If the USMNT are to succeed, they have to become more than just a single generation of talent. (0:54) We have seen a lot of what the Bundesliga has to offer through the years. Many of the well-regarded coaches in Germany played musical chairs, such as Marco Rose from Monchengladbach and Oliver Glasner from VfL Wolfsburg. In addition, the team took its manager and two of its best players, and won another league title. The Bundesliga has always had tight, dramatic races for European positions and also has a knock-down, drag-out relegation battle. The ticket prices are affordable, the atmosphere is great, the beer is delicious, and the style of play is fast and aggressive. The league has everything you could want, except a title race. Most of the 10 league titles in a row have been by comfortable margins. Ten is a lot. It is similar to what Dynamo Berlin did in East Germany in the 1980s. The streak has prompted a lot of questions, such as Is it bad for the Bundesliga? On the other hand, it is difficult to argue that the success of the club is bad for the league because they have won two titles and reached four other semifinals. Without one of the strongest teams in Europe, the Bundesliga would be worse. It wouldn't hurt if there was more domestic adversity for them. One of the 15 or so best teams in Europe but never one of the top five or six. It has yet to make a serious, 34 match run at the champ. Some of the potential powers never get all the arrows pointed in the same direction. You get a title streak when you add in the competence of the team. Even though the champion remains the same, every season is its own entity. The main storylines of the campaign were looked back on. With a 12-point lead atop the league, it is easy to see why. They attempt more shots than their opponents, they dominate on set pieces, and they start and finish more possessions in dangerous positions. Their expected goals differential in losses this season has been a shock at +1.2 per match. The only team in the Big Five that can top that isLiverpool. Even the best teams deal with peaks and valleys; however, as dominant as they have been, it is clear they peaked early this season. - Bayern vs. Stuttgart: Sunday, 11:25 a.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+
- Leipzig vs. Augsburg: Sunday, 1:25 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+
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Bayern and the art of peaking at the right time
You could make a strong case that it was the best team in Europe over the first half of the season. They had suffered a shocking loss to their bogey team in the DFB-Pokal, but they went on to win their group in the European Championship. In November and December, the No. 1 ranking was traded with Manchester City. In his first year in charge of Germany's biggest club, the 34 year old Nagelsmann was cruising.
There were injuries that kicked in. Both Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies missed time with lung and heart issues. Leon Goretzka was out for four months with a hip injury. Neuer had knee surgery. Midfielder Corentin Tolisso missed most of the year with a torn muscle after playing some of the best ball of his career.
The glitches soon appeared. After the winter break, FC Salzburg scored at least two goals in three of the first five matches of the season, but they were only able to draw the first leg of the round of 16 tie.
After Neuer came back, their defense came back into form. In the six league matches, the offense scored one goal in four of them, and then only once in 180 minutes against a packed-in Villarreal in the playoffs. Despite generating 3.1 xG over the two legs, they still gave up a late goal and lost the tie, 2-1.
They are now third in the rankings. Robert Lewandowski has 49 goals in all competitions, Thomas Muller has 21 assists, and Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and Kingsley Coman are all elite wingers. When you play at an incredibly high level, the number of trophies you bring home is determined. The first season for Nagelsmann will end with just one.
In the end, the raid did not do much damage. It lost not only Nagelsmann, Upamecano and Sabitzer, but also Ibrahima Konate. Despite a number of astute moves of their own, they still haven't been able to get a centre-back back from a loan with Dina.
Jesse Marsch came over from Salzburg and tried to make RBL a bit more full-throttle and that resulted in an extended run of defensive breakdowns. RBL started the season with three losses in four league matches, lost their first three European matches and then lost three in a row in late November. They entered the winter break in 10th place in the league, 21 points behind the leaders, and closer to the danger zone than a top-four spot.
Since the winter break ended, the top of the table has changed.
1. There is a differential of +25 goal differential.
2. Bayern Munich (32, +22)
3. Bayer Leverkusen (30, +18)
4. Borussia Dortmund (29, +16)
5. FC Cologne (27, +5)
Despite a poor performance over the past week, RBL still managed to get a win over Rangers in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals, despite costly league losses to Union Berlin and Monchengladbach. They've risen back into the fight for a top-four spot with a series of resounding wins.
