Hooked at half-time: Polzin defends HSV man | OneFootball

For Jordan Torunarigha, HSV’s disappointing afternoon against Mainz 05 was already over by halftime. After 45 disastrous minutes and a 0–2 deficit, Merlin Polzin responded with a triple substitution.

It is unlikely to surprise anyone when a coach makes three changes after such a botched first half. It is just as unsurprising for a team to adopt a more attacking approach when trailing by two goals. But it is still relatively rare to see a defender taken off after just 45 minutes purely for performance reasons.

That was exactly the ultimate punishment Torunarigha had to endure on Sunday afternoon. The veteran repeatedly made mistakes and, as was already the case in the 0–2 defeat in Dortmund, did not always look fully composed. More generally, HSV found no solutions at all against Mainz’s compact defending, gave the ball away in dangerous areas, and did not even manage a single shot of their own in the first half.

Polzin therefore sent a clear message after the restart. Along with Torunarigha, Bilal Nadir and Martin Adeline were also taken off. They were replaced by Shafiq Nandja, Fabio Vieira, and Patson Daka.

Photo: IMAGO

HSV want to “always get through these phases together”

Polzin confirmed after the final whistle that Torunarigha’s substitution in particular was due to performance reasons. “It was a sporting decision,” the HSV coach made clear. At the same time, he was careful not to make his center-back the scapegoat for the bitter 0–5 defeat.

“The lads also know that we always get through these phases together. It is never about singling individuals out,” Polzin explained. As a team, they had not shown “what matches our standards and our quality.” That is why the same applies to Torunarigha: “Like everyone else, he was part of both the first and the second half.”

His coach also knows that the early substitution was nevertheless not a pleasant moment for the defender. The situation was “certainly not nice” for Torunarigha, he said. But there is not much time to dwell on it. Next weekend brings another tough challenge in RB Leipzig (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.). There, Torunarigha and HSV as a whole will have the chance to show a response.

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