Goalkeeper dilemma: Polzin delays decision again | OneFootball

Which goalkeeper will HSV start the Bundesliga season with? With Daniel Peretz and Daniel Heuer Fernandes, there are two candidates who want to convince head coach Merlin Polzin.

On Saturday evening, Hamburger SV lost their fifth preparatory game in a row. In the 0:2 defeat on Mallorca, Daniel Peretz, who was loaned from FC Bayern Munich, was in goal for the entire game for the first time. He couldn't prevent the goals from Takuma Asano and Miro Muheim, whose headed pass back was unfortunate. Otherwise, he made a safe impression on opponent's finishes, which is still the core task of a goalkeeper.

“You can see the quality he has on the line, with the long-range shots he's saved. You can also see that the coordination in the offensive game needs a bit of time, also to get to know the player profiles better,” said coach Merlin Polzin after the game (via Bild). Peretz was sometimes shaky in his own possession, making one or two inaccurate passes.

Polzin lets Heuer Fernandes start in Pirmasens

Overall, however, Polzin was satisfied with the Israeli's first three appearances: “He makes a calm impression, which he also radiates to the group and gives to the team. That's what we expect from him.” Daniel Heuer Fernandes, on the other hand, has been part of the HSV squad since 2019 and has excellent skills in building up the game. In addition, he had a decisive share in the Bundesliga return with his consistently strong performances.

Polzin has already announced that the promoted goalkeeper will start in the DFB Cup against FK Pirmasens on Saturday. “So both of them have the chance to present themselves over a longer period of time. After that, we'll evaluate it together and make a decision,” explained the coach his approach. Afterwards, he will decide on a number one together with his coaching team, where the words of goalkeeper coach Sven Höh will likely carry significant weight.

Nur die Raute – Alle News rund um den HSV

The decision will be made just a few days before the Bundesliga opening game at Borussia Mönchengladbach (August 24, 5:30 pm). “I'm very happy that the two are battling for top performances. We have a competitive battle on the goalkeeper position or in the central midfield that I like,” emphasized Polzin, who still has a lot of work to do after the disappointing preparatory games. The clarification of the goalkeeper question could possibly be one of the easier tasks despite two strong candidates for the regular spot.

(Photo: Imago)

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.