Bundesliga Fanatic

Team of the Week – Match Day 34

Cristian Nyari — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:33:17 +0000

The 2012/13 finale proved to be one of the most dramatic in recent memory. Schalke beat Freiburg to secure the final Champions League spot while Hoffenheim, Augsburg and Fortuna Düsseldorf played out one of the most intense relegation battles in league history. Hoffenheim’s “miracle in Dortmund” will go down as one of the most nerve-wracking and implausible moments in the league while Augsburg again pulled off the great escape after a fantastic display against Greuther Fürth. Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach played out a seven-goal thriller while Kiessling’s match winner in Hamburg made him the league’s top scorer this season.

Goalkeeper

Koen Casteels – No matter what Dortmund threw at him, Casteels was always up to the challenge. On top of that the pressure of a must-win game to have any chance of staying in the Bundesliga. Hoffenheim’s No. 1 could not have done any better and made a total of nine saves against Dortmund’s dangerous attacks. If Hoffenheim manage to beat Kaiserslautern and stay in the league, Casteels will have played a huge part.

Defenders

Benedikt Höwedes – One of Schalke’s best performers this season and the best defender on the pitch in Freiburg and Schalke’s biggest game of the season. Schalke had to win in Freiburg to secure a Champions League spot and the same held true for Freiburg. It was up to Schalke’s defense to stop a rampant and energetic Freiburg attack and Höwedes was a wall at the back, winning 60% of his duels and completing 93% of his passes. An excellent display that can mean Champions League football for the club next season.

Steve Cherundolo – “The Mayor of Hannover” stepped out for his 300th Bundesliga match for the club on Saturday. The legendary Hannover captain put on one of his best performances this season a few days after signing a contract extension at the club. Cherundolo set up Hannover’s first goal expertly with a fantastic through ball and won nearly every one-on-one challenge that came his way.

Paul Verhaegh – The Augsburg captain missed a majority of this season and his team’s battle against relegation but he came back just in time and has been one of their best performers. He topped off that comeback with an excellent performance against Greuther Fürth in which he won an impressive 16 duels, the most of any player on matchday 34, and was a constant presence and outlet on the right.

Midfielders

Sejad Salihoivc – What a performance from the Bosnian midfielder. Salihovic’s two penalty goals ensured a historic win for the club that propelled them into the relegation playoff against Kaiserslautern. There is no better penalty taker in the league than Salihovic and against Dortmund he showed just how calm and collected he is. That’s 18 out of 20 penalties converted so far for him in the Bundesliga and his two most important came on Saturday against Dortmund.

Franck Ribery – Without a doubt one of the best individual performances this season and one of his personal best since moving to Bayern. Ribery’s volley from outside the box to make it 3-3 alone merits an inclusion but on top of that he also scored another and set up two further goals to top off the best second half to a season in league history. The Frenchman finishes the season as the league’s assist leader and proved again why he is arguably the best player in the league.

Kevin de Bruyne – Bremen lost their iconic coach during the week and their final match of the season. Despite the gloom hovering over their season, they had one of the league’s best performers on their squad this season and against Nürnberg, the young Belgian attacker was again absolutely outstanding. His chipped goal was absolutely brilliant and he also scored Bremen’s consolation goal the end. He had eight shots on goal and set up another five for his teammates. An absolute gem of a player.

Tobias Werner – Even though it was against the already relegated Greuther Fürth, it was the most important match of the season for Augsburg. They needed to win to at least have a chance of playing in the league next season. Werner made sure Augsburg would not go down fighting. He scored a fantastic opening goal and set up their second. All the while, he played a part in nine of Augsburg’s 16 attempts on goal and was dangerous throughout the game.

Javi Martinez – Bayern may have started slow but they showed why they are champions and arguably the best side in league history. After going down 2-0 within five minutes, Martinez powered through the midfield to pull a goal back and get his team back into the game. The Spanish midfielder was ever present as Bayern launched a fantastic comeback to see out a remarkable season without a single loss on the road and an astounding 91 out of a possible 102 points.

Forwards

Didier Ya Konan – A great way to end the season for the Ivorian. Despite not getting into Europe, Hannover’s performances have picked up at the end of the season and against Düsseldorf, the team, and especially Ya Konan, were excellent. He has played in midfield for the majority of year and as soon as Slomka switched him back to forward he scored two goals. His versatility and work ethic will give Slomka several options going into next season.

Nicolai Müller – This week the Mainz all around attacker was rewarded for his consistent performances this season with a call up to the national team for Germany’s trip to the US. Not letting it get to his head, Müller remained Mainz’s best player against Stuttgart. Again deputizing up front, he scored one goal and assisted the other in an overall fantastic performance.

Coach of the Week

Markus Gisdol – Things might have been very different had Hoffenheim appointed him earlier but alas, better later than never. Hoffenheim’s win against Dortmund could possibly be the biggest moment in the clubs’ still young history. It was the first time the club had won in Dortmund and one that came through some risky choices by Gisdol like pressing Dortmund’s build up early and switching to a 4-3-3 later in the game. It all paid off and his “we haven’t achieved anything yet” mentality is a refreshing one for a club that needed direction and guidance.

Honorable Mentions

Georg Niedermeier, Philipp Lahm, David Abraham, Per Nillson, Hiroki Sakai, Robert Mak, Arthur Boka, Jermaine Jones, Simon Rolfes, Jan Polak, Diego Jens Hegeler, Julian Draxler, Arjen Robben, Mame Biram Diouf, Mike Hanke, Stefan Kiessling

The collapse of Fortuna Düsseldorf: What went wrong?

Chase Ruttig — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:33:34 +0000

Fortuna Düsseldorf began the season as one of the darlings of the Bundesliga. They started their 2012/13 Bundesliga campaign with five straight clean sheets on their way to two wins and three draws. To begin the season, Norbert Maier’s Fortuna came out blazing after being promoted to the top flight, beating Hertha Berlin in the promotion/relegation playoff.

After that 2-3-0 starting streak, things would level off but, at the winter break, Düsseldorf still had a respectable 5-6-6 record, one that gave them the appearance of a club that would be able to fight off relegation. Norbert Maier’s defensive tactics, while maligned by those who favor a more attacking game, were effective to begin the season and it showed in the results, as Fortuna managed to pull off a 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund, even managing to put in some offensive performances in the first half of the season, such as a 2-2 draw with Schalke and a 4-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, which led them to a 13th place finish in the Hinrunde.

However, the Rückrunde would turn out to be a nightmare for Fortuna. After rising to the occasion in the first 17 matches, the complete opposite could be said about their campaign after the winter break. Everything seemed to fall apart for them from then on as they registered just two wins, one on February 2nd over Stuttgart, when Robbie Kruse’s brace lifted them to victory, and a 1-0 win over bottom club Greuther Fürth on February 16th.

