"Feel a bit sorry": Kiel keeper shows sympathy for HSV starlet | OneFootball

The discussions about HSV's elimination against Holstein Kiel are not dying down. The focus remains on the selection of the penalty takers.

The dramatic cup exit of Hamburger SV against Holstein Kiel (2:4 on penalties) offered many emotional moments. But none was more memorable than the miss by young Aboubaka Soumahoro. The 20-year-old, who was playing his first competitive match at the Volksparkstadion, became the tragic figure of the evening. His hesitant, easily readable penalty was effortlessly saved by Kiel's goalkeeper Timon Weiner.

However, this moment did not evoke triumph in Weiner, but rather sympathy. "He's a young player. I feel a bit sorry for him," the 26-year-old said after the match. Soumahoro's attempt was "harmless," and Weiner suggested that the pressure on the barely experienced HSV professional was probably enormous. "I don't know if it was so wise to put him there."

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HSV camp supports Soumahoro

This continues an already difficult phase for Soumahoro. After his unsuccessful Bundesliga debut against FC Bayern (0:5), he fell out of the rotation and often didn't even make it into the squad. Only in the extra time of the cup duel was he allowed to play again. And suddenly, he was in the spotlight during the penalty shootout and especially afterward.

Nevertheless, he received only support from the HSV camp. Teammate Nicolai Remberg reported that Soumahoro is a reliable shooter in training. "He usually bangs them in ruthlessly," said the former Kiel player. That he failed now of all times was probably a matter of self-confidence. Coach Merlin Polzin also explicitly defended his youngster: "He is not the first player in football history to miss a penalty."

Of course, Soumahoro can't buy much with the sympathy of his teammates and the opposing goalkeeper. Hopefully, it will still build him up a little.

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