Soccer FanHouse

German Keeper Robert Enke Dead at 32

Michael Cardillo — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:03:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer Posts, Bundesliga (Germany)

Truly sad and shocking news out of Germany late Tuesday, as goalkeeper Robert Enke died at the age of 32 in an apparent suicide, which was confirmed by his agent. Enke was hit by a train at a crossing near his home in Neustadt-Eilvese.

By most accounts Enke, who played at Hannover 96, figured to be a part of the German 2010 World Cup squad, finally getting a chance to play after the successive retirements of longtime keepers Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann.

Germany was scheduled to play a friendly with fellow World Cup participant Chile on Saturday, though Enke was not a part of the squad. It's unsure if the match due to take place in Cologne will go on as scheduled.

When something like this happens, there's really not much to say aside for sympathies for Enke's wife Teresa and adopted nine-month-old daughter. It's also sad to read in the wake of Enke's death that his daughter, Lara, died in 2006 at the age of two due to a rare heart condition.

From an American perspective, it's hard to imagine what would happen in the macabre hypothetical scenario where a high-profile player in an North American sports league were to commit suicide while he was still playing. Fortunately the list of American professional athlete suicides isn't very long, with the highest profile being former pitcher Donnie Moore, who killed himself shortly after his career ended in 1989.

Suffice to say, it would likely dominate the news cycle for more than just a day or two, but let's hope this is a possibility we never have to worry about.

Enke had been with Hannover since 2004 after a globe-trotting career that saw stops at high-profile clubs like Benfica, Barcelona and Fenerbahce. He was teammates with U.S. international Steve Cherundolo, who himself has been with the German club since 1999. (Another American -- Sal Zizzo -- is also on the books at Hannover, but this season he's been loaned to 2.Bundesliga club Fortuna Dusseldorf.)

German national team general manager Oliver Bierhoff has been quoted as saying, "We are all shocked. We are lost for words."

It's hard to argue with him.

If you happen to speak German, The Bild website has plenty of addition information on the life and death of Enke.

German Keeper Robert Enke Dead at 32 originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mistakes Cost Michael Bradley

Michael Cardillo — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Soccer Posts, Bundesliga (Germany), U.S. Men's National Team

Before reading any further, it's probably best to watch the video embedded above. Let's call that the good the Michael Bradley.

Fans of the U.S. National Team have seen plenty of the good Bradley, the player that's a box-to-box midfield force who's chipped in with six goals in 34 international appearances, while simultaneously establishing himself at SC Hereenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie and currently at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German Bundesliga.

There's also the other side of Bradley, let's call it the bad side. The side that racks up reckless fouls leading to yellow and red cards as recently witnessed in the U.S.'s semifinal win over Spain at June's the Confederation's Cup, which caused him to miss the final against Brazil a few days later.

This weekend in Germany Bradley, who's usually in the starting XI, was left out of the Borussia Monchengladbach squad because coach Michael Frontzeck says he "didn't realize his mistakes in the recent matches."

For U.S. fans, hopefully this is a one-time occurrence because Bradley figures to be a key component in his father Bob Bradley's squad for the 2010 World Cup. Yet even if the incidents is unrelated, it does bring to light a lingering concern about the younger Bradley's game, namely his lack of discipline on the field.

Bradley, who's still just 22 years old, has all the talent to command the center of the U.S. midfield for the next couple World Cup cycles, witness his two goals against Mexico back in February. When he's on the field the U.S. is clearly a more complete and dangerous team. Bradley has all the physical tools to succeed, if he can hone the mental aspects there's no ceiling to his upside.

Therein lies the rub, part of what makes Bradley such a force for the U.S. midfield is his strong, physical nature. By the same token, all it takes is a fraction of a second to turn a good, hard challenge into a bookable offense. And in a tournament setting like a World Cup, losing a player to a red card can cripple a team.

The fact that his father is the coach only serves to compound or muddle the issue depending upon how you choose to look at it.

Either way we'll get an quick look if the benching affected Bradley or if he's made any adjustments in his game when the U.S. hosts El Salvador Saturday night in Utah for a must-win CONCACAF World Cup qualifier.

As it stands defender Oguchi Onyewu must serve a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation and on top of that nine U.S. players would be suspended for next week's qualifier at Trinidad & Tobago should they receive a booking vs. El Salvador. As luck would have it, Bradley is not among those nine.