After that point, the magic was gone, Düsseldorf lost seven of its last eight matches, getting just three points from February 16th onwards, points that come from draws with Wolfsburg, Mainz and Werder Bremen which closed their campaign with a whimper. That magic and fight to claw to nil-nil draws that drew the attention of the Bundesliga towards them in the opening month of the 2012/13 campaign seemed to be absent from the players as the season progressed. Matches that a team that would stave off relegation would get a result from, Düsseldorf could not do such thing, as all three of their aforementioned draws came at the hands of equalizers from their opponents in the second half.

Fortuna’s week-to-week season progress

One could point to the record amount of transfers that Maier made as an excuse for Fortuna’s woes, but that would just be wrong. This side had the chance to gel after the moves to create a team to stay up were made before the season, but were unable to get the job done. Sitting in 15th place in the table for a nine-game streak, all they needed was just one win to send Hoffenheim to the 2.Bundesliga and match Augsburg’s result at Greuther Fürth to avoid finishing out of the bottom three, but it was simply not in the cards.

Looking back, their 3-0 loss away to Hoffenheim could be pointed at as the turning point in both Fortuna and Hoffenheim’s season, a match which gave Hoffenheim a chance to put out their fire and start their battle to avoid relegation. Fortuna’s 3-0 drubbing in what was Markus Gisdol’s first match as manager of Hoffenheim was indeed a turning point. That result, compounded with the failures to hang onto results in the second half, show why Fortuna will be battling in the 2. Bundesliga come August.

In the end, this should not come as a surprise as the Fortuna squad wasn’t particularly special. Dani Schahin, their leading goalscorer, managed just eight goals and only one other player amassed more than five goals, Stefan Reisinger with 7. No matter what tactics Maier could come up with and all the defensive fight in the world, the fact was that this recently promoted side was almost always the lesser XI on the pitch could not be overcome. In the end, even their sterling start to the season could not save them.

Next year, Fortuna Düsseldorf will look to begin their climb back to the top flight of the Bundesliga. They are a club that has seen massive heights and lows in their history, so it is not an unusual event for them. Their relegation didn’t come without a valiant fight from their manager and players but, at the end of the day, Fortuna was not Bundesliga caliber and despite their blazing start, they could not find that same magic to save them at the end. A lesser glory awaits them in the fall, but Fortuna Düsseldorf’s fighting spirit, especially on the defensive side of the pitch, should not be forgotten as we look forward to August.

Header courtesy of sueddeutsche.de

Hoffenheim’s Miracle in Dortmund and Augsburg’s Great Escape

Cristian Nyari — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:25:38 +0000

Madness. Absolute madness. That is the only way to describe the final matchday of the 2012/13 Bundesliga season. Hoffenheim pulled off one of the great comebacks in Bundesliga history by beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 to reach the promotion/relegation playoff and extend their chances of staying in the league next season. Meanwhile, Augsburg beat Greuther Fürth to survive another year and Fortuna Düsseldorf’s fate hung in the balance until the very final whistle.

Hoffenheim’s Miracle in Dortmund

While Freiburg and Schalke were battling for the final Champions League spot the fight for survival at the other end reached an absolute boiling point with drama Hollywood screenwriters would be jealous of. Hoffenheim went into the game all but relegated. They had the worst away record in the league and had never previously won in Dortmund. They not only needed to break a precedent, they relied on other results going their way also, needing at least one of Düsseldorf or Augsburg to lose.

Sure enough, Hannover were getting the job done by beating Düsseldorf but Hoffenheim still had it all to do in Dortmund. Robert Lewandowski made the task seem impossible when he put Dortmund in the lead in just the sixth minute. All the while, Dortmund continued to create chances. A second goal would have all but sealed their fate. It was the kind of chaos football supporters both love and hate and Hoffenheim put it all on the line by throwing everything forward and both goalkeepers made fantastic saves to keep their teams in the game.

Then, the next five minutes changed everything. In the 77th minute, Dortmund defender Mats Hummels brought down Kevin Volland in the box. Sejad Salihovic stepped up and converted with ice cool precision. Four minutes later, as Hoffenheim poured forward, Weidenfeller was forced to come off his line and in doing so conceded another penalty and was sent off. With all three substitutions made, Kevin Grosskreutz had to step into goal but Salihovic again stepped up and proved why he is arguably the best penalty taker in the league. 2-1 Hoffenheim. Dortmund supporters could hardly believe it.

Things weren’t over yet though. In stoppage time Schmelzer scored what looked like a devastating goal that would send Hoffenheim down but the assistant referee correctly judged it offside. Although in complete disbelief they had done it and now await their two biggest games in recent history against Kaiserslautern.

Augsburg’s second half surge

As Hoffenheim were playing for their lives, Augsburg very much had their destiny in their own hands. A win would at least guarantee them a spot in the playoffs and a Düsseldorf loss would guarantee them another year in the league. It wasn’t easy for them though. Augsburg goalkeeper Alexander Manninger saved an Edgar Prib penalty in the 5th minute after Prib had already scored from the spot before Tobias Welz made him retake it because a player had entered the box prematurely.

Manninger’s save was a turning point for the team and inspired a 3-1 win to keep the team in the league for another season. Augsburg were tied for last place in the first half of the season, with only nine point and a single win. They went on a 10-match winless streak (worst in club history) and 10 points off safety. Suffice to say, no one gave them a chance to stay up.

A change in formation, some positional reshuffling and a renewed vigor in the second half of the season completely changed their fortunes. They tightened up their defense (have not lost a single game when going up 1-0) and made some astute signings to supplement striker Sascha Mölders and the rest followed. They picked up 24 points and 7 wins since January and outperformed 11 other teams in the league.

Fortuna Düsseldorf on the other hand had somewhat of a reversal in fortunes. They started the campaign well with five consecutive clean sheets and finished the first half of the season in 13th place. Things then went downhill after the winter break. Fortuna finished the season on a 12 match winless streak and with the worst Rückrunde record in the league. When all is said and done, as defender Jens Langeneke admitted, it’s a record worthy of relegation.

Hoffenheim take on Kaiserslautern in the relegation/promotion playoff on May 23rd and 27th, the first leg at Hoffenheim.

Header courtesy of Reuters

Freak goal and moment of Draxler brilliance wreck Freiburg’s Champions League dream

Aleix Gwilliam — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:24:26 +0000

So near but yet so far. Freiburg’s dream of playing Champions League football next year was quashed by Schalke 04 after the away side took a 2-1 away victory at the MAGE-SOLAR Stadion. Goals by Julian Draxler and an own goal by Julian Schuster were enough to give die Königsblauen the result they needed to secure 4^th place. Jonathan Schmid scored for Freiburg but it was not enough as Freiburg will have to ‘settle’ for Europa League football next year.

