Grössenwahn: The New European Order

Rory Smith writes in today's New York Times about European clubs living in the past with delusions of grandeur about the future. Although the column focuses on F.C. Kaiserslautern, Hamburger S.V. and VfB Stuttgart, it looks at the trend throughout Europe.  "Over the last two decades, a current has swept through European soccer, drastically shifting the game’s landscape," Smith writes.

Soccer Returns in Germany - Sort Of

Rory Smith in yesterday's New York Times wrote about the return of the Bundesliga to empty stadiums.  He focused on Dortmund where Borussia shut out FC Schalke, 4-0.  The story mentions the feeling of many fans that this isn't really soccer, but rather business.  But as Smith notes, when the first goal was scored, "In that moment, you could see beyond the silence and the grayness and the sorrow, beneath the business and the sport, that soccer is just a game. But it is a good game."

Bundesliga Fans In An Uproar

First it was league games on Monday nights.  Now German Bundesliga fans are in an upset over violation of the so-called 50-1 rule which prohibited any one person from owning a majority of a team.  Their protests have turned ugly including signs with a picture of Hoffenheim majority owner Dietmer Hopp in a gunsight's crosshairs.

At least four matches in the last month have been delayed by fan protests.

The New York Times ran a story about the German fan protests today.

Better Late Than Never: Germany Beats Sweden Seconds Before The End

Toni Kroos saved his best shot for last.

In what will surely go down as one of the great games of this and many other World Cups, Kroos drilled a curveball into the upper right corner moments before time expired to give the Germans a much-needed 2-1 victory over Sweden.

After a shocking 1-0 loss to Mexico in the opener, a loss would have eliminated Germany and a tie would have made advancement difficult in light of Sweden's defeat of South Korea.  

Although Germany dominated much of the play in the first half, they were down, 1-0 and it could have been worse.  Antonio Ruedinger got away with a foul in the box on Marcus Berg in the 12th minute.  The Swedes screamed - rightfully so in my opinion - but no call.  After Ola Toivonen put Sweden up 1-0 in the 32nd minute, Manuel Neuer made a spectacular save on a header by Berg just before halftime.  

Germany played with 10 men for about five minutes in the first half when Sebastien Rudy took an accidental boot in the nose and began bleeding profusely.  Finally Coach Löw decided to send in Ilkay Gundogan for Rudy. 

Germany scored its first goal of this World Cup when Marco Reuss caught a cross from Timo Werner with his knee and knocked it in.  

Although a draw would have kept German hopes of advancing alive, the three points obviously would have enhanced their chances and kept up the pressure after Reuss' goal and had several good chances.  Sweden, sitting on 3 points from its win over South Korea, was content to play everyone back on defense.  

Germany appeared to take a hit in the 82nd minute when Jerome Boateng was sent off with his second yellow.  But it did not seem to hurt.  Sweden needed a spectacular save by Robin Olsen on a header from Mario Gomez, to remain even.  

In stoppage time, Julian Brandt, who had just come on minutes earlier, hit the post with a shot, just as he had done against Mexico.  In the 5th minute, Werner came down the left as he had so many times before, and was fouled just outside the box.  Kroos touched the ball a yard or so to his right where Reuss put is foot on top of it and Kroos stepped up and drilled a curve ball into the upper right corner.  As brilliant as he had been, Olsen had no chance on this one.

Now Germany and Sweden are even with 3 points and a zero goal differential each.  Germany takes on South Korea Wednesday while  Sweden will face first place Mexico two hours later. 

Catching up

Since my last post, Hamburger S.V. was relegated to the 2md Division of the Bundesliga for the first time in history, the World Cup started, FIFA announced the 2026 Cup will be held in North America, the Union advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup, and Germany lost the Cup opener to Mexico today, 1-0.

Sports Illustrated  and ESPN: The Magazine both had World Cup issues, with SI doing stories about why U,S, fans should root for each of the countries that (unlike us) are playing in Russia.  First choice: Iceland, which has a population for less than Philadelphia.  How can you not like a national team coached by a dentist?

Iceland lived up to its billing as a team that can play rather than a novelty when it tied Argentina, 1-1 yesterday as the keeper saved a penalty kick by Lionel Messi.  Speaking of billing, Cristiano Ronaldo lived up to his as the greatest player in the world by registering a hat trick in Portugal's opener against Spain.

