “But we didn’t know exactly what to expect. When you walk out at the VELTINS-Arena and see this astonishing display, it gives you that extra push. We know how much effort was put into it, so we’re happy that we could repay the fans with a home win. It’s always an incredible feeling to celebrate with the fans after the final whistle.”
It was certainly a hard-fought three points against local rivals. “Especially after we fell behind, I thought it would be hard for us. But we’re a team who never give up, so I believed that we would turn the game around,” said Karius. “Everyone on the pitch fully dug in, the fans were behind us until the last, and, in the end, we achieved the comeback together.”
Now, S04 will be looking to take this momentum into the next game in Dresden. “Six points from three matches, along with getting into the second round of the Pokal, makes this a decent start to the season,” said Karius after the first 04 competitive fixtures. At the same time, though, he emphasised that no one in the team is getting carried away. “We know where we’re coming from after last season. The Bochum match showed us again what we need to work on, and that’s what we’ll do over the coming days and weeks.” He is personally looking forward to the next training session. “I always travel to training with a smile on my face. It’s really enjoyable working with this team and these coaching staff.”