It’s almost a ridiculous statement but Freiburg have been one of the most exciting sides to watch this season with their vertical attacking football but today was the day that they couldn’t go that extra mile.

Christian Streich produced a surprise in the starting line-up, giving a start to Immanuel Höhn ahead of Fallou Diagne, who has been linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund in the last few hours. Another surprise was the inclusion of 19-year-old youth player Sebastian Kerk, who took over the left wing in place of the suspended Daniel Caligiuri, making his first-team debut. Keller also had an ace up his sleeve, dropping Michel Bastos to the bench and moving Julian Draxler to the left, with Raffael pulling the strings in attacking midfield.

Freiburg definitely started the brightest, with a clear chance missed by Höhn, who skied a cross from Mensur Mujdža when scoring seemed easier. Jan Rosenthal also had a chance to put his side one goal up in his last game for the club before joining Eintracht Frankfurt, but also missed.

However, Schalke made their experience in big games count and took the lead through Draxler against the run of play, and what a goal it was. Cutting through from the left after receiving from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Draxler unleashed a low shot across the goal that beat Oliver Baumann and went into the corner of the net. After the goal, Freiburg seemed unsettled and Schalke tamed Freiburg until the end of the half.

With no half-time changes, Freiburg came out in the second half at a high pace, dominating the game (61-39% possession in their favour) and playing at a high tempo. Julian Schuster was pulling the strings in midfield and everything went through him (119 ball touches). All the pressure and effort paid off just before ten minutes after the restart, when a Jan Rosenthal shot deflected off Timo Hildebrand and fell to Jonathan Schmid, who slotted it into the net and gave hope to the home side. With the initiative and the game tied, Freiburg seemed to have everything in their favour until disaster struck just five minutes later. A through ball from Huntelaar to Jermaine Jones put the American international through, with his weak shot beating Baumann but seemingly covered by Höhn. However, Höhn’s first touch hit the incoming Julian Schuster on the foot and bounced straight into the net. A freak goal at the worst time.

This seemed to be a bitter blow for Freiburg who, whilst still enjoying possession, seemed sloppy in the final third, when they have always looked so slick in this position before. Their inability to get shots on target, with big chances for Max Kruse and Cedric Makiadi among others, added to the frustration of Streich’s men, exemplified perfectly by Schuster’s reaction when substituted for Johannes Flum, as he kicked the drinks carrier on the bench and began to smash everything in his path in anger. Whether it was for the own goal or the substitution it’s unclear but it won’t have been a great way to finish his time in Baden-Württemberg if his alleged transfer to Werder Bremen does materialise.

Such imprecision in front of goal was due to Schalke’s strict tactical approach in defence, positioning themselves excellently and denying Freiburg that space that would have got them back into the game. Despite the loss of possession, Schalke edged the Zweikämpfe (52-48%) and hushed the game down to the final whistle, ensuring their participation in next year’s Champions League qualifiers.

Commentary

Whilst a disappointing result for Freiburg, there can be no faults thrown against them for today’s game. All the players put huge effort into their performances and it took a moment of brilliance and another freak one to deny them 4th place. Europa League it is for them next season and it will be interesting to see how they cope with the player exodus, with the possible departures of Schuster and Diagne added to the already confirmed ones of Kruse, Caligiuri and Rosenthal. Perhaps the Champions League is a step too far for this team and they could have fallen into the trap that Gladbach fell into last summer, which is overspending on players and then failing to qualify for the group stages, also putting in a relatively disappointing performance this season compared to the previous season standards, as the new players didn’t gel. By playing Europa League, Freiburg’s expectations are more realistic and perhaps they won’t be tempted to risk operating outside of the possibilities.

As for Schalke, experience counted today. After the disappointing performance last week against Stuttgart (1-2), Schalke came into a tricky match and put in a solid tactical performance to cancel out one of the most dangerous teams in this season’s Bundesliga. A few months ago after the home defeat to Greuther Fürth, Schalke were sitting in mid-table and Europe was looking unlikely, nevermind the Champions League. Today, their fans must be happy with Jens Keller and getting 4th place and they will be able to reinforce their team even further for next season with the money from playing in Europe’s highest competition. On the other hand, Julian Draxler once again showed what a class player he is, capping a solid performance with an excellent goal, also showing that despite shining less when playing wide, he’s still able to perform. Raffael put in a man-of-the-match performance, being the axis of all of Schalke’s attacks, knowing when to hold the ball and when to play it quick. It was an excellent display by the Brazilian playmaker that should encourage Schalke to make his loan move from Dynamo Kyiv permanent in the summer.

Caligiuri’s absence helped Jefferson Farfán get forward today, as the debutant Kerk wasn’t as adventurous as Caligiuri usually is, also forcing Oliver Sorg to stay back more than usual, with the Peruvian causing quite a bit of trouble down the right wing. However, nothing has to be taken away from Kerk, who put in as solid a debut as we’ve seen this season, causing a few goal-scoring chances, and will most definitely be playing a part in the first team next season. Also, being first choice in taking free kicks today could be an indicator of how highly regarded he is within the squad. Despite the unfortunate goal, Immanuel Höhn coped well today with Schalke’s strike force and with the probable departure of Diagne this summer, he looks set to permanently step in the shoes if the Senegalese player is to depart. To summarise, Freiburg’s youth team has plenty of talent for Streich to pick, and they will be one of the most interesting clubs to follow this summer in terms of how they will replace the departures.

Today’s defeat, could be a blessing in disguise. There is no doubt that this team is on the up, despite the upcoming departures, and that there is plenty to be optimistic about for Freiburg fans. As for Schalke, they too have to be happy, not just with the result but with the team’s reaction this Rückrunde and achieving what seemed impossible just three months ago. Much credit has to go to Jens Keller for that.

All graphics courtesy of whoscored.com

Header courtesy of facebook.com/S04

#PundesligaFridays presents: #BundesligaMovies

Archie Rhind-Tutt — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:15:07 +0000

From the heart of Matthias BollyWood, things got a little FootKroose on Friday afternoon as people’s #BundesligaMovies hit Twitter.

Now some were conceivable…

Ori Cooper @CoopSport

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Hummels #bundesligamovies @archiert1 @Pundesliga @dan_bu

Fri, May 17 2013 08:16:59

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Some didn’t quite stick to the brief…
Tom Kluger @tomkluger25

#bundesligamovies An Inconvenient Huth

Fri, May 17 2013 09:01:25

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Christian @Christian_F78

My Big Fat Krieg Wedding #RainerKrieg @KarlsruherSC #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 10:32:55

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Some were just confused….
kunphoenix @kitephoenix

WTF is happening with this #bundesligamovies stuff? How did this happen? Am I the only one who doesn’t know? Why always me? Am I Javi? Yes?