Mistakes Cost Michael Bradley originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schalke's Jones Pledges Allegiance

Brian Straus — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:04:00 EST

Filed under: International Soccer, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany), U.S. Men's National Team

For those chafing at the thought of New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi suiting up for the Italians in Monday's Confederations Cup opener against the U.S. in Pretoria, news this morning out of Germany should offer some ironic relief.

Schalke 04 midfielder Jermaine Jones, a 27-year-old from Frankfurt who happens to be the son of an American soldier, has decided to take advantage of a new FIFA rule and declare his intention to play for the U.S. national team. Last week, the global governing body decided that players who hadn't represented their country in official competition could switch affiliation at any point, rather then only before their 21st birthday. Apparently snubbed by German national team coach Joachim Low, Jones has taken advantage.

Both the DFB and Schalke confirmed Jones' decision on their respective websites this morning. Considered one of the Bundesliga's best holding midfielders, he represented Germany at the under-21 level and had appeared in three friendlies for the nationalmannschaft (including last November's game against England), but didn't make the Euro 2008 roster and didn't appear to be in Low's World Cup qualifying plans.

"I have played a very good season, but have not gotten a chance with the national team. I want it but it hasn't happened. The chapter with the German national team is closed," Jones told Schalke's website.

"We have noted Jermaine Jones's decision and we accept it," Low said. U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati released a statement simply acknowledging the news. It's unclear when Jones would be eligible to play for the U.S.

The case immediately brings to mind those of Thomas Dooley and Earnie Stewart, European sons of American servicemen who weren't good enough to play for Germany and the Netherlands, respectively, but were more than qualified to help the U.S. Each had distinguished national team careers, playing in a combined five World Cups, and showed their loyalty to American soccer by signing with MLS.

It also raises some questions for U.S. coach Bob Bradley, who now has one more central midfielder to consider. His son Michael, also a Bundesliga player, appears to have one spot locked down when he's not suspended, while Ricardo Clark, Sacha Kljestan, Pablo Mastroeni, Maurice Edu and perhaps one or two others also are in the mix. Too bad Jones isn't a striker or outside back. But, he is an experienced player used to competing at the highest level, which the national team certainly could use. Many key American players still have trouble getting games abroad.

It's important not to make more out of this than it is -- Jones likely wouldn't have chosen the U.S. had Low brought him in for this year's qualifiers. We remain a second-tier soccer nation, and when players like Rossi or Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic have a legitimate choice between the U.S. national team and that of a competitive European or Latin American country, we can't expect to come out on top. At least for a while.

But what will change that is moving out of that second tier, and to do that we need to win games at World Cups. Jones may help the U.S. take a step in that direction.

Schalke's Jones Pledges Allegiance originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wolfsburg Wins German Bundesliga

Michael Cardillo — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

In general European soccer leagues tend to be dominated be a few "super clubs" and these teams trade the title back-and-forth each year. This, however, isn't the case in the German Bundesliga, where Saturday one of the league's minnows -- VfL Wolfsburg -- won the league for the first time in its 64-year history, edging out powerhouse Bayern Munich by two points.

Wolfsburg -- which is owned by car manufacturer Volkswagon -- had never won a major honor until Saturday, when it clinched the league by defeating Werder Bremen 5-1. The club's win gives the Bundesliga five different champions in this decade.

Wolfsburg were designed by former Bayern coach Felix Magath, who molded the club into a high-scoring machine. 30-year old Brazilian journeyman Grafite led the Bundesliga with 28 goals. Young Bosnian Edin Džeko was right behind him with 26, helping Wolfsburg score 80 goals -- nine more than Bayern.

The fairy tale for Wolfsburg is probably going to be a brief one. Magath has already agreed to coach Schalke 04 next season. Plus the club does qualify for the Champions League, but will be able to reinforce the current club or will the bigger fish around Europe come to poach away the better Wolfsburg players?

Whatever happens next year is irrelevant for today, at least. It's still good to see that a team can win a major European league without spending the GDP of a small country to field its players, instead focusing on tactics to win.

And who knows, maybe if you buy a 2009 Volkswagen it'll be extra special since the workers that assembled it are so pumped up by Wolfsburg's amazing season.

In other Bundesliga news from Saturday, U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley's club -- Borussia Mönchengladbach -- narrowly avoided relegation by one point.

Wolfsburg Wins German Bundesliga originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 23 May 2009 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shakhtar Donetsk Wins Final UEFA Cup

Michael Cardillo — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

The final staging of the UEFA Cup turned out to be a very engaging affair won by Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 over Germany's Werder Bremen in extra time Wednesday in Istanbul. Next year Europe's second-tier competition will be re-branded as the Europa League.