When the World Cup reaches North America there will be 48 teams - an increase over the current 32.  Most of the games will be in the United States with some in Canada and Mexico.  We'll have to wait and see if Philadelphia gets may games.  Surely New York (Met Life Stadium is actually in New Jersey) will but Boston and Atlanta are East Coast candidates with many other cities competing.

The last time the men's Cup was here was 1994.  I was lucky enough to score tickets to the quarterfinal and Scott and I watched Germany lose to Bulgaria at what then the Meadowlands and is now MetLife.

And speaking of Germany losing . . . it's not like they didn't have their chances.  But they let Mexico come down the left side once too many times and Hernandez passed the ball out to Hirving Lozano who beat Mesut Özil and fired it inside the near post.  Four minutes later Toni Kroos hit the crossbar with a free kick and in the closing minutes Germany had several good shots.

Next up for Germany is Sweden on the 23rd in Sochi . followed by South Korea on the 27th in Kazan.  Those two teams play each other tomorrow.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over - Or Why HSV Is Rooting for FC Köln

If you ask a European soccer fan in this country to name the only club to play in the Bundesliga First Division every season since its founding in 1963, most would answer Bayern München.  Most would be wrong.

It's Hamburger Sport Verein (HSV), from the northern city-state of Hamburg.  They've been in the First Division 54 years, 260 days according to their website, which tracks it to the second.  But that may come to an end this Saturday.  It's not over but things sure aren't looking good.

I follow HSV because our dear friends Georg, Gabi and Daniel Jarzembowski have lived in Hamburg since the Bundesliga was a baby.  That and it's a very cool city - similar to Philadelphia in size and with a huge port.  And I know they have struggled the last three seasons to avoid relegation.

In two of the last four years their fate was decided in a two game play-off after 34-match season.  In 2014 they stayed alive by a one-goal differential.  In 2015 they were 12 minutes from relegation when it tied the game, went ahead in overtime and saw their keeper stop of penalty in stoppage time.

After that history, this weekend should be a breeze.  We got 'em where we want 'em, right?   The bottom two teams of the 18-team league are automatically kicked down to the Second Division while the 16th place team gets to play a home-and-away total goal series with the third place team in the Second Division.  HSV is in 17th place, two points behind Wolfsburg.

If Wolfsburg wins at home over last place FC Köln (Cologne), it's over for HSV, so they will be cheering mightily for Köln, keeping an eye on the scoreboard.  If Hamburg loses at home to 9th place Borussia Mönchengladbach, it's just as over.  If Hamburg wins and Wolfsburg loses, Hamburg is in the play-off against Holstein Kiel, another northern city.  If Wolfsburg ties, then HSV will need to win by 10 goals, which is not going to happen.

Prediction: Hamburg's luck has run out and they and FC Köln will be relegated while Wolfsburg and Kiel will play off.  Fortuna Düsseldforf and FC Nurnberg will be promoted to the First Division for 2018-2019.

I hope I'm wrong.

Progress: First Woman Referee In The Bundesliga

Saturday's New York Times carried the story of Bibiana Steinhaus, the first woman to referee in the German Bundesliga.   Good for her and good for the sport.  No reason a woman who is qualified cannot officiate in the Bundesliga or any other top league.  Are you listening MLS?

Steinhaus seems pretty cool - serious about the job, worked hard to get where she is but still a bit in awe.  “This is the freaking Bundesliga! This is cool!" she is quoted as saying.

Maybe in the not too distant future having a woman working top games in any sport will no longer be news.

How Cool Is This Kindergarten?

What kid wouldn't love to go to school in their favorite team's stadium?  Imagine a Little League baseball player having classes at Yankee Stadium.  Or a pee wee hockey player doing the same at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Kindergarten kids in Hamburg, Germany, get to do just that at the Pestalozzi Foundation kindergarten inside the 29,546-seat Millerntor-Stadion, home to the Second Division F.C. St. Pauli.  The article in today's New York Times describes how the school uses the stadium's roof, tunnels and field for group activities and how players stop in to read to the children.

Located in a working class but gentrifying area, the St. Pauli club's fans are known for left-leaning politics and campaigns against racism and homophobia.  On the field, the team is hanging on the Second Division, just two points above the relegation zoned with four matches to play.