Fri, May 17 2013 08:42:27

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Some were a little sinister…
BVB UK @DortmundUK

Tomorrow Neuer Dies #BundesligaMovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:45:56

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Some were questioned by the Taste and Decency department…
Sweet Tooth @germarama

Men in Ballack #BundesligaMovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:41:28

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And some were just disturbing…
Tim Vickerman @Nekogao

@honigstein I Saw Mommy Kiessling Santa Claus #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:23:49

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But as is becoming #PundesligaFridays tradition (ignoring that this was the second one), @Pundesliga Poster Boy Ralph Gunesch (some know him as Ingolstadt’s right back) got involved…
Ralph Gunesch @felgenralle

Confessions of a dangeRUSS mind
#bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:53:50

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It’s just a shame that a few lack respect….
Pundesliga @Pundesliga

Careful – don’t offend the Gunesch RT”@normusings: One of my favorite Tarantino movies of all time: Ingolstadt Basterds #BundesligaMovies“

Fri, May 17 2013 06:11:29

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But enough – it’s time for the top 50 #BundesligaMovies – starting with a bloke who played for Lazio…apparently
Gaizka Mendieta @GaizkaMendieta6

Dancing with Rolfes #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:36:25

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Bundesliga Türkiye @BundesligaTR_

@martinkrag @Ansgarius_90 @archiert1
Mr. and Mrs. Schmid (Jonathan Schmid) #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:11:42

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Andy Roberts @ajroberts88

RODE TO PERDITION #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:44:09

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Jay PP Doyle @AnFatachDoyle

Dante’s Inferno #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 13:11:47

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Kenn Rushworth @attheharbour

Where Eagles DerdiyokWild Wild WestfalenWhen Harry met Salihamidzic

Werder BreMen of Honour

#bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 10:55:36

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Arlen @Arlen___

#bundesligamovies RoboKlopp

Fri, May 17 2013 12:51:09

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Fernando Palomo @Palomo_ESPN

“Silence of the Lahm” #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:19:58

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Shubhendu @pyralspeite

Zero Starke Thirty #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 10:30:43

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peter cooper @sunlunpete

Schurrle with a Dragon Tattoo #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 10:00:18

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Ben Pounds @BenPounds27

Little Miss Sahin-shine #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 09:01:56

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Andy Donaldson @Donners82

Bram Stoker’s Draxler #BundesligaMovies

Fri, May 17 2013 09:53:21

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Bundesliga Fanatic @Bundesliga4u

The Didavi Code, The Unbearable Leitner of Being, The Thomas Kraft Affair, Rausch Hour, Jung Guns, My Darling ClemensTime #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 09:46:19

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Andy Blackwell @Blackers666

#bundesligamovies Gone in 1860 seconds

Fri, May 17 2013 09:43:56

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PrimeΔlistair @PrimeAlistair

#BundesligaMovies Saving Private Bayern

Fri, May 17 2013 09:35:17

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ishan carter @ishancarter

Dante Inferno !! #FcBayern
#bundesligamovies
@dante_bonfim

Fri, May 17 2013 09:28:26

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Chris Allen @TopherAL

Kehlateral Damage #BundesligaMovies

Fri, May 17 2013 09:26:35

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Jamie Nesbit @JamieNesbit

Bo-Rush Hour Dortmund #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 09:14:52

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Mark®@DerKaiser_1

Daum and Daumer #BundesligaMovies

Fri, May 17 2013 09:02:56

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Ahmed Fayaz @afayerz

American Pie : Langkamp #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:57:55

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Izzy @whatapass

Lucky Number Neven #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:39:02

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Andreas Lenski @prele

ABokalypse Now @dan_bu @archiert1 @Pundesliga

Fri, May 17 2013 08:07:00

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TheInsideLeft @theinsidelefty

#bundesligamovies The Men Who Stare at Vogts

Fri, May 17 2013 08:03:47

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Max @hwentner

The Godfavre #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:03:41

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Philip Buckingham @philib57

American Grafite #bundesligamovies @honigstein @dan_bu @Pundesliga

Fri, May 17 2013 07:47:42

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Tom Howard @TJPHoward

Jung-er Games #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:45:55

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Nick Brooke @nickstbrooke

@Pundesliga Jason and the (Dennis) Aogonauts. #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:36:54

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Tom Victor @tomvictor

Inglourious Bas Dost #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:14:57

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Patrick Mather @mather23

@dan_bu @FollowHayati @archiert1 @Pundesliga Occean’s Eleven #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:50:54

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raphael honigstein @honigstein

and I leave you with: “The Longest Veh” (Rated R) #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:30:44

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Dave Mangels @Southern_Philly

@honigstein Frank Kramer vs Frank Kramer #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:19:52

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Brendan Husebø @BrendanHusebo

Veh for Vendetta #bundesligamovies @Pundesliga

Fri, May 17 2013 06:48:26

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Jonathan Harding @JonBloggs66

@Pundesliga Fantastic Mr. FUCHS #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:28:09

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Jon Hartley @bundesligaworld

@Pundesliga I have to be too late with Gladbach to the Future #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:30:13

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Sweet Tooth @germarama

X-Men: First Klaas #BundesligaMovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:16:17

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Matt Hardy @back_of_the_web

Mujdza Do About Nothing #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:29:56

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Jon Hartley @bundesligaworld

@pundesliga Then I’ll be too late with – Das Wunder von Bernd (Leno) #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:27:03

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Andrew van Leeuwen @avlmelbourne

@Pundesliga The Parent Trapp #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:23:36

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Borussia Dortmund FF @BVBfansFF

A Reus to Remember #BundesligaMovies

Fri, May 17 2013 06:22:14

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Daniel B.@dan_bu

Goodweidenfellas #bundesligamovies @archiert1 @Pundesliga

Fri, May 17 2013 06:19:40

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Nick Brooke @nickstbrooke

@Pundesliga Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mainz

Fri, May 17 2013 06:15:05

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Ali Hayati @FollowHayati

Ghost Beisters #bundesligamovies @archiert1 @Pundesliga

Fri, May 17 2013 06:18:53

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Extra points for an image with their entry for @8bitfootball
Götzebusters! #bundesligamovies pic.twitter.com/jI3FCCvrpf

8bit-Football.com @8bitfootball

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Fri, May 17 2013 06:50:22

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Jay Allen @jayjay_allen

#bundesligamovies Escape From Schalketraz

Fri, May 17 2013 13:09:06

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Alex @rsmmy

Four Werders and a Fune-Raúl #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:23:49

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Terry @bundesbag

“This wasn’t a Boateng accident!” #BundesligaMovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:27:37