All three goals were scored by Brazilian players, including the winner sin the 97th minute by Shakhtar's Jadson. The game was full of incident, with Shakhtar especially aggressive throughout, probing the right side of the Bremen defense through captain Croatian Darijo Srna -- who's loss cross set up the winner.

Shakhtar got the scoring starting when Luiz Adriano collected a long, low pass through the Bremen defense and chipped keeper Tim Weise from just inside the box.

Bremen didn't wait long to draw level, when Brazilian defender Naldo ripped a freekick from 25 yards, which Shakhtar keeper Andrei Pyatov couldn't handle and ended up batting into the netting.

Though neither team scored for the next hour, it was plenty entertaining with chances on both ends. It's just a shame that Werder's all-world Brazilian midfielder Diego was suspended from the game due to card accumulation.

Shakhtar -- the first and only Ukrainian club to win the competition -- broke the deadlock when Srna served in a low cross to Jadson, who skimmed it low over the grass and through the dive of a lunging Weise. Immediately after the goal the Bremen defense make appeals of a handball, but those claims appeared completely baseless.

Bremen nearly equalized from the restart, with Claudio Pizarro firing wide of the target, just a minute after Jadson's goal. The Germans thought they had a penalty in the late going when Srna hooked down Aaron Hunt inside the penalty area, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. Pizarro thought he'd leveled, too, late on but was ruled offside.

It'll be interesting to see where Shakhtar go from here. Will they follow in the footsteps of last year's UEFA Cup winner -- Zenit St. Petersburg -- which eventually sold off star Andrei Arshavin. Or will they make the next step and make a move toward the Champions League knockout rounds.

Obviously after today's game Srna will be at the top of the summer transfer lists of all major European clubs. That said, Shahktar's chairman is Rinat Akhmetov who just happens to be one of the richest men in the world. So it would have to come down to Srna forcing a transfer from the club where he wears the captain's armband.

All-and-all, it was a pretty good swansong for the NIT of European soccer.

Shakhtar Donetsk Wins Final UEFA Cup originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Wed, 20 May 2009 17:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football, Fussball, Soccer

Brian Straus — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:39:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany), FanHouse Exclusive

The nine games played on the penultimate weekend of the Bundesliga season featured average crowds of more than 50,000. I was fortunate enough to attend the one with the largest (about 74,000), a draw between Hertha Berlin and Schalke 04 at the historic Olympiastadion that ended the capital club's quest for its first championship in nearly 80 years.

The atmosphere was electric both inside and outside the stadium, the supporters colorful and loud. The scene at HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg last Wednesday, where I was among the 48,000 who saw Hamburger SV defeat VfL Bochum, 3-1, was similar. It was enjoyable, but it was hard not to feel a bit wistful at the same time, knowing that the game in the U.S. may never achieve that kind of prominence.

But prominence can be a double-edged sword. With it comes saturation, corporatization and reduced access for the common fan - the lowest-priced ticket I saw available for sale at HSV, for example, was 35 euro (about $47), a Coke was 4 euro, and the Hertha game had been sold out for nearly a month.

Who brags about seeing an aging, popular band in a large stadium years after their first platinum album? Nobody. But everyone wants to be able to say they were there at the beginning, standing in a small, smokey club listening to a bunch of unknowns destined for stardom. Counterculture is cool, and it can be a brand as well. No-frills can be appealing in its own way, especially in an era of luxury suites, seat licenses and the like. Based upon my experience at the Millerntor stadium, just blocks from Hamburg's famous Reeperbahn red light district, going punk rock may be just the ticket for Major League Soccer.

The Millerntor is home to FC St. Pauli, whose motto is "Non established since 1910". The Pirates of the North returned to the Bundesliga's second division last season after four years in the regional leagues and cannot hope to compete with HSV athletically or financially. But neither can any MLS club, so it's worth looking at how FCSP manages to fill both its mostly rickety, 23,000 -seat stadium and its souvenir shop each time it plays.

The Millerntor's brand-new, 12 million euro south stand features terracing for the ultras, seats for fans who want a bit more comfort and even a few suites up near the top. Sven Brux, a 20-year St. Pauli employee who handles game day organization, security and press, confirmed that the suites don't necessarily conflict with the club's anti-establishment philosophy: "Well, here they're not so big." The stadium's other three stands are old, small and bare-bones, and will be replaced eventually, Brux said. But in the meantime, they do the job. They're close to the field and the roofs hold in the noise -- a stark contrast to the open-air, shallow stands that seem to feature in just about every copy-cat MLS stadium that's been built so far.

