Last chance for Pherai?
BVB talent scores amazing goal
01/18/2022 2:39 p.m
In the second representation of BVB, many talents fight for promotion to the professionals. One who can and should do this is Immanuel Pherai. But so far the Dutchman has been denied access to Marco Rose’s team. Will a goal of footballing madness change that?
Why Immanuel Pherai is still playing in Borussia Dortmund’s second team is something you can’t really explain even at BVB. Because this little playmaker actually has everything it takes to be an outstanding footballer. Ex-coach Lucien Favre had already recognized this and introduced the young Dutchman to the professional squad. He trained with them and made it into the match day squad from time to time. But it has stayed that way so far. It has not yet been enough for a deployment in the Bundesliga team. But that remains the great wish of the 20-year-old, which is traded very highly in the club. And his current application is definitely a good announcement to think through the Pherai personnel again.
He scored a phenomenal goal on Monday evening. In the third division game of the BVB reserve at Waldhof Mannheim. When the ball landed in front of Pherai’s feet after an uncontrolled attempt by the hosts to clear it, he didn’t hesitate and lifted it into the goal with a moonball-like trajectory from around 45 minutes. Timo Koenigsbahn, who was far too far in front of his goal, was both surprised and without a chance, because the ball fell almost vertically like a stone. A completely new physical facet in football, after Roberto Carlos’ zigzag free kick or Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-range shooting skills. This spectacular hit in the 90th minute to make it 2-1 gave this crazy game the final twist. Dortmund won 3-1, and Tobias Raschl, another player who is always on the move to the pros, increased the penalty in added time.
It was the second penalty of the game. Mannheim had the first and he could have decided the game. Because when Dominik Martinovic started in the 79th minute, it was 1:1, Dortmund, who lost in the first half, had equalized a few minutes earlier through Ole Pohlmann – and were better in the game. But Martinovic failed to goalkeeper Stefan Drljaca. With his strong parade, he corrected the clumsy foul that led to the penalty. “I’m glad that I was able to apologize to the team and that the boys got wind for the final phase,” he confessed to MagentaTV.
“… and that was just great!”
Drljaca tells a story of this exciting game. In the first half, a mistake when receiving the ball was almost severely punished – but he was spared the slapstick goal conceded. A little later he prevented the 0:2 with a great reflex, from which BVB might not have recovered. But the big story is reserved for Pherai. With his brilliant moment, which he owes to his courage and his speed of action. “I saw that the goalkeeper was a bit far out and a bit to the side and then I thought we have nothing to lose, I’ll just try it,” he said of his astonished goal. “When I hit the ball I thought: hmm… maybe a bit too hard, but then it went in and it was just great!”
Nobody at BVB was surprised that the Dutch noble technician scored this sensational goal. Because in Pherai there is a lot of footballing class despite all the speed deficits. “The boy is crazy, he’s known for things like that,” enthused Drljaca. In fact, he has already achieved several strokes of genius. He once scored a goal with a back heel for the BVB youth team and for his youth club AZ Alkmaar he also lobbed well, as he himself confessed.
“In the best phase of my career”
Pherai is playing a conspicuous season with the promoted team. He has already scored five goals and prepared seven. Only Berkan Taz has the same number of scorer points. But are the performances enough to fulfill the dream of making the professional squad? After an at times outstanding stint in the Black and Yellow youth teams, a period of stagnation and a moderately impressive loan spell for PEC Zwolle last season, Pherai has found himself fighting for his last chance at a breakthrough at BVB, which the hyped talent joined in the summer of 2017 was resolutely adopted. Shortly before New Year’s Eve, Ingo Preuss, team manager of the U23s, said that the 20-year-old was currently “in the best phase of his career”. A winter departure should therefore be prevented at all costs.
But that seems like a very welcome option for Pherai. In November he told goal.com that “I can already imagine another loan”. He knows that there is already concrete interest from clubs in Germany’s top divisions. However, he also mentions conditions that he would like to have met: “If it’s possible to play there regularly and sign a professional contract with BVB beforehand, that would be a good option,” says Pherai. His contract with Borussia expires at the end of this season. As reported by “Kicker”, BVB is working on the young Dutchman’s whereabouts. And also meets a well-known friend-foe, Erling Haaland’s advisor Mino Raiola. It’s said to have a certain soft spot for madness.