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George Ankers @georgeankers

Tasci Driver #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:08:40

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Daniel B.@dan_bu

Dante’s Peak #bundesligamovies @archiert1 @Pundesliga

Fri, May 17 2013 06:23:57

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Joe Cullen @JoeCullen_

Salmon fishing in the Bremen #bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 07:31:01

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And the no.1? Well, who else was it going to be…
Ralph Gunesch @felgenralle

Beck to the Future; Star wars – the empire strikes Beck ; The way Beck#bundesligamovies

Fri, May 17 2013 08:35:30

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Thanks again for all tweets on #BundesligaMovies – follow @Pundesliga for updates on the next topic on #PundesligaFridays – special thanks to all who have helped get it up and running

Record-breaking Bayern Munich tune up for Champions League final

Mark Lovell — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:02:59 +0000

Bayern Munich warmed up for the forthcoming Champions League final with a breath-taking 4-3 win against Borussia Monchengladbach. An impressive comeback win preserved Bayern’s unbeaten away record, sealing a remarkable 29th win in 34 outings. Sensationally, this leaves Bayern with just one defeat over the Bundesliga campaign.

Treble-seeking coach Jupp Heynckes selected a full-strength side for his final foray in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Pre-match, it was deemed probable that the starting eleven would also line-up for ‘El Teutonico’, the all-German Champions League final at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund. The only absentees were long-term injury victims Toni Kroos and Holger Badstuber, as well as the suspended Rafinha. Jerome Boateng was given the nod over the less mobile Daniel van Buyten and might well have won the battle to partner Dante in the centre of defence next Saturday evening in London.

However, with perhaps one eye already on the clash at Wembley, Bayern got off to a nightmare start especially in defence as Heynckes’ men conceded two sloppy goals before the capacity Borussia Park crowd had caught their breaths. Ex-1860 Munich defender Martin Stranzl opened the scoring for the hosts, bundling the ball home from close range after just four minutes. Mike Hanke doubled the lead just a minute later, taking advantage of a defensive blackout from Dante, who was on return to his former stomping ground. The Brazilian has been virtually faultless all season but has chosen a particularly poor time to enjoy a crisis of confidence.

When Spaniard Javier Martinez reduced the arrears a couple of minutes later, slotting home after a slide pass from Franck Ribery, you might have thought normal order would soon be restored. But Borussia, who hadn’t lost at home in five games against Bayern, had other ideas and soon restored the two-goal margin through Norwegian midfielder Havard Nordtveit’s strike.

Before the game, Bayern had conceded a miserly 15 goals all season in the Bundesliga so to concede three in the opening ten minutes was somewhat of a mystery.

Bayern again cut the deficit to 2-3 through Ribery on 18 minutes as Bayern finally began to settle into their stride though. The visitors then went close to a first-half equaliser through skipper Philipp Lahm and Thomas Müller as Gladbach began to feel the full force of the runaway champions.

However, the tide had long since turned in the Reds favour and it was absolutely no surprise when Bayern bagged an equaliser. Ribery’s supreme, first-time volley left Ter Stegen grasping thin air on 53 minutes. Chapeau.

Dutch winger Arjen Robben completed a confidence-boosting comeback, putting the Bavarians ahead for the first time (4-3) after Ribery picked out his wing colleague unmarked at the back post.

It was a fitting tribute for outgoing Bayern coach Heynckes, as he brought down the final curtain on his Bundesliga career. He couldn’t contain his emotions as he broke down in tears at the post-match press conference.

‘Don Jupp’ had gone full-circle to Gladbach – where it all began in 1965 as a 19-year-old striker with a brace of goals for ‘The Foals’ against Tasmania Berlin. The 68-year-old can look fondly back on an amazing 48-year career, racking up a remarkable 1,011 matches. This tally includes 369 outings as a potent striker with today’s opponents Borussia and Hanover 96, before his career was curtailed by knee problems.

Heynckes commenced his illustrious coaching career in 1979, and is arguably one of the most decorated and durable coaches in German footballing history. The recent romp to the Bundesliga title was Heynckes’ third with the Reds, but a first for 23 years.

Although Heynckes is saying ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ to the Bundesliga in the summer, don’t be surprised to see him pop up in somewhat warmer climes, having already coached in Spain and Portugal.

As Wembley beckons, Dortmund meekly succumbed to relegation-haunted Hoffenheim, but the Bavarian bandwagon shows no immediate sign of slowing down on the pitch. With the all-conquering, record German champions Bayern just two games away from an unprecedented treble-winning season (German League, German Cup and Champions League), there is seemingly no stopping them.

Borussia Mönchengladbach: ter Stegen – Jantschke, Stranzl, Brouwers, Wendt – Nordtveit, Xhaka – Herrmann (77′ Younes), Arango – Hrgota (65′ Rupp), Hanke (84′ de Jong)

FC Bayern Munich: Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Dante, Alaba – Javi Martinez, Schweinsteiger – Robben, Müller (81′ Pizarro), Robben (81′ Shaqiri) – Mandzukic (75′ Gomez)

Goals: 1-0 Stranzl (4′), 2-0 Hanke (5′), 2-1 Martinez (7′), 3-1 Nordtveit (10′), 3-2 Ribery (18′), 3-3 Ribery (53′), 3-4 Robben (59′)

Attendance: 54,010
Referee: Thorsten Kinhöfer

Piece originally published on The Munich Eye

Header courtesy of AFP

Week 34: The Relegation Playoff Storming of the Castle

Randall Hauk — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:10:40 +0000

It’s hard to put too much of a shine on this final week in the second league.

Hertha Berlin are champions and on their way to the Bundesliga with fellow Aufsteiger Braunschweig.

Kaiserslautern are locked into third and will play for the right to join the other two clubs in the top flight.

Jahn Regensburg and Sandhausen have seemingly already made peace with their immediate return to the third league.

Virtually everyone else currently in the second league knows they’re going to be in the second league next year.

Hence, we are left only with the fight to avoid 16th place as the final table-based issue going into the final match day.

Unless you believe clubs are getting fired up at the chance to make the leap from lower-middle of the table to middle-middle of the table…then there is PLENTY at stake in the final Sunday of 2. Bundesliga action.

“So, it is down to you. And it is down to me.”

Battle of Wits?

Dynamo Dresden (16th – 34 points) : Regensburg (18th – 19) / Sandhausen (17th – 26) : Erzgebirge Aue (15th – 34)

The four clubs at the bottom of the table are all involved in the big pillow fight this weekend.

The question will be whether Sandhausen and Regensburg can be bothered to put up a fight, both having long-since been relegated.

Actually, it would be fair to ask a similar question of Dresden and Aue, both of whom managed to drop all three available points last weekend, keeping them level on points.

