Saturday, August 10, 2013
TOP OF THE TABLE!!!
If you look at your Bundesliga standings right now, you don't see the European champions Bayern Munich on top nor do you see Borussia Dortmund or even a Champions League regular like Schalke 04.
No, don't adjust your eyes, you see the capital city's beloved club - Hertha BSC!
That's right, a crowd of over 50,000 spectators starved for top-flight football watched in awe as Hertha dominated Europa League club Eintracht Frankfurt 6-1 to move to the top of the table.
Despite hitting the goalframe three times along with two goals in the first half, Hertha showed their class and cruised ahead of next week's clash with Nurnberg.
"The performance was sensational. Now we have the first three points, we can enjoy the game a little bit. But we'll be back in everyday life very quickly. We can still improve," Hertha coach Jos Luhukay said.
It was a successful top-flight debut for John Anthony Brooks, who scored with news surfacing that he has spurned Horst Hrubesch's overtures to play for the German U-21 squad in order to join Jurgen Klinsmann's powerhouse USA squad instead this week in Bosnia.
In all, it was an amazing day in the capital and one day after Hertha's arch-rival Union Berlin knocked off Dynamo Dresden on the road. Time will tell if Hertha can maintain its position as the best team in all of Germany!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Bundesliga Season predictions
Another exciting season of the best football league in the world is upon us, and it's time for the moment the world has been waiting for - the predictions.
1. Bayern Munich
And not just because the best team in the world won the season opener Friday and is already on top. Do we expect Bayern to win the league by 25 points? No? Is it possible they could lose the league? Maybe. But with the deepest and best squad in world football, the meisterschaft figures to be a mere formality.
2. Borussia Dortmund
Sure the beaten Champions League finalists and German Supercup champions lost Mario Goetze. And sure Bayern Munich are FC Hollywood. But Jurgen Klopp is a man who has shined after losing Nuri Sahin (who is back) and Shinji Kagawa. He doesn't sound too worried, either.
3. Bayer Leverkusen
So far, we are preserving the order of finish from last season. This Champions League outfit added a superstar goal scorer along with the reigning top scorer in the league (who doesn't play for his national team, incidentally). The added burden of Champions League could be a hindrance, of course.
4. Borussia Monchengladbach
OK so things haven't gotten off to a good start with a shock German Cup exit before the afore-mentioned opener. However, this squad has quality if not depth and won't be bogged down by European football (or Cup football) unlike last season. Max Kruse could have a bigger impact than any transfer. Never underestimate a Lucien Favre-led team.
5. VfL Wolfsburg
If there's another team that can make a jump into European football, it's this one. No club has as many players go in and out as much as the Wolves, but Dieter Hecking should settle this squad sometime within the first two months. We believe that Diego will be motivated after essentially being a flop the last few years and the addition of Daniel Caliguiri and Ja-Cheol Koo should boost this side after a tumult-filled 2012-13.
6. FC Schalke
Last season, the Royal Blues nearly choked away a Champions League spot before taking care of business on the last day of the season. They have a tricky Champions League play-off tie with Ukrainian outfit Kharkiv and getting through that figures to result in an up-and-down season and frankly, this won't help team morale.
7. Hoffenheim
Sure they should have been relegated last season if not for some amazing heroics. Teams that escape relegation like them seem to recover amazingly like 'Gladbach did a few years ago and 7 through 13 in the table a year ago was separated by six points so anything can happen.
8. Hamburg
This once-proud team lost Son to Leverkusen and will count on this injured Arsenal reject. Let's see how a young Cameroon star replaces the Korean.
9. Mainz
Thomas Tuchel always seems to do more with less and it wouldn't be surprising to see his side somehow sneak into Europe. Japanese striker Shinzi Okazaki should revive his career under Tuchel's pressing system.
10. Eintracht Frankfurt - Frankfurt nearly snuck into the Champions League in their entrance back to the top flight but European football figures to give them a fall back to Earth.
11. Freiburg - OK so not many players are left from last year's fifth-place finish. Still, this club made some smart buys and is one of the sharpest in the country, so they should be solid.
12. VfB Stuttgart - The Swabians didn't cover themselves in glory in Europa League qualifying. That doesn't bode well for any hopes domestically.
13. Hannover 96 - There are not many recognizable names left on Steve Cherundolo's club and a boring mid-table finish seems about right.
14. Werder Bremen - Many observers believe this club could be headed for the drop and the DfB Cup was proof of that possibility. Truth be told, there are plenty of mediocre teams in this part of the table and Bremen should survive.
