Emotions run high on the German football scene after a week that saw the return of the country’s domestic cup. When the Bundesliga successfully restarted after a two-month hiatus, there existed assuaging indications that the campaign picked up where it left off. The DFB-Pokal evokes slightly different emotions. One must reaccustom one’s self to the sight of empty stands when watching a different competition.
All of Germany’s football lovers send their sincerest condolences to the fans of 1. FC Saarbrücken. The fourth-tier side managed to make it all the way to the semifinals; the first side in history to do so. Sorrowfully, the supporters couldn’t commemorate this milestone alongside their team. Defeat to Bayer 04 Leverkusen may have been a forgone conclusion, but the locals were still deprived of a once-in-a-lifetime party.
Leverkusen advances to the cup final as does FC Bayern München. American veteran Timothy Chandler’s best efforts were insufficient for Eintracht Frankfurt to overcome the favored Bavarians. Four other American players factoring into the league’s 30th round also receive grades in this column. Weston McKennie had to sit the weekend out on yellow card accumulated suspension. Giovanni Reyna put in 22 minutes off the bench in Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 defeat of Hertha BSC, yet didn’t truly factor in.
Alfredo Morales- Fortuna Düsseldorf
Minutes Played = 24, Positions Played = RM, RW
Grade = A
Though he entered the fray as part of one of those temporarily-permitted quadruple substitutions one cannot help but wince at these days, there was no chance of missing Morales on this specific day. For starters, he allowed his three teammates to trot onto the pitch first whilst he took a knee in one of the weekend’s most stirring anti-racist solidarity gestures. In my humble opinion, his play proved pretty impressive as well.
An influx of new players obviously rendered matters a little difficult to follow tactically speaking. Insofar as I could tell, trainer Uwe Rösler attempted to implement his favored 4-4-2, instructing Morales to directly support Kenan Karaman on the right. The American got about 30 touches in whilst working together with Kelvin Ofori on the second axis. He did well to win several ground jostles against assigned marker Pavel Kaderabek.
One had to love the energy exhibited in what was an uninterrupted wave of offensive pressure in the final minutes. Erik Thommy and Markus Suttner were able to work in plenty of inviting crosses and diagonals in large part because Morales’ quick touches kept their lanes free. Always again and intelligent on the ball, I have the American down for 20 well-played passes in less than 25 minutes.
Morales showed no hesitation whenever he played the ball. Almost without exception, he would rush forward to establish the offside line after setting up his colleagues wide. It’s always a pleasure to witness a player involved in the attacking flow to such a degree. Such awareness demonstrates a good working knowledge of a player’s role in an effective system and often precedes a form surge.
Things get madly interesting now as the F95 must face Dortmund and RB Leipzig on a tight turnaround in the next two rounds. The Flingeraner likely need to obtain a draw in at least one of these encounters in their frantic bid to avoid the drop. There’s also been huge news emanating from the organization’s front office.
The club opted to allow the contract of sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, whom many Germans consider among the game’s finest minds, to expire as scheduled on June 1. Reports have him linked with an administrative job under the new regime at Newcastle United. Will both Rösler and potentially Morales soon be headed over to the isle too?
John Anthony Brooks- VfL Wolfsburg
Minutes Played = 90, Positions Played = CB
Grade = A
Perhaps mindful of last week’s late lapse, this particular American turned in a consistently strong performance through the final whistle on Sunday. Nothing could throw him off his game, not even a torrential downpour eventually punctuated by coin-sized hail. The US international fought off dangerously inclement weather and a surprisingly dogged SV Werder Bremen attack right up until the end. More support for the general thesis that Brooks can be among the best in the business when he wants to emerges.
A brilliant sliding tackle in the seventh set the tone for the day. By the 17th, he had already executed three fine runs into the box. His most handsome forward charge came in the 22nd. Long before we even reached the half-hour mark, it was visually apparent that the Berliner came prepared to work both sides of the field. Center-back partner Marin Pongracic handled the majority of the through balls. That isn’t to suggest that Brooks didn’t supply a few dazzlers of his own. Examples may be found in the 28th, 47th, and 78th.