With an eight-goal differential advantage over Dresden, an Aue victory in Sandhausen would mean Dresden would need to win by at least nine goals against Regensburg. Considering nine would be Dresden’s total goal haul for March, April, and May, I’m going to go out on a limb and say Aue can simply think of it as a “win and you’re in” situation.

Aue, however, has not tasted victory since match day 28.

Dresden, who have won twice in their last four matches, has the advantage of playing at home, where they’ve won seven times of 16 matches. They will also like their chances for three points playing against the league’s weakest club, home or away. Dynamo will, however, be without the services of Filip Trojan, who will serve a red-card suspension after being sent off late in last week’s disappointing 3:0 at Aalen.

Aue can take heart in the fact that they are currently simply playing better football than Dresden and that their opponent has lost seven times on their home turf.

Ultimately, all fans can hope for is an honest effort from the two relegated sides to put the pressure on the other two clubs through a professional effort, providing a last taste of bloodlust before we head into a Bundesliga-less summer.

I have no official stance on which club is Vezzini and which is The Man in the Dark Mask.

Who Shall be King?

Hertha BSC (1st – 75) : FC Energie Cottbus (6th – 47)

With Domi Kumbela sidelined by injury, the Congolese striker has had to watch as his 19 goals remained in front of the chase for title of “King of the Goal Scorers” but by an increasingly slim margin.

Last Sunday, the nearest competitor to the throne missed his chance to catch Kumbela, but having served his yellow-card suspension in last week’s 1:2 victory at Köln, Ronny will see whether he can add the cannon trophy to his new contract, a league championship, and his club’s return to the Bundesliga.

This one is for Domi…for now…

And is there a trophy for the dude who serves the most assists to his teammates? I actually don’t know that there is, but if there was, the Brazilian would likely be taking that home as well, with 14 so far this campaign.

Hertha, with just one point, can also finish the season as the lone club to have not lost a match on their home field, which can only give the Berlin fans more warm fuzzies before they sail into the rougher waters of the Bundesliga for next season. The club already carries into the final weekend a 10-goal lead on the next-highest scoring squad, and is stingier than all other Bundesliga 2 participants this season by at least four goals. Regardless of what happens Sunday, you’d have a tough time arguing Hertha BSC was not the head of the class this year.

Cottbus’ Boubacar Sanogo leads his club with 15 goals on the season, putting him a little too far off the path to really put him in the discussion, but a goal in Berlin would mean the man from Cote d’Ivoire will have finished strongly, scoring in three of Energie’s final four matches. Cottbus can finish no higher than 6th and no lower than 8th, marking a strong improvement on the prior season’s 14th place in the final table.

1. FC Kaiserslautern (3rd – 58) : FC St. Pauli (12th – 40)

Both clubs in this match-up are coming off their best weekend’s of the season.

Kaiserslautern finally kicked the ball through the back of the net with their 1:3 victory in Regensburg, finally clinching the third-place finish they’d been flirting with for months.

St. Pauli finally distinguished themselves from Dynamo Dresden and Erzgebirge Aue by steamrolling the seemingly hung-over Eintracht Braunschweig by a 5:1 margin, thanks in large part to Daniel Ginczek, who scored two goals in the first 11 minutes of the match. Ginczek’s double put him at 17 tallies on the season, leaving him two off the pace. Should he fail to score at least twice in Kaiserslautern, it would be the first time since 2007-08 (Milivoje Novakovic – FC Köln) that no German player was atop the scoring leader list.

Also sitting on 17 goals is Kaiserslautern’s Mohamadou Idrissou, after the Cameroonian scored one of his club’s three last weekend in their promotion playoff-clinching performance.

What’s needed in this match is for both manager’s to let their goal scorers run free to try to catch Kumbela and, coincidentally, provide the celebrating fans in Kaiserslautern with an entertaining match.

Either that or a miracle pill.

Your chances at getting the cannon trophy are only MOSTLY dead.

What did you read me this thing for?!

FC Ingolstadt (11th – 42) : 1. FC Köln (5th – 51)

The new-look Billy Goats of Köln staggered out of the gate, taking just two points in their first six games, with their only two goals over that stretch coming from the penalty spot. As the club languished at the bottom of the table, fans of rival clubs took to making jokes about how jersey sponsor REWE stood for “Regionalliga West” (uh…do you need that translated?) and delighted in the struggle.

With Anthony Ujah coming via loan from FSV Mainz in the closing minutes of the transfer window, the Effzeh eventually found their stride and lost just one of their next 21 league matches, propelling them from an automatic-relegation spot to the promotion-playoff spot.

Alas, it was too good to be true, as a 3:1 loss at Kaiserslautern dropped Köln back into fourth. With the wind out of the sails, manager Holgar Stanislawski’s charges have since won just once and dropped their last two, ultimately assuring they’ll finish no higher than fourth place and looking a return to the second league dead-square in the eyes.

Ingolstadt never had quite as dramatic a fluctuation in their season standing, though last weekend’s “excuse me!” victory at Aue took a bit of the edge off Rückrunde performance that had ranked as the third-worst in the league and prevented a second three-match losing streak over the last eight matches.

Neither club would seem to have much inspiration for the season finale. Not sure even Peter Falk could convince fans to stick with it.

Eintracht Braunschweig (2nd – 66) : FSV Frankfurt (4th – 53)

Frankfurt never had as far to travel as did Köln to insert themselves into the promotion playoff chase, nor did they pass Kaiserslautern to temporarily gain third place in the table before losing decisively in a visit to the home of the Red Devils, but the effect was about the same as what was felt in Köln: building excitement followed by a crushing finality of disappointment.

The FSV did recover the week after the loss in Kaiserslautern to send VfL Bochum to their first loss of the Peter Neururer, but the moment had already passed, leaving Frankfurt celebrating perhaps their best season since being promoted to the second league in 2008, but too close to a bigger prize for there to be not at least a little disappointment.

Braunschweig entered their match at St. Pauli last week knowing their chances at a league championship were extremely narrow and that the real prize of promotion could not be revoked.

And it showed in their play.

Against a team hoping to finally secure their place in the league for next year, Braunschweig took the field looking like they had not yet stopped celebrating their promotion, quickly surrendering two goals. The team’s performance improved briefly after spending halftime in the presence of manager Thorsten Lieberknecht, but ultimately were never able to match the passion of their hosts and left Hamburg saddled with a 5:1 loss.

It’d be difficult to blame the Braunschweigers for perhaps dreaming of trips to Hamburg that will include battling the HSV rather than St. Pauli. Hence, it’s reasonable to think Sunday’s match may have them thinking of future battles with Eintracht rather than FSV.