The fans show up early, gathering around the sausage and beer carts that sit outside. This is not a family and youth soccer crowd. There are kids, certainly, but they're more likely to be wearing little leather jackets and carrying pirate flags than they are to be sporting shin guards. Anti-fascist T-shirts (a swipe at HSV), earrings, leather and anything else that might make you think you were at CBGB in the 1980s, in addition to FCSP's distinctive brown jersey, are everywhere. Those same shirts moved briskly at the very modern club shop.

The fans create the atmosphere. They are the event. The singing is constant, the rejoicing following FCSP's two goals against Mainz euphoric and the cheers and banners creative. On this day, they throw balls of paper toward the field to mock the bizarre incident that contributed to HSV's UEFA Cup elimination a few days earlier. Brux himself was wearing a badge reading "I [heart] Papierkugeln".

Prior to the 2007 season, MLS introduced its 'Game First' initiative, designed in part to professionalize the presentation of its games. A reduction of in-stadium announcements and background noise, better television broadcasts, etc. played a part in reducing the clutter surrounding the match. My day at St. Pauli convinced me that the league should go further.

Clubs are wasting their money on amenities at stadiums that do nothing to generate atmosphere. Gourmet food stands that distract fans, high "roofs" like the ones in Sandy and Commerce City that add only to the facility's cost and not its noise level, multiple, glass-enclosed suites and shallow stands that separate fans from the field suck the life from an event. That money, if available, should be spent securing the site itself, not on the facility. Better to have basic, humble digs downtown than a soulless palace in the far-flung suburbs. Toronto FC has it right, and everyone knows it.

Present MLS as the alternative to the corporate, overpriced NFL or the slow, tired, drug-riddled farce that is Major League Baseball. Be punk rock. Be pirates. Be the up-and-coming band at the crowded, smelly club that people are dying to get into. Get your message out to the millions who don't just consume the popular and obvious. If the atmosphere is there, customers will want to be as well. A place to stand and a few basic refreshment vendors should be sufficient. The fans for whom that's not good enough aren't going to add to the spectacle anyway.

Football, Fussball, Soccer originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 19 May 2009 11:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bayern Munich Fire Jurgen Klinsmann

Michael Cardillo — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

After weeks of speculation, the guillotine finally fell on Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann when the German giants fired him Monday. In the last few weeks Bayern has crashed out of the Champions League after being bludgeoned by Barcelona and this weekend fell to third place in the Bundesliga.

The writing was on the wall for Klinsmann for a couple weeks, so this move is hardly a surprise, even if he had signed a two-year contract before the season. Will the move spark Bayern to win the title with under five games to go? Hard to say. If anything Bayern needs to stratch and claw to finish in the top three to remain in the Champions League for next year.

This could have some carryover effect to fans of the U.S. National Team, since Klinsmann was strongly linked to the senior team head coaching job in 2007 before Bob Bradley was hired.

Would the USSF consider bringing Klinsmann aboard in some capacity before the 2010 World Cup? Would Klinsmann, now unemployed and three-plus years removed from the glow of Germany's third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, be willing to reconsider?

It's probably a massive longshot and all the cards would still rest in the German legend's hands. Even though he didn't set the world afire at Bayern, Klinsmann's tactical mind could bring some welcome fresh ideas into the U.S. camp.

Bayern Munich Fire Jurgen Klinsmann originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donovan's German Holiday Ends, Will Return to Los Angeles Galaxy

Michael Cardillo — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, Soccer, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

Ask any 10 fans of the U.S. National Team about Landon Donovan are you're likely to get 10 different responses. No other player can at the same time draw as much praise or heat as the Yanks all-time leading scorer. Yet if you troll through most message boards, Donovan is a target or scorn and disdain, mostly because he flamed out at two stints with Bayer Leverkausen this decade.

This might go against the popular Internet grain, but I for one feel somewhat sorry for Donovan after it was announced Thursday that he won't be kept on at Bayern Munich, instead return to the Los Angeles Galaxy in time for the 2009 MLS season. Yes, Donovan is an easy target but this time it probably wasn't his fault. He gave it a go with one of the world's über-clubs, and they simply didn't need his services.

By all accounts, Donovan acquitted himself well during his two-plus months with the German giants. It's not exactly his fault he couldn't supplant world-class strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose in roughly six months. (Now, the Ivica Olic -- who'll join Bayern after the season -- that's another story.)