Christopher Nkunku has 31 goals with 16 assists in all competitions, Silva has eight goals in all competitions since the start of the year, and RBL have made the most of their promotion to the Europa League, reaching within 90 minutes. Heading into the second leg of the semis, they have a one goal advantage.
Had RBL made an earlier appearance, it might have given them a stiff challenge. The transfer rumor mill suggests that the team will probably not be looking for a new manager this year, and that they will instead be looking for players like Ryan Gravenberch, Noussair Mazraoui, or perhaps Sebastien Haller. The odds of RBL fielding its best team ever in 2022-23 are solid, even though Nkunku has been the subject of transfer rumors.
We got a glimpse of something special last May. With just seven matches to go in the race for fourth place in the Bundesliga, and being knocked out of the European Championships in the quarterfinals, the team found themselves in fifth gear. They won seven matches and finished third in the tournament. The opportunity to win their first trophy since acquiring forward Erling Haaland 16 months earlier, they walloped RB Leipzig. Haaland and Jadon Sancho both scored twice.
The Haaland era will almost certainly end this summer, and the only Haaland-related hardware in the case will be the DFB-Pokal trophy. BVB spent most of the season trying to get its first-choice XI on the pitch after Manchester United paid a transfer fee of 85 million dollars for Jadon Sancho. Haaland missed more than three months with various injuries, defenders Emre Can, Mats Hummels, Manuel Akanji and Dan-Axel Zagadou combined to miss more than eight months, and American teenager Giovanni Reyna played barely more than seven matches.
Marco Rose had to rely on veteran Marco Reus and newcomer Donyell Malen because of the absence of Haaland and Reyna. BVB failed to make it out of the group stage for the first time in four years, and they also suffered a defense-optional upset at the hands of Rangers. Their top-four status was never really in danger, even though they lost four of their last five league games, including two to RBL.
Someone will invoke Haaland's release clause if they like Manchester City or another suitor. BVB have good plans for what to do with the money they receive, including bringing in defenders and possibly a Salzburg attacker. Adding another world-class young attacker via the transfer market would be like adding Jude Bellingham, who should be around a bit longer. Die Schwarzgelben could enjoy themselves a bit more next season if they see better treatment for injuries. The disappointment of earning one trophy in two years of Haaland will not be changed by that.
After a sixth-place finish in the 2020-21 season, the club rebounded to make a serious push for a European spot this season. They have spent most of the season in the top four, and FiveThirtyEight gives them a 93% chance of finishing there.
One of the worst teams in the league at allowing set piece goals and one of the best teams in the league at scoring on set pieces is the squad of Gerardo Seoane. They allow as many attempts as they take. The players attempting their shots are better than what most opponents can offer, so this trade has worked out well for them.
This season, the trio of Schick, Diaby and Wirtz have combined for 41 goals and 22 assists. When you realize that Shick missed two months with an injury and Wirtz has been out since mid-March with a tornACL, it becomes even more impressive. When all three have been on the pitch, the team has averaged 2.0 points per game, a second-place pace, and when at least one is missing, they are at a mid-table 1.5 points per game pace.
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In addition to Diaby and Wirtz, they are on the precipice of a Champions League bid thanks in part to contributions from fullbacks.
If they can keep this base roster together, they have more potential than anyone else. Keeping their core together long enough to reach full potential has been an issue. Does that change this time?
If you are a fan of the United States men's national soccer team, there was plenty to keep up with in the German league. The roles were played by old veterans like John and Timmy, who were 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884 888-349-8884
You may be more interested in the kids. There are quite a few of them in the United States.
Tyler Adams remains Tyler Adams. When Tedesco arrived, he briefly saw himself in a bench role, but has seen his minutes increase recently.
Joe Scally went from a solid full-back prospect to a starter almost overnight. He will have around 2,000 minutes left in the season.
Chris Richards, a center-back, took a loan from Hoffenheim and played 1,302 minutes before suffering an ankle injury.