The Fire Swamp

VfL Bochum (14th – 38) : 1. FC Union Berlin (9th – 46)

A bit of a flame spurt was exactly what Bochum needed when a four match losing streak dropped them into the relegation zone.

Enter Peter Neururer and worry no more!

Though Bochum’s four-game winning streak came to an end last weekend, Peter Neururer could say he officially achieved what he was hired to do, which was to keep VfL Bochum from being relegated.

Perils survived! Now we relax?

Union is looking at their final opportunity to earn a road victory in the Rückrunde, having taken only two points away from home in the season’s second half.

MSV Duisburg (13th – 40) : SC Paderborn 07 (10th – 42)

Duisburg fashioned an escape from a lightning sand situation after burying themselves far behind the rest of the league by losing their first five matches.

It was a victory at Paderborn on the last match day of the Hinrunde that lifted Duisburg out of the relegation zone for the first time all season; they’ve not been in danger of returning since.

A point for Paderborn would practically assure they’d stay at tenth place, which is about the perfect outcome for a team that has been almost the definition of a mid-table club. A loss, though, would open the door for them to 13th, which would be their lowest position all season.

Don’t be so dramatic! The third league isn’t THAT bad!

1860 München (7th – 46) : VfR Aalen (8th – 46)

Rodents of unusual size?

I don’t think they exist.

But VfR Aalen does and will again compete in the second league, making them the lone promoted side to retain the class this season. Few clubs in the league will think as fondly as their accomplishments from this season. With a chance to finish as high as sixth in the table, Aalen is also the rare club playing their best football as the season’s end draws near, having won three of their last four matches.

1860 will need all three points Sunday to have a chance at their second consecutive sixth-place finish, though that will be far from enough for a fan base who likely expected much more from the Lions in the wake of last season’s placement.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

Honestly, it was obviously a stretch to say even this much about the final match day of the season. All I have to add is that I cannot wait for next.

Feel free to let us know what sort of coverage and features you’d like to see going forward, whether it be second league or first!

Header courtesy of facebook.com/peter-neururer

The Final Countdown….

Alex Chaffer — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:30:09 +0000

So it’s here, the moment we’ve all been dreading since the first whistle blew back in August. The final matchday of the Bundesliga is upon us with some interesting things still to be sorted out.

Many teams know where they’re heading next season and are playing for nothing on Saturday. Borussia Mönchengladbach, looking to finish in the top 6, face Champions Bayern; meanwhile if results go Frankfurt’s way, they could be looking at European football with a win at home to Wolfsburg; finally, Stuttgart v Mainz and Nürnberg v Werder will play out stalemate games with little to play for and Hamburg could climb to 5^th with a win at Leverkusen.

But for five teams, this weekend’s results will decide where they play their football next season; Hoffenhiem, Augsburg, Fortuna Dusseldorf. Finally, Schalke and Freiburg will play their biggest game of the season on the final day.

Schalke and Freiburg play arguably the biggest game of the weekend with the chance to be a step away from the Champions League group stages. Freiburg have a couple things going in their favor. First, the game will be played at home in front of a sell-out crowd of 24,000 at the Mage Solar Stadion. Second, the Breisgau Brazilians have already beaten Schalke this season in an emphatic 3-1 win at the Veltins Arena back in December, demonstrating that, although Schalke are arguably the better side on paper, anything can happen on the final match day.

Playing in the Champions League can bring financial rewards upwards of 50 million Euros depending on how far a side progresses. With Freiburg being a point behind Schalke going into the game, a win is all they need for the Champions League Qualifying Stages. Schalke enter the game on the heels of surprising home loss to Stuttgart last weekend, while Freiburg recorded a slightly nervous, but vital victory at Greuther Fürth.

To clinch the 4th Champion’s League spot, Schalke must beat or draw against Frieburg and hope Frankfurt doesn’t win by 3 or more goals. On the other hand, Freiburg will clinch the 4th spot simply if they defeat Schalke. Finally, if Frankfurt wins by 3 or more goals against Wolfsburg while Freiburg and Schalke draw, then Frankfurt will seize the Champion’s League spot. Having never played in the Champions League, Freiburg probably view the Schalke match as one of the biggest in their history. So with only a win needed, can Freiburg pull out what seemed almost impossible at the season’s beginning?

The other three teams remaining with high stakes matches will be fighting to avoid relegation on Saturday. Currently, Hoffenhiem look set to join Greuther Fürth in the second tier of German football next year, since the side is two points away from safety with an almost impossible task ahead of them. Hoffenheim travel to Dortmund, looking for their first every victory at the Signal Iduna Park, desperately needing a win. As if beating Dortmund isn’t enough, Hoffenheim must also depend on the results of FC Augsburg (FCA) and Fortuna Düsseldorf two matches working out in their favor. If Hoffenhiem do in fact grab an incredible victory at Dormund and get some help from FCA and Fortuna, it may well be seen as one of the greatest escapes in Bundesliga history.

FC Augsburg and Fortuna Düsseldorf both have 30 points, occupying places 16^th and 17^th places with only Fortuna’s superior goal difference separating the sides. The two sides have matches of contrasting difficulty for keeping themselves in the Bundesliga. At home, Augsburg face already relegated Greuther Fürth. The fact that Fürth have already been relegated could mean that the side turns up at the SGL Arena with no intention of battling hard to defeat Augsburg.

On the the hand, Fortuna travel to 9^th placed Hannover 96 on Saturday. On paper, you would say that Hannover are favorites; however, after Fortuna defeated the 96ers in December, nothing is certain before this massive game. With no win in 11 games, Fortuna look like a surefire relegation candidate, or at best a side destined for the relegation play-off with Kaiserslautern. If Fortuna win or draw and Augsburg don’t win, then Fortuna clinches its survival. Sounds simple, right? If FCA have any chance of surviving, it must win and either hope that Fortuna don’t win or that it betters Fortuna’s goal differential.

So the results from Hoffenheim, FC Augsburg, and Fortuna Düsseldorf’s matches on Saturday will decide who faces Kaiserslautern in the play-off, who will join Greuther Fürth in the 2.German Bundesliga, and who will survive for next season.

It’s safe to say that this weekend’s final matchday of Bundesliga football is going to be exciting. There’s nowhere else in the football world deserving your attention on Saturday. This final match day is not to be missed. The prospect of Champions League football and a spot in next year’s Bundesliga hangs by a thread. Who will come out on top?

“Only God Can Judge Me” – The Tumultuous Tale of Schalke’s Jermaine Jones

Adrian Sertl — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:29:34 +0000

As his Schalke side prepare to meet Freiburg on the final matchday of the season, where a single point should be enough to secure fourth place in the table and the valuable Champions League qualification spot, Jermaine Jones stands at a crossroads in his career. In a recent article in Bild Jones hinted at a possible exit from the Ruhr Valley club, perhaps even as early as this off-season. Two things were made clear however; one is that Jones would not leave Schalke for any other German club and would go abroad, and the second is that North America would likely not be the destination at this point in time.