Hopefully Donovan will have learned a new trick or two during his winter vacation in Germany and return to MLS and more importantly the U.S. National Team with a renewed sense of purpose.

The question is whether another European club will come knocking. Not too many teams are going to want to bring in a 26-year-old tweener forward with limited club experience outside of the cozy confines of MLS. If given the proper situation, Donovan does have a useful skill set that could benefit teams. That team was probably Bayern, with coach Jürgen Klinsmann very familiar with Donovan's game, unfortunately they didn't have a spot for him.

If you're in the anti-Donovan camp you can point to the fact he waited too long -- until he was 26 -- to give Europe a serious run.

Me, I've been hard on Donovan, but today I won't fault him for trying.

Ironically enough, Donovan turned 27 on March 4. Guess this wasn't the birthday present he was hoping for.

Donovan's German Holiday Ends, Will Return to Los Angeles Galaxy originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bayern Chairman Cool on Donovan

Michael Cardillo — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:39:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, MLS, Soccer, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

All told, Landon Donovan hasn't spent all that much time of his life in Germany even if you include his recent stint at Bayern Munich. One German phrase he certainly knows without consulting the Lonely Planet phrase book is auf Wiedersehen. (Heck, anyone that watches 'Project Runway' probably knows that one.)

Tuesday Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told a Munich newspaper that it's unlikely the club will extend the U.S. captain's contract beyond this month when his loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy expires. Donovan has played in four games since the Bundesliga resumed after its winter break, but has yet to start.

Granted, it's hard to tell the exact nature of the Rummenigge's quote or what context it was made.

"Donovan is an interesting player. But when you have Klose, Toni and Olic already under contract, we think the fourth player (striker) should really be a young player with perspective."

What's noteworthy is that Donovan while most fans of U.S. soccer tend to still think of Donovan as a young guy, at 26 he's clearly not a young pup in the eyes of Bayern. This tends to further reinforce the longstanding thought that if Donovan was ever going to make an impact in Europe it would have needed to be in his initial stints at Bayer Leverkausen.

Donovan hasn't been a total flop in his month-and-change at Bayern and seems to have fit in pretty well. He probably still has some viability to go abroad if a club is willing to pony up some cash to MLS, since he has been it's posterboy until that Beckham fellow arrived. You'd think Donovan might want to hone and sharpen his skills in Europe ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

For what it's worth, Donovan did look sharp in last week's 2-0 qualifier win over Mexico, playing a very complete game and setting up both U.S. goals.

Bayern Chairman Cool on Donovan originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donovan Nets 1st Bayern Goal

Michael Cardillo — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:46:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, MLS, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany), U.S. Men's National Team

Well, that didn't take long. In his second game -- this time a friendly against Al Wheba in Abu Dhabi -- Landon Donovan scored for Bayern Munich. No need to rehash the whole Donovan story, but it's certainly a boost to his spirits to get a goal to his name at one of the world's best teams.

According to the match report, and a couple emails, it was a pretty nice goal where Donovan chested down a ball, turned and fired into the net. Unlike the previous game, Donovan only played 45 minutes and his goal came in stoppage time. No to jump overboard, but it's one thing to score against Al Wheba and another to do it against, say, Hamburg or Schalke. (Granted, the Bundesliga isn't exactly known for its defense as of late.)

Though he's still listed as returning to the Los Angles Galaxy in March, something says Donovan might extend his stay in Bavaria if he continues to impress. Bayern coach Jürgen Klinsmann has all but said Donovan is auditioning to replace want-away forward Lucas Podolski who's been heavily linked to a return to his previous club, Cologne. Though it might sound blasphemous, Donovan does have a somewhat similar skill set as Podolski.

Bottom line, with every performance like this -- especially with goals -- the window for Donovan to return to MLS closes ever so slightly. (Video of the goal after the jump.)
Goal comes around the 5:15 mark.

Donovan Nets 1st Bayern Goal originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donovan Makes Bayern Bow

Michael Cardillo — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:29:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, MLS, Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

The once-and-future poster boy for U.S. soccer Landon Donovan saw his latest foray into the wild and woolly world of European soccer Sunday in of all places Abu Dhabi. Donovan played all 90 minutes in a Bayern Munich -- his club for the time being -- 3-2 victory over Al Jeezera Sports Club in a friendly while the Bundesliga is on its winter break. Donovan played forward alongside Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose for a half each.

Whereas Donovan's Galaxy teammate David Beckham's loan with AC Milan is a little more clear cut -- the English midfielders team of advisors affrm he'll be back for the start of MLS season in March -- the U.S. captain's stay with the German giants is a little murkier.