Instances of quality defensive work are genuinely too numerous to comprehensive cite. It seems more appropriate to highlight some absolutely breathtaking plays. A millimeter-perfect cut out of Theodor Gebre-Selassie’s cross in the 38th, an imposing use of physical strength to shut down a short throw-in in the 89th, and one of his trademark emphatic headers away at 90+1 claim top sports. USMNT enthusiasts may wish to give the weekend fixture a closer look as Brooks routinely found himself directly pitted against national teammate Josh Sargent. I have those two engaging in eight direct duels. Brooks won seven.
While it hasn’t been an uninterrupted linear progression, I think it fair to say that the Brooks-Pongracic center-half partnership has steadily improved in five matches since the COVID-break. Since debuting this tandem in the first match back from the interval, manager Oliver Glasner has stuck with them unreservedly to mostly positive effect. It should prove fun to watch these two continue to heighten their coordination game down the stretch. Thanks in large part to them, the Wolves must be considered the odds-on favorites to secure the second UEFA Europa League place.
Tyler Adams- RasenBallSport Leipzig
Minutes Played = 90, Positions Played = RM, RDM, CB, RB
Grade = A-
One single solitary stat troubles me here. A recorded 16 wayward passes isn’t something one wants to witness from a player at any position. In the final analysis, I simply have to keep Adams at the top level as he was tasked with playing almost every position. The tale of Leipzig’s 1-1 draw with Paderborn was one of wildly shifting complex tactics. One has to credit this American for keeping up with it all and putting some great work all around the pitch.
It looked to be a routine day at the office for Julian Nagelsmann & Co. The team sheet presages one of the more straightforward deployments of the pacey 4-2-2-2 his team always invariably coalesces into. For much of the initial 18 minutes or so, Leipzig’s shape did, in fact, loosely resemble it. Gradually, some intriguing rotation commenced on the final two axes.
Lineup—RB Leipzig—(3-3-4)
Adams, Lukas Klostermann, and Dayot Upamecano began taking turns running pivot. Kevin Kampl positioned himself ahead of the advanced center back whilst everyone else fanned out as wide as possible. We’ve seen quite a bit of variety from Nagelsmann this season, but a rotating back-three was definitely something novel.
Patrik Schick’s 27th-minute opening goal came at the end of one of the sequences in which Adams initiated the forward carry. He sparked several other strong builds later in the half. When not driving possession, the American covered a significant amount of ground with some seriously kickass hustle. Some truly amazing tracking, punctuated by gallant wins of the ball can be found in the 30th, 37th, and 38th.
Upamecano’s expulsion on double yellows near the end of the initial 45 obviously interrupted the whole scheme. Schick had to be subbed off at the half. Marcel Halstenberg joined Adams, Klostermann, and Nordi Mukiele to form a back-four. Despite being down a man, the 10 on the pitch still didn’t adhere to a conservatively static shape. Adams remained a rover, sometimes ripping up the right flank, sometimes sliding inward, and, incredibly, always making it back to defend.
There were so many more positives from him. Even as the heavily-favored hosts slowly lost control of the match, Adams kept dazzling. A beautiful charge up the right flank in the 59th should have resulted in a goal. His cross for Timo Werner was perfectly weighted. Two prolonged possession spells in the 62nd and 87th illustrate that he presently feels comfortable and creative. Some filthy slick tricks were on display.
As I noted a couple of weeks ago, one can just tell that this American is clicking. All the telltale signs remain there. He’s only gotten better since this upswing first manifested. A Friday night fixture against a Hoffenheim side that stunningly parted ways with its manager this week should serve as a great opportunity for him to shine some more.
