Schalke defeated Werder Bremen in the all-important match of the weekend’s round of Bundesliga fixtures. With the victory, Schalke go 3 pts. clear of Bremen, creating a little breathing space at the top.

As the usual suspects were of no consequence in the match, it was the forgotten man, the Danish and ex-Rangers striker, Peter Lovenkrands, who found 2 goals on each side of the half to push the Royal Blues to the German promontory.

Bayern Munich compounded their problems slipping to 4th with a loss in Friday’s match against Nurnberg, even with the return of manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, and have all but given up hopes on a 3rd consecutive Bundesliga title.

Oliver Kahn has publicly criticized his side as being “petty” and fragile, rounding on the Bayern management that have called on the stalwart keeper to be more vocal in the dressing room.

Stuttgart remains in 3rd spot with their 1-0 victory over Dortumund while Hertha Berlin rounds out the top 5 with a 2-1 victory over regulation fodder, Hamburg, who started off the season playing in the Champions League.

Next week will be another German powder keg as Schalke faces Hertha Berlin at home while Bremen meets up with Stuttgart on the road for another weekend of German top shelf matches.

To read Feb. 02, 2007 Edition, Click here

To learn more about Aerobic Soccer Training, Click here

The day of reckoning is near for starlet debutant Bob Bradley. He talks a great game, but does he have the muster to take the U.S. to the next level.
 
We are and are not talking about wins. It is a funny thing about results; Americans are easily seduced by them. We say, “Who cares how we look, as long as there is a result.” I can agree with that to a point.

Where is the point where I would start disagreeing with this notion? When it is apparent that we are taking wins from teams that we should be shredding anyway, but are piping a prelude to getting demolished by better programs.

Where should the measuring stick be? Should it be with Morocco or Brazil? If you say Morocco, then great stuff we only lost to them by 1 or 2 before the World Cup. Bob can climb that mountain. I don’t think though that is what the U.S. public has in mind. Does American tradition do things half way?

We used to be the shining light. Whatever we did it was to be number 1 in the purest and not evilest of fashion. Hands down we were the place where the best resided, so from that great heritage and you nodding your head in agreement, I would say we want to be like Brazil.

Will Bob Bradley get us to dominate like that? From first glance no, but I don’t mind giving him a Gold Cup to spread his wings. Since Jan 4th he has had 16 players that will be on the roster for the Mexico game on Feb. 7th. Is one month enough time to change players? Maybe not! Is one month enough time to start seeing a glimmer of this man’s vision for the team? Yes!

Of course right now, he has put together a team that could win an MLS Cup, since that is what Bradley is known for, but the standards are a bit higher now, and the Copa America will be a real test, not just a home soiled Gold Cup.

So good luck against a watered down Mexico because the real challenge is just beginning.

Bayern’s 2nd loss in a row—this time a 3-0 embarrassment to Nurnberg—has opened the horizons and set this Sunday’s German classic between Werder Bremen and Schalke as a race for the skies.

Even if the game ends in a draw, the lead above Bayern will stretch to 9 pts. Currently, Bayern has slipped into 4th spot, with Stuttgart in 3rd, and Nurnberg and Hertha Berlin on the fringe.

Even with the sacking of Magath and the return of injured Hargreaves, Bayern still continued to show poor form in their loss to Nurnberg, giving the chance for either Bremen or Schalke to open the gap.

It’s boiling up to be a showdown between Klose and Kuranyi. Kuranyi, who has shown a return to form of late, and perhaps wanting to prove that Germany made a mistake when not selecting him for their recent World Cup squad, will be looking to pull Schalke clear as they are currently 2nd to Bremen, but only on goal difference.

Bring the Sauerkraut because this will be a German Boiler!

Club América opened up the 2007 Mexican Clausura Championship in goal fashion as their 4 goal demolition of San Luis prompted another onslaught of gold as América beat Sporting Cristal of the Peruvian Liga with another 5 in their opening fixture of the South American Libertadores Cup.

Claudio Lopez opting to return to Argentina, back to the club that started it all for the sharp Argentine front man, translates into a return of Cuauhtemoc Blanco who can now solidify more influence within the game—and hopefully get a more full run of games—as last term the Mexican talisman was used more sparingly, but to great effect in their semi-final run through last term.

Las Aguilas, however, then crashed to Tigres last Saturday in the Mexican League, followed by a loss to Sporting Cristal in the return leg of the Libertadores Cup (though the Mexicans get through on aggregate).

This weekend they face Atlas for an early rematch of their quarter-final showdown last term when América edged them out to earn their chance to crack Chivas.

Atlas is on top of Group 1 while América sit in 2nd spot in Group 3—though it is still early days of the league.