15. Hertha BSC - The favorite team of this defunct blog that went out of existence when Hertha went down, only survival will do in the nation's capital. Hertha are producing top-level United States talent, and Jos Luhukay should navigate the top flight successfully.
16. Augsburg - It's hard to believe in any Bavarian club not named Bayern (see below).
17. Nurnberg - I don't know much about this club this season but this is the fifth straight season for them in the top flight so the time is ripe to go down again.
18. Eintracht Braunschweig - Much props to this club on finally reaching the top flight but adding a Canadian 'star' doesn't seem like a good recipe for survival. Torsten Lieberknecht probably has the best name of any coach in the top flight and his club is a fascinating story.
Any comments or questions? Post them below!
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Jozy Altidore interview
This past weekend, ESPN ran a Jozy Altidore interview.
We here at this blog, however, obtained our own interview with the U.S. superstar and asked the same questions - with better results!
We here at this blog, however, obtained our own interview with the U.S. superstar and asked the same questions - with better results!
You
could have gone a lot of places. Why did you pick Sunderland?
"Honestly I never even heard of the club but hey they are in the Premier League, right? They must be special, no?”
It sounds almost like a college recruiting visit.
"Is that a question or a statement?"
"Honestly I never even heard of the club but hey they are in the Premier League, right? They must be special, no?”
It sounds almost like a college recruiting visit.
"Is that a question or a statement?"
How many teams did you speak to in all?
"Zero. I let my agent do the talking.”
Where were you when you heard the deal was done?
"When you get a deal done with such a prestigious club like Sunderland, it's a moment you never forget. What was your question again?”
Sunderland is such a well-supported club whether they're in the top flight or not -- I'm not sure people realize it.
"Sunderland has everything in place to be a massive club in England. The idea of battling relegation appeals to me since I have been through that before at Hull City. Also the idea of playing in the Tyne-Wear Derby is great – reminds me of back home in the Cub Scouts when we had the Pinewood Derby.”
Did you speak to former U.S. star Claudio Reyna about playing there?
"I did actually speak to Claudio a little bit. He asked me to join New York FC - whatever that means.”
What was your first meeting with Di Canio like?
“I never actually met the boss. I was so desperate to get to the Premier League it didn’t matter if some buffoon like Martin Vasquez was the manager. The Premier League is on NBC!"
What did he say he likes about your game?
"Uh, I still haven’t talked to him. I heard he’s a fascist, do you know if that is true? I am not sure he even knows I am black. Hopefully he won’t figure that out."
You always said if you left AZ this summer, you wanted to go where you'd continue to develop. How will Sunderland help you improve?
"First of all, improvement shouldn’t be hard since I don't remember scoring for Hull the last time I played in this league. Second, I am not sure how much Sunderland can help me compared to the tutelage I get under United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Did you know we are on a record 11-game win streak and I didn’t even play in most of those games?"
How
would you describe the style Di Canio wants to play?
"Um, like I said, I haven’t talked to him yet. I have heard he is a like a teddy bear to his guys, though.”
What are your early impressions of Giaccherini?
“My Italian is not good so I don’t do impressions! But seriously, Jack-A-Roni was a key player at Juventus in the Champions League and that’s where we are trying to get." (Eds. Note – Giaccherini played sparingly in four appearances as a sub in last season’s UCL.)
What did you learn last time around in the EPL that will help?
"I learned that Turkey is a long way from England! I also learned what it must feel like sometimes to be an American-born goalkeeper.
"Um, like I said, I haven’t talked to him yet. I have heard he is a like a teddy bear to his guys, though.”
What are your early impressions of Giaccherini?
“My Italian is not good so I don’t do impressions! But seriously, Jack-A-Roni was a key player at Juventus in the Champions League and that’s where we are trying to get." (Eds. Note – Giaccherini played sparingly in four appearances as a sub in last season’s UCL.)
What did you learn last time around in the EPL that will help?
"I learned that Turkey is a long way from England! I also learned what it must feel like sometimes to be an American-born goalkeeper.
Did you know any of the Sunderland players before you came in?
"I only heard of that Jock Itch guy you mentioned before. Is that guy I head-butted still on the team?
I know it's early, but have you started to develop any chemistry with your new teammates yet?
“We beat Clint Dempsey's team already. Deuce wasn’t even
there. Matter of fact, I heard he’s turning tail and going back to MLS. Can you
talk to my man Ives Galarcep and see if this is true?”
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