Timothy Chandler- Eintracht Frankfurt
Matches Played = 2/2, Matches Started = 1/2, Minutes Played = 120/180
Positions Played = LWB, RM, RB
Cumulative Grade = B+
Some of the distinctly German pro-Chandler bias may play a part in could be construed as some grade inflation here. I’ll maintain that the recent drop in form stems mostly from tactical mismanagement on the part of manager Adi Hütter. The SGE pitch boss appears to run up against the same threshold he did toward the end of the campaign’s first half.
The corona-suspension apparently wasn’t enough for both players and managers alike to avoid yet another creative pitfall. Fredi Bobic’s Rhein/Main experiment takes a fresh hit. Coming off a midweek makeup match against Werner Bremen, Hütter only employed two changes against this past weekend’s Round 30 against Mainz.
Chandler was introduced on a double like-for-like substitution at the restart:
Lineup—Eintracht Frankfurt—Match 30—46th minute (3-4-3)
The American replaced Almamy Touré on the right-wing whilst Mijat Gacinovic took over for Bas Dost at striker. Reunited with axial partner Filip Kostic, Timmy did manager to get a few things going during a positive stretch that lasted for approximately 10 minutes after the restart. That was about it.
Around the hour mark, this setup succumbed to some sadly familiar problems. Kostic was stretched entirely too wide and deep. A vertical partnership between countrymen Makoto Hasebe and Daichi Kamada wasn’t going to work for the third consecutive match. Those two had zero ideas left. Gacinovic lurched inward too many times, predictably putting further pressure on Chandler to hold possession.
Facing Bayern in the DFB-Pokal semifinal this week was certainly an unenviable task. One nevertheless wishes Hütter hadn’t essentially pre-capitulated with the following arrangement:
Lineup—Eintracht Frankfurt—DFB Pokal— (3-6-1)
Yikes! Why not just forfeit the match before kickoff? I desperately wanted this to be a 3-5-2, a 5-3-2, or even a bloody 3-5-1-1. Eight minutes in I’d little choice but reconcile myself to the truth. The use of three center backs on a completely horizontal axis meant that Chandler and Almamy Touré were going to be tasked with marking everyone from assist-meister Thomas Müller to the gallivanting Joshua Kimmich.
Somehow they would be expected to supply counters as well. Never trust a 3-6-1. Ever.
We might as well spend a little time explaining why Hütter felt the need to resort to these measures. The Bayern that has evolved under Hansi Flick since the Adler crushed them and forced out their manager in the league’s 10th round is one seriously intimidating beast. This is best demonstrated visually:
Lineup—Bayern München—DFB Pokal— (4-2-3-1)
This -I remark through gritted teeth- is the championship-winning lineup. The unstoppable behemoth evolved completely organically, contrary to what anyone would have expected at the beginning of the season. Everything began to fall into place for Flick after that Frankfurt defeat.
Niklas Süle’s injury gave Alphonso Davies a trial at left-back and moved David Alaba in to partner with Jerome Boateng. One particular writer labeled this a move in “crisis management.” It’s presently the most spritely back-four in all of football. Boateng found new life with his dynamic partner.
Creative-staggering of Thomas Müller ushered in an entirely new career phase for the 30-year-old German legend. He now holds the single-season assist record. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich bonded in many ways over the corona break. They now boast impeccable chemistry.
Goretzka, who once awed the whole country with his strict diet, appears to have adopted a rigorous weight-lifting regimen over the two months of isolation. I swear he’s put on 10 pounds in pure intimidating brawn. On crucial midfield aerial duels and ground challenges, he starts to remind me of Michael Ballack.
How does one defend against this? One doesn’t. Note that it’s entirely immaterial which wingers Flick selects in this constellation. Müller, Alaba, Kimmich, Goretzka, and Davies are going to find a way to carve you up one way or another. Hütter’s plan was poor, but one can at least see why he went in the 3-6-1 direction.
