2015/19 Gotoku Sakai | Tatsuya Ito @ Hamburger SV (GER)

Gotoku plays 90 at DM as HSV pick up a huge, well-earned 2-1 home win against Gladbach.

 

キャプテン、お誕生日おめでとう。 体に気をつけて！☺️ @sakai_go1123 pic.twitter.com/GDreSMMbrR

— Hamburger SV (@HSV) March 14, 2017

 

Hey guys, been away for a few weeks oversea's and seen Sakai was on the bench the previous game before there big win against Gladbach. Curious to know wether he dipped in form or was just rested, (though I did see they lost 8-0 against Bayern which is dreadful and implying he is part of the back 4 i'm assuming thats why Dierkmier was chosen over him?.

 

Gisdol told him he would start that match on the bench since he was showing signs of fatigue. Diekmeier has also been rounding into form, which is why Sakai is back in defensive midfield again.

 

By far no other HSV player played as much as Sakai (2222 min, next is Jung with 2072 min). So some breaks should be fine as long as the team is successful.

 

Showed a lot of skill on the ball in a 2-1 upset of Hoffenheim.
http://www.mopo.de/sport/hsv/hsv-sieg-ueber-hoffenheim-riesenschritt-zur-rettung-26684916
"The captain was alert from the start. Many good actions on the ball, very agile and full of tricks. One of his best games for HSV."

 

Today is the last Buli matchday, HSV is sitting on relegation playoff place and having an endspiel against Wolfsburg with whom they'd switch places in case of a win.

Like the last two matches Sakai plays as LB. Correction: Actually RB today.

 

HSV won this decisive match with a winner in the 88th min by just subbed in Waldschmidt. Sakai found Kostic on the left wing with a long ball out of the defense line, who crossed the ball to Waldschmidt to head in. With this Wolfsburg has to play the relegation playoffs against 2. Buli's 3rd placed team.

HSV also had their strongest home season since 09/10 with 31 points. For next season to improve they have to win more points on road where they were abysmal this season.

Edit: End of season stats for Sakai: He played unrivaled 3.052 minutes (next are Kostic at 2.803 and Jung at 2.701 min) in 37 matches (out of HSV's 38), of those 33 starts and 4 subs. Scored one (marvelous) goal, three assists and 7 yellow cards.

 

They should have been relegated. They'll keep struggling until it'll happen.

 

Bench again.
From captain to the bench. Oh well oh well.

 

Oh don't overreact oh don't overreact.

 

Well it is a contrast isn't?

 

Well, Sakai aside Hamburg has started this season great with another 3 points. 1-3 against Köln tonight. Sakai stayed on the bench.

 

He's still an "exemplary" captain, just in poor form according to Gisdol in the press.

 

Lets be honest, both Dierkmier and Sakai have errors about them but i'd choose Sakai if I had to go with one for sure

 

Well, it's just the second match of the season, it's not like he is spending the whole season on the bench.

 

Maybe not. Still facts though

 

Gotoku was pretty visibly burned out last season but still had to play due to the circumstances. Right now HSV is faring well without him, no better time to rest him for him to work on raising his standards.

 

Yeah lets see.

 

Back in action as a 70th minute sub against Leipzig.