FC St. Pauli's Louis Oppie described the recent international break as refreshing yet strange. The 24-year-old defender used the week to recharge and returned with a renewed focus on improving his team's attacking output.

"It was strange, and unusual, to have a week off in the middle of the season," Oppie said after the first training session back on Tuesday. "It's never happened before, so let's see if it happens again in the next few years." Time with family and a new tattoo on the first day did him good, he said, and he is now ready for Saturday's friendly against Borussia Mönchengladbach, which he views as a good test against a Bundesliga side going through a sticky patch.

Oppie's personal target is clear. "My aim is to create more danger going forward from a position of defensive stability," the full-back explained. "Above all, my crosses need to be a bit more precise." He is working on finishing attacks faster and taking up better positions in the box to convert deliveries. Defensively, he feels he and the team, currently 8th in the 2. Bundesliga with 10 points, have been very solid lately. He wants to build on that foundation to pose more of a goal threat and score his first goal for the club in the coming weeks. The team has managed only 4 goals in its last five matches.

The squad returned to collective training on Tuesday after individual programmes. Oppie highlighted the fitness of himself and his positional rival, Arkadiusz Pyrka, stating that running up and down the touchline is their job, demanded by the coach, and something they enjoy. Regarding a statistic that labels St. Pauli as the league's lowest-running team, Oppie was doubtful. By feeling, the low distance did not seem accurate; perhaps the team runs less but more intelligently, he suggested.

During the break, several St. Pauli players were on international duty. Connor Metcalfe scored for Australia against Brazil, Abdoulie Ceesay played for Gambia, and Dimitar Mitov was on the bench for Bulgaria. Oppie expressed happiness for his teammates living that dream. His own focus is now fully on the club, where the spirit is excellent, and he is taking things one game at a time. The next competitive match is at home against 14th-placed Karlsruher SC on October 10th. The team's recent form of just one win in their last five league games (DWDLL) shows the need to improve offensive efficiency. Supporters can follow the rest of the season in our fixtures and keep an eye on the current standings.

First reported at fcstpauli.com