For instance, Bayern doesn't resume competitive play until a Jan. 27 DFB-Pokal match with Stuttgart. The Bundesliga restarts three days later. Bayern also plays the first leg of it's Round of 16 Champions League with Sporting Lisbon on Feb. 25. Would Bayern boss Jürgen Klinsmann risk playing Donovan in such an important match? So when you boil it down Donovan is doing little more than training with Bayern.Rumors and speculation link Donovan to a long-term move to Germany, should his two-month stint -- a trial if you will -- works out favorably. Klinsmann, who previously lived in California, must see something worthwhile in Donovan, why go through this process otherwise? If Donovan simply wanted to stay in shape, he could have trained with the team U.S. coach Bob Bradley called in ahead of this month's friendly with Sweden at the Home Depot Center.

All American fans know how Donovan washed out as a teenager at Bayer Leverkausen and then went back a few years later, only to run back to MLS with his tail between his legs. Will an older, wiser Donovan make this attempt count? If he does its only going to be a good thing for U.S. fans ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

As easy a target Donovan can be at times, he is extremely quick on the ball. We've never seen Donovan in a situation where he didn't have to carry the offensive burden of a team. At Bayern he won't have to take free kicks or draw top marking priorities -- who is the defense worried about Franck Ribery or Donovan?.

In a lot of ways, it could actually liberate Donovan to learn a new role on the field. We may all look at Donovan in a completely different light once we see him as a complimentary player.

Stay tuned.

Donovan Makes Bayern Bow originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Subotic Opts for Serbia

Michael Cardillo — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, International, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany), U.S. Men's National Team

Guess the egg nog didn't go down all that smooth at U.S. Soccer Federation headquarters on Christmas Day considering Neven Subotic finally agreed to pledge his International allegiance to Serbia and thus spurn the USMNT. Considering all the rumors, hints and allegations you'd have to think the power brokers in Chicago saw this coming a mile away and have been preparing for it ever since U-20 coach Thomas Rongen left Subotic out of the roster for the 2007 U-20 World Cup in Canada.

As a U.S. fan it's disappointing that a potentially world class defensive player decided that the American program wasn't for him. What international team wouldn't want a 20 year old 6-foot-4 beast -- with an eye for goal no less -- in the center of their defense?

It's hard to work up any real animosity toward Subotic, too. He was born in Bosnia and was raised in Germany before moving to the U.S. in 1999. He's certainly spent more time in Europe than the States, so though his passport might be American issue it's a safe bet Subotic defines himself more of a Euro than a Yank. (Yes, this is a leap of faith on my part, go with it.)

U.S. players Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu have proven themselves as solid Internationals, but can you blame Subotic for wanting to partner with Manchester United's world class center back Nemanja Vidic? It might be harder for Serbia to make the World Cup, even if it does currently lead UEFA Group 7, but who wouldn't rather play against nations like France, Romania and Austria compared to the standard CONCACAF fare?

This isn't another Giuseppe Rossi situation where a talented player is born in the States, but opts to play for the nation of his parents ancestry. You can kill the USSF for letting a New Jersey born player decide to wear the blue shirt of Italy very easily. Doing the same for a guy born in the now defunct Yugoslavia is a little bit different, perhaps not an out-and-out shiner, but a black eye, albeit one easier to concel with some well worded press releases, nonetheless.

Subotic Opts for Serbia originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Goliath Slays David in Germany

Michael Cardillo — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:54:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

Perhaps the best story currently going in the world of soccer is that of German Bundesliga neophytes TSG Hoffenheim. The crib notes version on its story -- a small regional club gets financial backing from a German telecom entrepreneur in 1990. The club has since moved up eight levels on the German soccer ladder, including back-to-back promotions. Now, in their first season in the 1.Bundesliga, the club has amazed everyone and held the first place spot.

~~Saturday~~ Friday the Hoff played the biggest , wealthiest club in the land -- Bayern Munich -- in a clash for first place. Hoffenheim actually lead 1-0 from Bosnian striker Vedad Ibiševi?, but were eventually downed by an injury-time winner by Italian Luca Toni. Hoffenheim is remarkably still in first place on goal difference over Bayern. The Bundesliga race should be fascinating as the calendar turns to 2009 with Hertha Berlin, Bayer Leverkausen and Hamburg all within hailing distance of the top spot.

