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
Julian Nagelsmann
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
Americans in the Bundesliga: Brooks takes a deserved bow, Adams picks up assist
A repost of this week's scouting column lies below. Not a great deal of storylines are shifting at the moment, but there's still tons of nuance to discuss. A busy week for Americans playing in Germany's top footballing flight leaves us with six graded sections for the five starters and one trainer. Young phenom Giovanni Reyna found himself excluded from Edin Terzic's starting XI this week, playing only ten non-graded minutes at the tail end of the BVB's victory over Schalke. We still await the first bench squad appearance for Borussia Mönchengladbach's Joe Scally even if, by all accounts, the 18-year-old remains fully fit. John Anthony Brooks, VfL Wolfsburg Minutes played … [Read more...] about Americans in the Bundesliga: Brooks takes a deserved bow, Adams picks up assist
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
Americans in the Bundesliga: John Anthony Brooks enters career-high form
A jam-packed Pokal week and the January transfer deadline leave us with plenty to catch up on. The hot sheet came on the heels of an especially long Wednesday. Welcome to the re-post. Round Three of Germany's domestic cup means we've another column covering multiple matches. Giovanni Reyna's return to the BVB staring XI also translates to a full slate of Americans to discuss. All six regular actors receive a graded section this time. For those curious as to whether this field may be expanding soon, defender Chris Richard's recent transfer to Hoffenheim renders this a realistic possibility. A group of eight regulars still seems a way off as Gladbach's Joe Scally still hasn't been … [Read more...] about Americans in the Bundesliga: John Anthony Brooks enters career-high form