Team

Poulsen on target against Rapid: “What matters is that we function as a team”

The centre-forward scored HSV’s equaliser in their first pre-season friendly against Rapid Vienna and was pleased with the team’s overall performance.

Yussuf Poulsen has made more than 500 senior appearances during his distinguished career, scoring over 120 goals along the way. The 1.92-metre Dane certainly knows his way to goal, as he showed once again in yesterday’s 3-2 friendly defeat away to Rapid Vienna. When Bakery Jatta delivered HSV’s first dangerous cross into the six-yard box in the 16th minute, Yussi was exactly where you would expect a centre-forward to be, powering home a header to make it 1-1.

“It was a great cross from Baka. We spoke yesterday about him using his first touch to play the ball in behind the defence. I’m happy I scored, but I don’t judge myself on goals,” explained Poulsen after the game. “It’s much more important to me that we function as a team, get to know each other better and develop an understanding on the pitch.”

It might sound like business as usual for the experienced striker, but the goal meant a little more to the 32-year-old than most, as his genuine delight in celebrating it showed. For the Copenhagen-born forward, who joined HSV from RB Leipzig ahead of last season, it was also his first goal for the club in more than six months. The 248-time Bundesliga player was hampered by a succession of minor injuries during his debut season with the Rothosen, restricting him to just 15 appearances. His only goal, albeit a hugely important one, came in the 3-2 Nordderby victory over Werder Bremen.

Poulsen nevertheless showed his value as captain both on and off the pitch, and that was again evident in yesterday’s friendly against SK Rapid as his constant communication helped provide the team with structure and leadership. “That’s part of my game and something I always do. I spent many years playing in a pressing system at Leipzig and I’ve played a lot of professional matches. I know how it works and I try to help my teammates. That worked well,” explained the 32-year-old, who was substituted after around half an hour as planned due to his injury history. “We’ve gradually built Yussi up this week. We knew he could give everything for 30 minutes and that anything beyond that would have been an unnecessary risk. We learned some lessons together last year and we have to take them on board. Yussi’s body is the way it is, so we’re in constant communication with him and the medical department,” explained HSV head coach Merlin Polzin.

Poulsen was not the only one to impress individually in HSV’s opening pre-season friendly, with the team also producing an encouraging collective display. “It was a good first test against opponents who are much further into their preparations and need to be ready to perform at the highest level next week. We played a very good first half. We conceded some poor goals, but created a lot of situations with the ball where we were ultimately just missing the final pass and a little sharpness,” said Poulsen. “But that’s completely fine. We’ve only been back in training for a week. The important thing is that we’re creating those situations and carrying a threat. We were good defensively too until we started to tire. Now we need to get fitter. That’s the main priority. Everything else will come.”

HSV will take the next steps towards that goal at their training camp in Oberlängenfeld, where they arrive on Sunday (19th July), before rounding off the week with their next friendly against 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday (25th July).