Poor Timmy Chandler and Almamy Touré played their hearts out in an attempt to achieve the impossible. The American had to track back so many times that he was already soaking wet and panting by the 30th. He had absolutely nothing left in the tank on the rare Eintracht counters.
When he received a ball in an enticing position in the 53rd, Benjamin Pavard was all over him before he could even begin to think about crossing to none of the teammates who had bothered to rush forward with him. He tried a few inward cuts in an attempt to flip the script somewhat in the 54th and 58th. This only led to bad giveaways.
It remains scarcely believable that the SGE did actually managed to equalize in the lopsided Pokal fixture. Chandler linked up with Kamada in the box and fellow substitute Danny da Costa was able to thrash home the rebound of his deflected shot. The tying goal felt neither earned nor sustainable. Bayern took the lead back within five minutes.
Chandler’s unrelenting work ethic throughout his team’s languid performance stood out as the lone bright spot as the Pokal fixture inched toward its dismal and largely pre-determined conclusion. He kept going, eliciting a smile with a dispossession of Pavard in the 78th. Timmy still gets a B+ in my book.
Josh Sargent- SV Werder Bremen
Minutes Played = 76 Positions Played = CF
Grade = C-
Here we go again. It’s time Florian Kohfeldt’s tactics-du-jour:
Lineup—SV Werder Bremen— (3-4-3)
I’ll cut a long-maligned young manager a little slack here and note that a disastrously-timed injury to star winger Milot Rashica really screws with the gameplan. The best Kohfeldt could do was stack the left with Yuya Osako and deploy Ludwig Augustinsson as the cornerstone wingback. Maximillian Eggestein moved forward a bit, sharing 10 duties with both Osako and Davie Klaassen in a light rotation.
Can’t say I could have come up with a better idea. Moreover, it didn’t look too terrible in practice. Kevin Vogt did an admirable job running the defensive corps in what was easily his best match since transferring from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in January. Milos Veljovic and Phillip Bargfreude exercised convincing control over their section of the pitch.
Surprised at how well this worked, I was disconcerted to have pre-conceived notions of this team’s lack of confidence in their 19-year-old lead striker confirmed. It once again wasn’t a very good day for the Missouri marvel. It’s unclear what meek crosses his teammates could send in his general direction were even aimed at him. Examples can be found in the 12th and 27th.
One instance in which Osako charged forward was quite telling. The Japanese international had Sargent available for an easy layoff in the 31st, yet didn’t even glance in his direction. The American found himself similarly ignored on rushes shortly before and after the half. Some of this had to do with how overmatched the team was on the left. Augustinsson got routinely murdered by Kevin Mbabu on the flanks, meaning most any forward traffic had to go through a congested center.
Sargent’s brightest individual spell came between the 52nd and 58th. He at least proved himself capable of setting aside all the day’s frustration and producing some attractive football. At the tail end of this interval, he even out-deked Wolfsburg’s prize center back Marin Pongracic with a nifty little piece of legwork. The completely beaten defender had to employ a cheap tactical foul to haul the 19-year-old down. For the nth time in this column, one has to note that Sargent really does have some deft skills on the ball; raw abilities that still require some refinement and perhaps a better team.
Kohfeldt will surely stick with him against SC Paderborn 07 this weekend. With Rashica and Leonardo Bittencourt still injured he really doesn’t have much of a choice. It’s likely that he’ll need to pair the American teenager alongside fellow striker Davie Selke and simply hope for the best. Somehow one has the sense that the uncomfortable pairing won’t lift the general demeanor of the team. For this American, the best still seems a long way off.
The football keeps coming with another Englischer Woche (English week) on the docket. Rounds 31 and 32 will be completed in the next six days. Following that, it looks as if the DFL will attempt to uphold tradition with two Saturday rounds. All teams will kick off at 1530 simultaneously. A great many storylines involving Americans in Germany’s top-flight continue to unfold as the 2019/20 heads for its frantic finish.