A ray of hope

Berlin – Every team has one: a player that people can pin their hopes on. At Hertha, it’s clear that this role is held by one man: Matheus Cunha. Hertha’s Brazilian playmaker has quickly become a fan favourite since his move to the capital city in January 2020. “I want to say ‘thank you’ to the fans for their support, both for myself and for the team. But, I think we have other players with the same ability in the squad,” a modest Cunha said during a press conference on Tuesday.

He has a substantial reputation already based not only on his sporting achievements, but his likeable personality off the pitch as well. The 21-year-old has had a hand in an impressive 11 goals in 14 appearances for the Blue-Whites so far (7 goals, 4 assists). His strong performances for the club have now paid off, as Cunha has been called up to represent Brazil in their World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia (10/10/20, 02:30 CEST) and in Peru (14/10/20, 02:00 CEST). “I cried tears of joy when I got the call. I then told my family and we all cried together,” he said about his conversation with Brazil’s coach, Tite.

A tough test against the record champions

Before Cunha can head off on international duty, he can look forward to a match against record champions Bayern München on Sunday (04/10/20, 18:00 CEST). “The game against Bayern will definitely not be easy,” he said. “If they bring the quality they have to the pitch, then they will definitely be the favourites. But, they made mistakes too, and we will need to be ready to capitalize on those moments." Cunha has only played 12 Bundesliga minutes against Bayern, all coming during his time at RB Leipzig. On Sunday, he will likely be in the starting line-up for the first time against the Munich side, who have picked up four trophies already this calendar year. “Of course being called up to play for my country is a great feeling, but right now, I want to focus solely on Sunday’s game in Munich in order to take something from the game with the team,” he said.

Hertha head coach Bruno Labbadia has long been aware of what a talented player he has in his squad. “Matheus is a player with plenty of individual talent, which he pairs with his power and dynamism. He is a special player for us,” Labbadia said, as he praised Cunha for his behaviour off the pitch as well. “He’s an easy-going guy. He’s almost more serious on the pitch than he is off it. He’s very talkative, which is great, and he has a high status within our team,” said the coach. This upcoming Sunday, Cunha and his teammates will be facing a tough challenge. All eyes will likely be on the Hertha's no. 10 – as they should be.