Still, the story of Hoffenheim remains a great one. It also points out one of the wonderful things about how soccer clubs, or even professional sports, work outside of the United States. With the right amount of money, ambition and acumen clubs can rise to the top tier. It keeps teams from remaining stagnant and simply cashing in the television money every year like a lot of American pro teams. The Hoffenheim tale is nice, too, since the financial backer -- Dietmar Hopp actually has connects to the club and isn't some icy Russian oligarch.

The story has some similarities to that of the Tampa Bay Rays rise in baseball this season. The upstart Rays ended up a few games short, although they did best the bloated payroll Yankees in the American League East and top the equally powerful Red Sox in the playoffs. We'll see if the Hoff suffers a similar fate.

Goliath Slays David in Germany originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bayern, Donovan Agree to Loan

Michael Cardillo — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: MLS, Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

Who says Landon Donovan isn't as big as David Beckham? The recently minted U.S. soccer player of the year and MLS MVP runner-up is swinging his own Beckham inspired winter loan, moving to German powerhouse Bayern Munich, officially after spending the last 10 or so days training in Bavaria. Bayern coach, and one-time California semi-pro league player, Jürgen Klinsmann confirmed the loan, too.

There's not a whole lot more to say about this move that already hasn't been done to death. It's good that Donovan is finally deciding to give Europe another shot after flaming out twice at Bayer Leverkausen. It's great that the U.S. can add a player, albeit likely a fringe player, to a G-14, Champions League mainstay like Bayern. (Hopefully he didn't make his choice of European club by playing 'FIFA 09' and putting himself on Bayern.)

Donovan is certainly a lightning rod for U.S. fans or soccer fans in America in general that support other countries. Though some like him, he's generally derided for being soft and scoffed at by ex-pats for being a nothing more than a good player in a crap league.

What also needs to be addressed is if Donovan will end up with Bayern long-term after March or the Bundesliga season ends in May, or if he'll return to the Galaxy and resume MLS-poster boy duties.

This news might actually be a bigger for German fans, as in if this moves paves the way for Lukas Podolski's long-rumored move away from Bayern.

Whatever ends up happening, now we'll finally get to see who the real Donovan is.

Bayern, Donovan Agree to Loan originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rising Star Snubs U.S.?

Michael Cardillo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:16:00 EST

Filed under: Soccer, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany), U.S. Men's National Team

Over the last couple months the name Neven Subotic has generated a ton of buzz in the American Internet soccer community. Most of the digital word count hovered around where the rising defender at Borussia Dortmund would chose to play his international soccer -- Bosnia, Serbia, Germany or the U.S.?

That decision might be over if a report from the Serbian news agency Angencije is correct. The 20-year-old appears to have chosen Serbia, due to the ancestry of his father to play internationally. This might not be a complete done deal, as FIFA probably has to approve the move.

Anyway, long story short, Subotic was born in Yugoslavia in 1988 in an area which is now Bosnia. He moved to Germany in 1990 and stayed there until 1999 when there guest worker passes expiring, thus moving to Salt Lake City and eventually Bradenton, Fla., where he caught the eye of the U-17 U.S. residency program.

Subotic played for the U.S. at the U-17 and U-20 level, but was snubbed by U-20 coach Thomas Rongen at last year's U-20 World Cup in Canada, which set into motion the drama surrounding where he'd play on the senior international level.

Apparently his goal since moving back to Deutschland was to represent Germany on the senior international level, but since FIFA and UEFA can begun to crack down players swapping nationalities, Subotic appears to have been caught in the crossfire.

Having watched Subotic a few times in the Bundesliga on television, he would certainly have been an asset for the U.S. senior team, as he's very capable moving forward into the attack from the center or defense.

It's a pretty bad indictment on the U.S. program that a talented, building block player would snub the country where he is legally a citizen for a country in Serbia, which will have its work cut out for it to make the World Cup any time soon. In some ways though, you can't blame him. Would you have play games against France, Romania, etc. or Guatemala and Cuba? Germany over the U.S. is a slam dunk, but is Serbia? (Guess there's more appeal to playing alongside Manchester United Champions League-winning center back Nemanja Vidic than I thought.)

Hopefully this is somewhat of a wake-up call in the USSF that not everything they're doing is hunky dory, even if it's a small sample size. For whatever the reason certain Americans with European or Latin ancestry don't think representing the red, white and blue is a worthy cause. There are probably too many reasons to get into, but its an issue that Sunil Gulati never to look hard at and now just play with carefully worded lip service. If the U.S. ever wants to take it to the next level -- and not just in Nike ads -- it can't let this young players who are excelling in top European leagues to slip through the cracks.