Budesliga Clock Ticking for Hamburger S.V.

The New York Times today reported on Hamburger Sport Verein (HSV), the only team to have played in the Bundesliga continuously since its founding in 1963, and its struggles to remain in the first division.  Coach P wrote about HSV's close calls with relegation back in May.

The Hamburg club maintains a clock showing how many years (53), days, hours, minutes and seconds it has played in the top level.  But if the team does not pick it up in the remaining 15 games, the clock will stop ticking.

The bottom two teams are automatically relegated to the second division.  The 16th or third from last team, which is where HSV sits now, plays a two game series with the third place team in the second division for promotion to the first division.  HSV has played in that series before.

This year, with 15 matches remaining, Hamburg is in 16th place, just one point ahead of FC Ingolstadt 04.  (Werder Bremen as the same number of points - 16 - but is two better in goal differential.  If the season ended today HSV would be in a familiar position of playing a two game fight for life. 

There are 15 games left to play.  Here's hoping HSV can spring to life and move up as few notches to spare its fans the tension and keep the clock ticking.

"Star Of The South" Shines With Fans In Bavaria

Imagine if one of the players from the Phillies went out to, say Harrisburg, on his off day and spent a few hours tossing down beers with the fans.  Probably not happening.

But German powerhouse FC Bayern, described in its theme song as "Stern des Südens" (Star of the South) makes sure its players do just that on a regular basis, as reported in today's New York Times.  The story features forward Thomas Müller (#25), a native of Bavaria, visiting the town of Waging am See 100 miles east of Munich.  Müller, the story says he knows that these visits are "part of what it is to be a Bayern Munich player" and that playing for Bayern "is more than just going to work."

To quote the song: "Und so war es, und so ist es and so wird es immer sein."  (And so it was, and so it is and so it will always be.)

RB Leipzig Unloved In Climb to Budesliga

Perhaps the most controversial team ever begins its first Bundesliga season Sunday when RB Leipzig visits TSG Hoffensheim in the season opener for both clubs.

The problem with Leipzig, according to the New York Times article by Rory Smith is that it is seen as nothing more than a marketing tool for Red Bull, the Austrian energy drink maker.  Founded in 2009, RB lacks the history and tradition of the other teams and does not really follow the "50+1" model of the other teams, which are owned by  their members.  There only 17, each of whom pay about $900 per year, while Bayern München has 224,000 members at about $65 annually.

As Hallescher fan Julius Klappen put it, "“They are just money. A team is the colors, the badge, the identity.”  Or as Marko Hoffman, the schoolteacher who volunteers with the more traditional Lokomotiv Leipzig said, "RB is just marketing. It exists only to sell more energy drinks. And what happens if they lose interest, or if [owner] Dieter Mateschitz dies? What if they decide to leave the town? Or if they examine the books and say it is not working? What happens then?”

This Year It Was Easy For Hamburger S.V.

  For the third straight year Hamburg's status as the only team to have played every season in the German Bundesliga's First Division came down to the final day of the 34-game season.  Unlike the past two seasons, however, this year HSV avoided relegation with room to spare, beating Augsburg, 3-1.

Two years ago Hamburg advanced by a one-goal difference after a two game play-off with the number 3 team in the second division.  Last year, as reported on this blog, HSV was again in a play-off, this time with Karlsruhe, and was 12 minutes from relegation  when it scored a game-tying goal, then a go-ahead goal in overtime, then saw its keeper stop a penalty to avoid demotion.

By comparison, this year was a breeze.  Hamburg started the day with 38 points, tied for 12th place with Darmstadt and Augsburg.  Hoffenheim was in 15th place with 37 points and Eintracht Frankfurt in 16th with 36.  The 17th and 18th teams are automatically relegated while the 16th plays the 3rd place finisher in the second division for a spot in the top league.   As it turned out, even if HSV had lost it would have retained its place in the First Division because Werder Bremen beat Frankfurt and leapfrogged over them into 13th place.

So next year, when the 53rd Bundesliga season kicks off, Hamburger Sport Verein will be there, just has it has always been.

Ribery's "Traumtor" Wins It For Bayern

I was switching channels tonight and stumbled upon the FC Bayern - Eintracht Frankfurt match that was played last weekend  - just in time to watch one of the most spectacular goals I have ever seen.

