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
Edin Terzic
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
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 20
From a snow-flurried opener to a snow-cancelled capper, we've got all the relevant action from the 20th round of the 2020/21 German Bundesliga covered. It may be frigid in the Bundesrepublik, but the storylines of this campaign remain red-hot. Here's the re-post for all those needing to catch up on Sunday's column. League-Wide Talking Points: Round 20 Bayern's "Arbeitssieg" The English have a saying. True championship football teams, it is said, must be able to prove their mettle "on a windy night in Stoke". This round, Germany's record champions eked out a grinding victory during a "blinding snowstorm in Berlin". For anyone who might have missed the 1-0 victory of Hertha, … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 20
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 19
German footballing enthusiasts could have hardly wished for a more intriguing round the second matchday of the 2020/21 "Rück-runde". All the madness of transfer deadline day may leave some still yearning to catch up with the previous weekend's talking points. There's no shortage of riveting storylines heading into week 20. League-wide Talking Points: Round 19 Cooling Iron After losses to Leipzig and Augsburg, the Bundesliga's Cinderella team couldn't quite hold off Gladbach at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. The 1-1 draw now makes it three winless matches for Urs Fischer and die Eisernen. While such a streak certainly doesn't offset all of the Köpenick club's marvelous … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 19
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 18
The 2020/21 "Rück-runde" officially begins! Down the stretch we go as all 18 top flight clubs play themselves in the exact same order as they did during the first-half of the season. A turning point in the campaign calls for a new commentary-heavy segment in which we assess the journey of certain clubs as they traverse this demanding year. Those who didn't catch last Sunday's release can, as always, catch up here. League-Wide Talking Points: Round 18 Bayern's new right-back It turned out to be quite the weekend for defenders in Germany's top flight. Gladbach's Nico Elvedi netted a brace against Borussia Dortmund, as did Mainz's Moussa Niakhaté in the upset win over Leipzig. … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 18
Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 17
A midweek "Englischer Woche" officially brings the 2020/21 German Bundesliga to its halfway point. There's plenty of football to catch up on for those who might not have caught the hot-sheet. We've got the repost here as the campaign prepares to flip over to the "Rück-runde". League-Wide Talking Points: Round 17 Bundesrepublik Tabloid Time What to do with a flaccid football match devoid of talking points? Borussia Mönchengladbach's 1-0 win over Werder Bremen furnished the very definition on boring football. Hanseaten trainer Florian Kohfeldt continues to build tactical constructs that station as many as eight outfield players at or behind the halfway line. This week's version … [Read more...] about Bundesliga Tactics Talk–Round 17