This isn't as bad as Guiseppe Rossi choosing Italy over the States, considering he was actually born and raised in New Jersey, but it's still a minor black eye for U.S. soccer overall. Subotic would have been something the U.S. is missing, a cultured, technical center back that can aid the attack and not just womp it up the field. Current U.S. coach value defenders that can score on set plays, Subotic has netted three times in the Bundesliga this season.

But hey, maybe it's not a done deal. Perhaps before that first Serbia call-up all U.S. fans can mail Subotic some blue jeans and cartons of Marlboro reds to perhaps remind him to give America a second chance.

Rising Star Snubs U.S.? originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donovan Trains in Bavaria with Bayern

Michael Cardillo — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: International, MLS, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany)

The question, today, is whether or not Landon Donovan brought his lederhosen. You see, the once-and-forever U.S. soccer poster child is in Bavaria this week training with mighty Bayern Munich at the behest of his SoCal pal Jürgen Klinsmann, who just so happens to coach the German giants. The wantaway Galaxy star and MLS leading goal scorer clearly wants to dip his toes into European waters for the third time and is training with Bayern for 10 days.

It's easy to scoff at Donovan and his desire to give Europe the ol' college try, again, considering his two massive flameouts at Bayer Leverkausen. Though minutes would be hard to come by at Bayern, specifically, at least Klinsmann has knowledge and a relationship with Donovan so he'd at least get some sort of shot as opposed to another club where he'd be a total unknown. Of course, considering German international Lucas Podolski can't even crack the Bayern starting XI, what does that say about Donovan?

From a U.S. standpoint, it would behoove the national team for Donovan to end up at a big club like Bayern since it would get him playing against the world's best players in the Champions League, the UEFA version because as we know the Galaxy couldn't even sniff the CONCACAF CL at the moment. Most American fans would likely rather see Donovan playing a bit role in the Bundesliga as opposed to a starring role at MLS, where he's done nearly everything possible to achieve in the American league.

Before wrapping this up, two other North American nuggets worth noting. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Galaxy owner and AEG honcho Philip Anschutz is in the running to buy Newcastle United in some tandem with FC Dallas boss Clark Hunt. The last American duo to buy an English club -- George Gillett and Tom Hicks at Liverpool -- hasn't gone too smoothly, but at least the reclusive Anschutz and Hunt have a clue about soccer.

The other note is that Mexican international Nery Castillo is close to a move to Guadalajara after his loan from Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester City has turned into an unmitigated disaster. Castillo (and his uni-brow) have only made seven appearances for City, so a move to Mexico should be welcome by fans of El Tri.

Donovan Trains in Bavaria with Bayern originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Bradley Going to Deutschland (Umlauts Optional)

Michael Cardillo — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:56:00 EST

Filed under: European Soccer, Soccer, US Soccer, Bundesliga (Germany), U.S. Men's National Team

The first pertinent transfer involving American players fell earlier Monday when USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley made a move from SC Heerenveen to German Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach. Let's take a pause to digest that mouthful.

Though 'Gladbach isn't exactly a household name, nor does it roll off the typical American tongue, it's a definite positive move for the 21-year-old son of U.S. coach Bob Bradley. From a simple league standpoint, the German league is a better week-in, week-out competition than the Dutch Eredivisie. (If you put stock in UEFA coefficients, Germany is the fifth-best European league, while the Dutch in No. 9.)

As usual, the question for any American player on the move is playing time. Since 'Gladbach is in its first season of promotion to the 1.Bundesliga, there should be oppurtunities to carve out a space in the midfield. Goal scoring -- he netted 15 in 55 games in the Netherlands -- might be a tougher nut to crack, although the Bundesliga offers ample goal chances. It'll be interesting to see what kind of a role he plays in terms of defensive duties and attack.

Bradley's name had been bandied about to a couple other European clubs over the last few weeks, including Middlesbrough and AS Monaco. Maybe 'Gladbach's success with former U.S. No. 1 Kasey Keller tipped the scales in Bradley's favor to Western industrial Germany. (Oddly enough, the physical move for Bradley is only about 160 miles south from Northern Holland.) Also noted in the later AP story was the friendship between Bradley and former Heerenveen teammate Rob Friend, who's also now at the club.

The only downside for this move is if Bradley starts smoking under the influence of new teammate -- 35-year-old German international Oliver Nueville.

Michael Bradley Going to Deutschland (Umlauts Optional) originally appeared on Soccer FanHouse on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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