In the 20th minute Mario Goetze (you remember him, had that nice shot against Argentina that won the World Cup in 2014) took a shot from just outside the 18.  Eintracht keeper Lukas Hradecky made a nice kick save with his left foot, only to see the rebound loop towards Franck Ribery, who went airborne and made a perfect bicycle kick over Hradecky for the game's only goal.

The Bundesliga website said, "Ribery Traumtor Führt Bayern Zum Sieg" (Ribery Dream Goal Leads Bayern to the Victory."  

Watch a video of the goal here. 

Imagine If He Had Started - Lewandowski Scores 5 Off the Bench

VfL Wolfsburg had to feel good at halftime yesterday, leading undefeated Bayern München, 1-0 in Munich.

Then Robert Lewandowski entered the match. 

Six minutes after coming off the bench to replace Thiago Alcantaro, Lewandowski took a pass at the 6 and tied the score.  A minute later he gave Bayern the lead for good from 20 yards out.  Then in the 55th minute came the hat trick, a goal that took three tries to score.  Again open on the 6, Lewandowski took a pass and hit the left post with a right-footed shot, hit the rebound off the keeper with his left foot and finally used his right to tap in the loose ball.

That wasn't his best goal of the match.  After scoring a (relatively speaking) mundane goal on a shot from straight away in the 57th minute, Lewandowski took a cross from the right touchline and vollied it in from the 18 with a scissors kick in the 60th minute. 

"You cannot be that good!" screamed the English-language announcer.

Andrew Das has the story of Lewandowski's amazing feat  - with a video clip of each goal - in today's New York Times.  He reports that this was the fastest hat trick in Bundesliga history and the first time a substitute had scored five goals. 

Lewansowski was quoted by Das as saying, "It was a crazy few minutes.  I'm very satisfied."  And Bayern coach, Pep Guardiola, who coached a guy named Lionel Messi at Barcelona, said "I don't think I'll ever see something like that again."  Probably not.

Oh, Canda: Off To A Good Start

With the largest crowd ever to watch a soccer game in Canada on hand - 53,058 in Edmonton -   Christine Sinclair nudged a PK just inside the left post in the second minute of stoppage time to give the Canadians a 1-0 win in the FIFA Women's World Cup opener.

Canada had begun  to dominate in the last 15 minutes but when the clock hit 90 it appeared as though they might have to settle for one point instead of three.  But a foul called on Rong Zhao sent Sinclair to the line and moments later the celebration was on.  And yes, I thought referee Kateryna Monzul of the Ukraine made the right call.  The early game story in the World Cup website is here.

US opens with Australia Monday night.

Hamburg Hangs On To History in Karlsruhe Thriller

The German Bundesliga was founded in 1963 and Hamburger Sport Verein (HSV) is the only team to have played in the first division in all 52 seasons since then.  But tonight HSV came within a few seconds on the referee's watch of being relegated to the second division (the 2nd Bundesliga).

In a thrilling match played before 27,986 in Karlsruhe, Marcello Diaz scored on a free kick from 20 yards out to tie the match at 1-1 in the first minute of stoppage time.

Hamburg, a bustling port city on the Elbe River in northern Germany, found itself in this predicament by finishing in 16th place out of 18 teams in the first division.  And that was only with an upset of FC Schalke on the last day of the season - putting Hamburg one point ahead of SC Freiburg and four above SC Paderborn 07, both of which will play in the second division come August.  By finishing third from the bottom, Hamburg had to play the third place team in the Second Bundelisga, Karlsruhe, in a two-game, home and away, total goals win, series with the winner playing in the first division next season and the loser in the second.

Ironically, Hamburg had been in this position a year ago and staved off relegation by one goal in a play-off of the first division's third worst and the 2nd division's third best.

This year, it looked as though HSV's luck had run out when KSC's Reinhold Yabo, who had come on just six minutes earlier, scored in the 78th minute.  Karlsruhe was 12 minutes from the Bundesliga.  The home side was looking better and better as Hamburg headed a ball off the post in the 82nd minute then saw the Karlsruhe defense clear one the follow-up off the line.

