Post match reaction

"We lost our thread"

HSV lose 2-1 to Hertha BSC on matchday 27 of the Bundesliga. Hamburg took the lead during an excellent first half but lost their way and with it the points in the second 45. The players were naturally downbeat after the game. HSV.de caught up with a few to document their thoughts.

In the 2-1 defeat in the Volksparkstadion, the spectators witnessed two very contrasting halves. Hamburg, winless in 13 Bundesliga games, immediately saw a marked improvement under new coach Christian Titz, as they deservedly took the lead through Douglas Santos (25). In the second half however, it was a completely different story, as they seemed to lose the determination they showed in the first half. HSV conceded two quick goals, which came from Lazaro (56) and Kalou (63), after which a noticeable negativity crept into the Hamburg game, as they offered very little going forward. The analysis of the game therefore was mixed, with a great start, a lost lead and a bitter end. HSV.de presents the thoughts of the players and coach from after the game.

Gotoku Sakai: We really wanted to show what we were capable of today. We’ve spent weeks working on our performances. Berlin defended aggressively for the first 15 but we played with a lot of grit, playing targeted long balls but we just lost our way in the second half. After we concede we have to react better, we should’ve pulled together as a team instead of letting our heads go down in the last 30. When we were 2-1 down, nothing was lost and we had to be more courageous. Determination is key for our next games. We will not give up; we will fight until the very end.

It was Matti Steinmann’s second Bundesliga appearance – his first in over three and a half years and his first in the starting-XI.

Matti Steinmann: We started well but fell apart in the second half. It’s hard to take and very disappointing. It’s hard to lay a finger on exactly where we lost it. Hertha played better than us, put us under more pressure. In the end, it just got harder and harder because the gaps in behind just got bigger. We had to continue in the same vein as the first half but we came out a different side. The team is still together and we know we have to give absolutely everything in the last seven games. It doesn’t matter if your inexperienced, old or whatever. I still believe we can do it.

Frank Wettstein: We are all very disappointed. The first half was very promising but the second the complete opposite. We’ve seen the table; we know that time is running out but now we have two weeks to improve our game and buy into the coach’s plan. It’s getting harder but it’s still doable.

Thomas von Heesen: The first half was good. The boys played like the manager wanted them to and had a lot of confidence but we didn’t play like that until the final whistle. Unfortunately we lost our way in the second half. We need to come together now. We could’ve taken a huge step towards safety because Mainz lost too but we couldn’t do it. The gap is the same but now we have one game less, which is frustrating.

Christian Titz: We put in a good first half performance. We put in a good shift from the off and put our opponents under pressure. We deserved our lead and that fed our confidence but we didn’t manage to get the second and third goals. Then it was half time and we wanted to come out exactly how we ended the first half but we didn’t manage to do that. We didn’t show the same determination we did in the first half and we didn’t fight as hard either.

Pal Dardai: We played against a very motivated Hamburg side. In the first half we let ourselves be hit on the break and then we got unnerved. A lot went wrong for us in the first half and so we had to correct a lot during the break. Tino’s goal was a huge relief. Overall, it was a tough game but my team fought well and battled hard.