But regardless of where Jones ends up, if in fact he decides to leave this summer, it creates a rather sizeable problem for Schalke. While he’s definitely not the flashiest player around, indeed there are times where he has difficulty staying on the pitch at all; Jones’ potential departure would leave the relatively young club without one of their more experienced players going forward, potentially meaning a massive hole to fill for Die Königsblauen.

By the Numbers – Utility and Versatility

Taking a quick look at Jones’ statistical data for the 2012-13 Bundesliga season, well 33/34ths of it anyway, we should be able to come up with a reasonable determination on how valuable he is to his club. Jones has appeared in 24 matches so far this season, with 2 of those appearances coming off the bench, which is the most he’s played since coming back from a serious injury that ruled him out of the entire 2009-10 season. In this time he’s managed a single goal and 5 assists.

Offensively speaking Jones tries to get into the mix as often as he can. His 32 total shots (1.33 per game) are the most for any player outside of the more traditional attacking positions and are fairly evenly distributed between mid to long range efforts and attempts from inside the 18 yard box. He is also a fairly important figure in terms of chance creation with 26 key passes good for 6^th on the team.

In terms of his passing Jones is one of the more active passers in the Schalke side having attempted nearly 1150 passes in total although he’s only connecting at a 76.1% completion rate, which ranks him in the bottom third on his team. However when taking into account that Jones attempts a large number of long balls, the average length of his passes is over 20 metres, a lower passing accuracy number should not be unexpected. Conversely, Jones is very adept at using the through ball having attempted 11 but connecting on 9 of them.

Attacking and passing numbers aside, looking at Jones’ defensive statistics, one really starts to see where his true value lies. He is the leader in total successful aerial duels won with 88 (60%) in spite of not being the tallest player on the squad. Jones is also a key contributor in both tackling, having won 81% of his tackles, and interceptions. Perhaps somewhat unsurprising Jones is far and away the team leader in fouls conceded with 61 and is second only to Christian Fuchs in yellow cards, although Jones has been sent off once this season, something he can laud over the Austrian.

What we can then safely conclude from looking at the numbers is that Jermaine Jones plays a very significant role in the Schalke midfield due to his (mostly) positive contributions across the board. However, the numbers don’t even begin to tell Jones’ entire story as there are many intangibles that make him the player that he is and for that we’ll need to take a look at his maturation over the course of his career.

From Rogue to Role Model

A recent article from 11freunde chronicles Jones’s transformation from a reckless youth into the veteran footballer he has ultimately become. The article discusses how his brash, ‘rock-star’ like attitude served as a severe detriment to his success and how a chance meeting with a coach on a team he wasn’t even playing for managed to convince Jones to drop the bad boy image and focus on becoming a well-rounded professional football player. But, a little background to start.

Jermaine Jones was born on the 3^rd of November, 1981 in the Bonames district of Frankfurt to an American father, a United States Army soldier stationed overseas, and a German mother. Jones would spend some time living in the States before his parents would divorce and he returned with his mother back to Germany. After playing in his youth for SV Bonames and FV Bad Vilbel, Jones was then bought by Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt where he would begin to develop the skills necessary to continue along his career path.

Sadly for Jones he fell into the trappings of a life full of indulgences, and ended up paying closer attention to the nightlife in Frankfurt than to the football pitch and the training ground. But in spite of all of the off-field antics Jones’ play on the pitch for a top flight Eintracht team made him the target of a move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2004.

However the party lifestyle followed him and he quickly earned the ire of then manager Klaus Augenthaler who demoted Jones to the Leverkusen 2^nd team. Jones appeared resistant to shedding his stubborn ways and was starting to gain a reputation of being somewhat injury prone, qualities that would never endear himself to any club vying for his signature. Clearly something had to change.

And change it did.

The details are a little spotty but according to 11freunde then Eintracht Frankfurt coach Friedhelm Funkel invited Jones to meet with him in a café in Köln. A 3 hour conversation took place that seemingly opened the young man’s eyes, as Funkel spoke to him about the virtues of living a righteous life and how that was going to be the only way that the young footballer was going to be able to get his life sorted and his career back on track. Jones himself said it was “Perhaps the most important conversation of my life”.

Having had his epiphany, Jermaine Jones would leave Leverkusen behind him and make his return back to Frankfurt, at first on loan, permanent for the start of the 2005-06 season, however a serious leg injury suffered early in the season kept him out of action until the final matchday. Jones would play one more season for Eintracht before departing for Schalke on a free transfer in the summer of 2007.

Jones would continue on an upward trajectory for Schalke over the next few seasons, even receiving 3 call ups to the Germany Men’s National Team in 2008 (all friendlies), before yet another serious leg injury sidelined him for the lion’s share of the 2009-10 season. If that wasn’t bad enough, after making a full recovery Jones butted heads with then Schalke manager Felix Magath who criticized the player on his lack of commitment to training, perhaps to the almost unachievable standards of Herr Magath, and then sent Jones to train with the Schalke reserves.

With his future at Schalke in jeopardy, in January of 2011 Jones accepted a loan deal to go to Blackburn Rovers of the English Premier League in order to garner some attention for a possible move in the summer. However, despite playing rather well in England no sides came calling and he made his way back to Gelsenkirchen at season’s end, to much more favourable conditions as Magath had been sacked that spring.

After an indifferent time under Ralf Rangnick’s abbreviated tenure at Schalke, Jones found a keen backer in the form of Dutchman Huub Stevens who saw the player occupying a strong leadership role on the pitch and one that he has yet to relinquish under current manager Jens Keller.

The Future – Amerika? Es Ist Wunderbar!

So what does the future hold for Jermaine Jones? In 2010 he became a fully fledged American International, by virtue of his father’s heritage and the new FIFA rules regarding national team eligibility and it just appears logical that Jones will choose to end his career in the United States, perhaps after a short Continental detour. And it makes perfect sense too. Jones is admittedly approaching the twilight of his career and with two serious leg injuries in mind his window of opportunity to use his playing career to provide for his family (he’s married with 5 children) is closing ever so quickly. He’s clearly come a long way from being the punk kid from Bonames.

**All stats were taken from WhoScored.com and Squawka.com**

Header image courtesy of dpa.

Bundesliga Betting Preview Matchday 34

Aleix Gwilliam — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:42:28 +0000

Finally it has arrived, the most highly-awaited and yet dreaded matchday of the season, the last Bundesliga day for three months that may leave us ecstatic, distraught, excited and which might also make us a little bit of money. Recent events have shown that logic hasn’t played a huge part in the results but we are confident that these tips are foolproof.