The forward rode a hot finishing streak after his transfer to Augsburg in January. He has proved to be excellent but has yet to score.
In January, full-back George Bello made an overseas move to join in a fight for survival.
The Furth teammate of Green has enjoyed a bit of a breakthrough, creating 26 chances with two assists and proving active on both flanks.
You know all about the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Joshua Kimmich, and the rest of the players on a Best XI team. There are many reasons to watch the Bundesliga in the US. The ones who caught my eye the most were the ones in the second half of the 21st century.
1. Christopher Nkunku is from RB Leipzig. In his first two years in Leipzig, Nkunku recorded 12 goals and 22 assists. He erupted this season when he was playing in a more central role. Everyone in the stadium holds their breath when he is on the ball.
2. Jude Bellingham is a soccer player. It can be difficult to judge a player with just statistics, but let's say that the 18-year-old passes the eye test with flying colors, and he has recorded the most touches, the most ball recoveries and the third-most chances. That looks pretty good.
3. Union Berlin has Taiwo Awoniyi. Awoniyi impressed the club enough in a 2020-21 loan spell to make a permanent transfer. It was a good call. He has 13 goals in 13 games for the small club that is trying to get back into Europe.
4-5 They are Christian Gunter and Nico Schlotterbeck. Christian Streich's squad has allowed fewer goals than any other squad, and this duo is a major reason. Schlotterbeck has pitched in four goals, three of them from set pieces, and has been solid in defense while leading the team in both assists and chances created.
6. Gvardiol is a member of the RB Leipzig. The new RBL back line has grown in confidence throughout the season. The Red Bulls have not allowed more than one goal in their past 16 matches. The 20-year-old Gvardiol is a wall in defense, and he is more reliable in the build up play.
7. Kostic is from Eintracht Frankfurt. The 29-year-old is an old-school risk-taker. He has created at least 81 chances for teammates in the last three seasons. He tries to make things happen and succeeds, so you forgive him.
There are 8. There is a person named Moussa Diaby, who is a player for the club Bayer Leverkusen. The left-footed 22-year-old has played mostly on the right this year, and the inversion has looked great on him: He has combined 12 goals with 11 assists, and if Leverkusen does something particularly pretty in attack, odds are good that he was heavily involved.
There are 9. Patrick Wimmer and Arminia Bielefeld are related. An absolute machine in transition, the 20-year-old has recorded more ball recoveries than any other forward or attackingMidfielder in the league, and he has registered five assists from 32 chances created, mostly in fast-break situations.
10. Erling Haaland is a member of the club. Injuries and constant transfer rumors have left the impression that he has had one foot out the door all season, but that is due more to circumstance than to him. Watching him explode into a full gallop when BVB are transitioning to attack is one of the most exciting things in soccer.
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On Sunday, May 1
• Elche vs. Osasuna (8 a.m. ET)
• Granada vs. Celta (10:15 a.m. ET)
• Rayo vs. Real Sociedad (12:30 p.m. ET)
• Barcelona vs. Mallorca (3 p.m. ET)
• Anderlecht vs. Brugge (12:30 p.m. ET)
Monday, May 2, is the day.
• Fulham vs. Luton Town (12:15 p.m. ET)
• Gladbach vs. RB Leipzig (2:30 p.m. ET)
• Leverkusen vs. Eintracht (2:30 p.m. ET)
• Getafe vs. Real Betis (3 p.m. ET)
While Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer will almost certainly end their careers in the same year, other members of the 2020 winning core have begun to look for new challenges. If rumors are to be believed, Barcelona has figured out how to take on more debt in order to catch the eye of Robert Lewandowski. Serge Gnabry has a contract that is set to expire in 2023, so he could look elsewhere.
For the last decade, Lewandowski has been the best goal scorer in the Bundesliga, and he should have won the Ballon d'Or for his efforts in 2021. It's almost certain that they'll replace him with another high-quality scorer. The faces of this league for the past two seasons have been Lewandowski and Haaland, and it looks like they will be in other leagues this fall. It will definitely be different, but it doesn't have to be a bad thing.
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