It wasn't until Diaz put the ball into the upper left corner that Hamburg fans began to think they were a team of destiny.  That destiny became reality when Nikolai Müller buried a cross from the left in the 115th minute to make it 2-1.  But HSV wasn't there yet.  Keeper Rene Adler had to make a spectacular diving stop to his left on a penalty kick in the last minute to preserve the victory and Hamburg's history.

Watch a video of the highlights (commentary in English) here.

Germany's Lahm: Going Out On Top

German captain Phillip Lahm has called it quits at age 30, at least on the international scene, after helping win the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He will continue to play for FC Bayern München where he is under contract until 2018.



Lahm, who earned 113 caps during his career, was my favorite on Die Mannschaft.  For one thing, he's short, only about an inch taller than I am.  For another, his playing style is similar to that of my son Scott: fast, quick play, winning the ball and starting the attack out of the back.  "He may have been one of the smallest players physically, but on the pitch Lahm was always one of the biggest forces," wrote commentator Andreas Sten-Ziemons.

The World Cup victory in Brazil made Lahm the fourth German captain after Fritz Walter (1954), Franz Beckenbauer (1974) and Lothar Matthäus (1990) to hoist the World Cup, and the first to have lifted it for a unified Germany.

The German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (literally, "German Waves) ran this story of the retirement, which it said caught the country by surprise. (The link is to the English version.)  And the Sten-Ziemons piece, also on Deutsche Welle, is here.

The German Soccer Federation (Deutscher Fussball Bund or DFB) expressed its appreciation for Lahm on its website under the heading, "Wir Sagen: Danke Philipp."  (We say, thank you, Philipp.")

Trip Down Memory Lane - #10: Currywurst gegen Weisswurst

After more than 50 years in the sport of soccer, I've had a lot of memories. So I decided to compile my top 10 and will share them with everyone, starting today with #10.

Memory # 10: Watching Hertha Berlin beat Bayern München, 2-1, in the Berlin Olympic Stadium on a frigid December night in 2001.

Kirsten and Scott both lived in Berlin during the 2001-2002 school year, Kirsten teaching on a Fulbright grant and Scott studying on his junior year abroad. Just a little more than two months after the 9/11 attacks, Louise and I flew to Berlin to spend nearly three weeks visiting. We wanted to see a Bundesliga game and what better game than Hertha against Bayern. The match was promoted as Currywurst gegen Weisswurst. Currywurst is a favorite in Berlin while the white sausage known as Weisswurst is a Bavarian specialty found in Munich (München).

Tickets to Bundesliga matches don't go on sale until much closer to the game date than is common in the United States. When the schedule is released at the start of the season the teams may know who they play each weekend, but the exact date and time of a match may not be finalized until later. Kirsten was able to score tickets for this Sunday night match at the historic Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The seats were in the end of the stadium but had a good view of the field. When we arrived some obnoxious fan was in one of our seats and said as a season ticket holder he could sit wherever he wanted. Kirsten was able to convince him to move.

Although Hertha had played in London the previous Thursday and Bayern in South America on Wednesday, the pace of the game was incredible. Petal to the metal for 90 minutes. Although not all the regular starters played, it was still and exciting, fast-paced match.

And you haven't lived until you've heard 50,000 Germans singing Nur Nach Hause, the Hertha theme song, as the Hertha fans did after the victory.

Germany: Mit Glanz und Glück

Thankfully it did not turn out to be a one goal game. Had the halftime score of Germany 2, England 1 stood throughout the second half, the validity of Germany's victory in the World Cup Round of 16 would have been forever questioned because of an awful non-call in the 38th minute when Frank Lampard's shot was ruled no goal.

But in the second half Germany came out strong and got two goals from Thomas Mueller to win going away.

"The disallowed goal in Bloemfontein should not disguise that Germany was superior on the field" wrote Rob Hughes in the New York Times.

Germany struck first when Miroslav Klose took a long punt from keeper Manuel Neuer up the middle and flicked the ball into the net with the outside of his right foot in the 20th minute. Lukas Podolski put Germany up, 2-0 12 minutes later and it looked as though the rout might be on.

But England drew within one in the 37th minute when Matt Upson headed in a cross from Steven Gerrard. Less than a minute later Lampard took a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced down more than a foot behind the goalline according to replays, with no goal called y the referee or his assistant.

The play is sure to renew calls for instant replay in soccer, especially at this level.