An away win at last

Hertha BSC finally managed to secure another away-victory this season in Darmstadt – as youngster Jordan Torunarigha experienced a special game in his career.

Darmstadt/Berlin – Sometimes, everything can go very quickly – as was the case for Jordan Torunarigha on Bundesliga matchday 33. The centre-back scored his first goal in just his seventh Bundesliga appearance. “First I just wanted to make my debut and see how it goes. Now I’ve already made seven appearances. It’s crazy how fast everything has happened,” said the 19-year-old overwhelmed by the events of the past few weeks. Humbly, he dedicated his first goal to his loved ones. “My family supports me 24 hours a day and I dedicated this goal to them,” revealed a beaming Torunarigha. On Saturday his lucky charm was his brother, who had watched the game in person and was the first to congratulate after the game.

The mentioned goal had given Hertha a 2-0 lead after 28 minutes, when Torunarigha headed home a perfectly timed free-kick from Marvin Plattenhardt, a goal that ensured Hertha a rare win on the road this season.

Darmstadt/Berlin – Sometimes, everything can go very quickly – as was the case for Jordan Torunarigha on Bundesliga matchday 33. The centre-back scored his first goal in just his seventh Bundesliga appearance. “First I just wanted to make my debut and see how it goes. Now I’ve already made seven appearances. It’s crazy how fast everything has happened,” said the 19-year-old overwhelmed by the events of the past few weeks. Humbly, he dedicated his first goal to his loved ones. “My family supports me 24 hours a day and I dedicated this goal to them,” revealed a beaming Torunarigha. On Saturday his lucky charm was his brother, who had watched the game in person and was the first to congratulate after the game.

The mentioned goal had given Hertha a 2-0 lead after 28 minutes, when Torunarigha headed home a perfectly timed free-kick from Marvin Plattenhardt, a goal that ensured Hertha a rare win on the road this season.

Salomon Kalou was responsible for the opener, also scoring from a header after Vladimir Darida’s inch-perfect cross. It was Hertha’s first away-victory after nine consecutive defeats on the road. Finally. “I’m very satisfied that we have ended this losing run on the road. I didn’t want to take this into next season,” explained a relieved Pal Dárdai. “It was always painful to fly back home after an away defeat. Life is definitely better with three points in the bag,” added Niklas Stark, who had recovered in time from his injury to form a centre-back partnership with Torunarigha. “My foot felt fine. If the Europa League is at stake and you have something to play for, you sometimes have to take that extra step,” he said, after managing to hang in there for 80 minutes.

The other Hertha players also revealed their true grit, as they worked hard and created chances which had not been the case in previous games on the road. “We played a completely different game today. We counter attacked and gathered our strength,” reported Dárdai on the performance from his team. The concept worked: Although Darmstadt were already relegated before the game, they improved in the second half pushed forward by their supporters but Hertha didn’t flinch and successfully defended their lead. “We struggled a bit in the second half. Darmstadt was the better side, but Rune Jarstein kept us in the game,” Dárdai thanked his keeper, who made several saves to keep his clean sheet. In the closing stages of the game Arne Maier was introduced and made his Bundesliga debut.

Salomon Kalou was responsible for the opener, also scoring from a header after Vladimir Darida’s inch-perfect cross. It was Hertha’s first away-victory after nine consecutive defeats on the road. Finally. “I’m very satisfied that we have ended this losing run on the road. I didn’t want to take this into next season,” explained a relieved Pal Dárdai. “It was always painful to fly back home after an away defeat. Life is definitely better with three points in the bag,” added Niklas Stark, who had recovered in time from his injury to form a centre-back partnership with Torunarigha. “My foot felt fine. If the Europa League is at stake and you have something to play for, you sometimes have to take that extra step,” he said, after managing to hang in there for 80 minutes.

The other Hertha players also revealed their true grit, as they worked hard and created chances which had not been the case in previous games on the road. “We played a completely different game today. We counter attacked and gathered our strength,” reported Dárdai on the performance from his team. The concept worked: Although Darmstadt were already relegated before the game, they improved in the second half pushed forward by their supporters but Hertha didn’t flinch and successfully defended their lead. “We struggled a bit in the second half. Darmstadt was the better side, but Rune Jarstein kept us in the game,” Dárdai thanked his keeper, who made several saves to keep his clean sheet. In the closing stages of the game Arne Maier was introduced and made his Bundesliga debut.

This crucial victory puts Hertha in a great position for the conclusion of the season next weekend. “We have to prepare well now and have a good week in training,” demanded Dárdai. Next Saturday, Hertha will host Leverkusen as they aim to defend their Europa League spot. “We know that we need to get points. We want to secure a spot in Europe and enjoy our final game of the season in front of our own fans,” promised Stark.