It's a lengthy one this week as we take the midweek slate of domestic cup fixtures into account. The repost of yesterday's hot sheet also contains plenty of good news for those rooting US internationals in the German top flight. The DFB-Pokal quarterfinals leads us to another multi-match column. Although four Americans were eligible for double duty this week, only Tyler Adams ended up playing maximum matches. Edin Terzic opted not to use Giovanni Reyna in the Pokal. Josh Sargent saw his Tuesday fixture cancelled on account of COVID. John Anthony Brooks had to serve a suspension this weekend. There remains a great deal to catch up on. Chris Richards' ascendancy at Hoffenheim pushes the … [Read more...] about Americans in the Bundesliga: Reyna on the comeback trail, Sargent and Adams impress
Borussia Dortmund
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 23
Matters couldn't be busier in the Bundesrepublik as the 2020/21 campaign heads for a frenetic finish. Inside this week's re-post we've all the intrigue surrounding the goings on in Germany's top football flight for those who missed the Sunday column. League-wide Talking Points: Round 23 Prelude to the Basement Battle The inspiring story of a resurgent FSV Mainz 05 took a week off as Nullfünfter trainer Bo Svensson took no risks against Augsburg on a badly beat up home pitch. Kevin Stöger played from the beginning, working beside captain Danny Latzka in what looked like a bundled 3-3-2-2. This constituted something of curious choice considering that the condition of the pitch … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 23
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 22
With the snow melted and February nearly out, it's time to gear up for a great 2020/21 Bundesliga "stretch run". There's another fine weekend of football on tap. Here's the re-post for those who didn't have a chance to catch last Sunday's comprehensive breakdown of the previous round. League-Wide Talking Points: Round 22 The VfL Streaks Who can resist a nice and clean streak narrative? Oliver Glasner's Wolfsburg record their seventh consecutive clean sheet on the trot. Friday's 3-0 win over Bielefeld also marks the sixth consecutive time the VfL trainer deployed the exact same starting XI. We know for certain that one series is officially over. Defender John Anthony Brooks … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 22
Americans in the Bundesliga: Reyna, Hoppe, and Sargent continue to slump
Another fantastic weekend of German Bundesliga football is on tap! One genuinely hopes that the US internationals earning their living in Germany's top flight have a better round than the last. For those who missed out on the initial release, we'll repost here. This week's analysis of US internationals earning their pay checks in the Bundesrepublik features only four players. Leipzig trainer Julian Nagelsmann rotated out midfielder Tyler Adams in anticipation of the upcoming UCL duel against Liverpool. The played 27 minutes of half-speed relief again Augsburg on Friday. Chris Richards regrettably missed the chance to build upon his strong debut for loan-squad Hoffenheim this weekend. … [Read more...] about Americans in the Bundesliga: Reyna, Hoppe, and Sargent continue to slump
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 21
A four-day weekend leaves us with loads of stories on the Bundesliga beat. From the Friday night kickoff to the Monday six-goal thriller, we've got it all covered for those who missed out on the initial post. League-Wide Talking Points: Round 21 Nagelsmann defers until Tuesday The Friday night fixture between Leipzig and Augsburg predictably proved a wretched game of football. Heiko Herrlich's Fuggerstädter racked up four first-half bookings; two of which could be considered accumulator cards. The outclassed Bavarians engaged in so many wince-inducing tactical fouls that, with better finishing, the Saxons might have heading into the dressing room up 4-0. Heading into this … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 21
Americans in the Bundesliga: Chris Richards turns in stellar Hoffenheim debut
Another busy week for US internationals in Germany's top footballing flight. We've got the full lowdown here for those who missed the "hot-sheet". This week's "American's" Column welcomes a highly touted player into the regular fold. Chris Richards made his starting XI debut for Sebastian Hoeneß's XI this week. The thorough scout of him undertaken for this instalment leads the writer to conclude that he actually did much better than his coach is letting on. We still wait Joe Scally's first selection into a Marco Rose squad, but the play of Stefan Lainer this past weekend might imply that it's not far away. The possibility of eight regular actors in Germany's top flight could draw … [Read more...] about Americans in the Bundesliga: Chris Richards turns in stellar Hoffenheim debut