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Tuesday Kickoff: Schweinsteiger named Germany captain; Monaco VP expresses regret; and more

BastianSchweinsteigerGermany5-ArgentinaWorldCup2014 (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Germany has found their successor to Philipp Lahm as the team looks into the future.

Coach Joachim Löw has named Bastian Schweinsteiger as Germany’s new captain, taking the place of the retired Lahm. Germany plays their first post-World Cup match on Wednesday in a friendly match against Argentina in Dusseldorf, before opening up their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign on Sunday against Scotland in Dortmund.

“Bastian is an absolute leader, he has always taken responsibility for the national team, on and off the field,” Löw told the German Football Federation website. “In Bastian I have great confidence, and not only myself but also our entire sports management staff. Above all, he unites all the players behind him – no matter what age, no matter what club they play for. I know Bastian is always there when we need him. Bastian Schweinsteiger will be a great and worthy captain of our national team.”

Schweinsteiger is still recovering from an injury, and therefore goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will be the interim captain for the match against Argentina. Meanwhile Mesut Özil, Mats Hummels, and Jerome Boateng have all been ruled out of Wednesday’s friendly match.

Here are some more stories to kick off your Tuesday:

MONACO VP REGRETS FALCAO SALE

Just one year after a spending spree that brought in the likes of Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, and Joao Moutinho, the project at AS Monaco is in ruins.

While it was likely hard to reject the offers, after securing a place in the UEFA Champions League by finishing second in Ligue 1 last season, Monaco sold Rodriguez to Real Madrid earlier this summer for a reported €80 million and on the final day, let Falcao leave for Man United on loan with an option to buy.

“I regret Falcao’s departure, particularly for our fans,” Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev told reporters. “However, we felt that from the moment the player had expressed his desire to join Manchester United, it would have been wrong to block his transfer.”

The departures leave Monaco with an aging squad including Dimitar Berbatov, Ricardo Carvalho, and Jeremy Toulalan, in addition to Moutinho and Lucas Ocampos.

XOLOS HIRE GUZMAN AS MANAGER

Club Tijuana have quickly found a new man to lead their team.

Just two days after parting ways with coach Cesar Farias, Tijuana announced that they’ve appointed Daniel Guzman to be the club’s new head coach. Guzman most recently coached Atlante but hasn’t had much success as a manager since winning a title with Santos Laguna in 2008.

Guzman, a Guadalajara native, has extensive coaching experience in Liga MX, managing Tigres UANL, Chivas de Guadalajara, Atlas, Queretaro, Puebla, and Santos Laguna in his coaching career.

QUICK KICKS

Borussia Dortmund have re-signed left back Erik Durm to a new contract through 2019. (REPORT)

Aston Villa are still interested in signing Man United’s Tom Cleverley on a season-long loan, despite the transfer window having closed. (REPORT)

Fabio Quagliarella has been recalled to the Italian National Team as a replacement for Dani Osvaldo. (REPORT)

Former Maccabi Tel Aviv boss Oscar Garcia has been appointed head coach at Watford, a day after claiming that he left Israel after failing to guide Maccabi into the UEFA Champions League. (REPORT)

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What do you think of these reports? Do you like the choice of Schweinsteiger as captain? Do you believe Monaco should have held on to Falcao? How do you expect Guzman to fare as Tijuana coach?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I care, and good point. I think it’s sad that Donovan was punished for being up front and honest about his struggles when so many others remain silent.

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  2. Some still refuse to believe that mental illness is not a choice. They call it selfish and use it against the sufferer, in this case Donovan. It doesn’t make sense.

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  3. I am probably in the minority for believing that Klinsmann’s attitude toward Donovan was based on his professional assessment of LD as both a player and, this is important, where he fit and what role he would play in Brazil.

    Klinsmann, I believe, saw LD as too complacent. He saw LD as a player who never really challenged himself. Even his European loans were intended as short term stints just to get Donobanin form for MLS or the WC. He stayed in MLS as the big fish in a little pond rather than play in Europe like Dempsey or Altidore. Atl east Altidore is willing to fail. I

    Juergen saw a declining player, who was unwilling and incapable of pushing his body hardduring camp at stanford. Why was the camp so grueling? To duplicate or at least partially simulate the conditions they would face.

    Klinsmann also told Wondo exactly what he would need to do to get on the squad and all Wondo did, to paraphrase Buddy Ryan, was socre goals. Well Korea and Mexico ain’t Brazil or Germany, but they are perennial WC teams.

    I think Klinsmann knew what he was doing. You can gripe about leaving LD off the team but I’m not sure he would hav helped as much as another wide player. He’s too old to play wide. Injuries to Jozy and Bacon really limited JK. IMO teams should be able to replace injured players (at least after the first round) or allow thee alternates on each WC roster, but I digressed.

    You could see that Dempsey was gassed after the portugal game. He missed that chance to tie Germany late in the match that seemed simple.

    In short, I think Klinsmann had the right people UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES who just didn’t execute. If Wondo poached that goal in injury time against Belgium, NO ONE would be questioning Donovan’s exclusion.

    Truth be told, I was a HUGE Donovan fan. I have been since the Sydney Olympics. However, I have started turning sour on him since his “sabbatical.” Why? Other peers of his had gone through the same grind as he did from the academies to the youth NT to MLS to MNT. Maybe he had a few more games under his belt, but I think that the sabbatical was selfish and that LD felt ENTITLED to screw over his MNT teammates IN THE MIDDLE of WC qualifying.

    Then when he made himself the center of attention for thinking he was guaranteed a spot on the team, I was totally turned off by Donovan.

    And if he has hurt feelings, he needs to own up to how his sabbatical cast him to his teammates and the entire US Soccer community. That just sowed the seeds for his getting cut, especially when the team was able to function fine w/o him during qualifying.

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      • he has a point.

        Donovan helped MLS and US SOCCER. we know this but what if? what if he stayed in Europe and scored goals? He was more talented than Harry Kewell? Donovan could have challenged for league and CL titles.

      • “totally random.”

        Not on this site. Mention “Germany” or anything vaguely related and immediately the long national nightmare begins again.

    • So I hope you feel the same way about Tim Howard who is taking an even longer sabbatical so he can make money being an NBC commentator.

      “Other peers of his had gone through the same grind as he did from the academies to the youth NT to MLS to MNT.” – this is not true. No one had the grind Donovan did. The others took their off seasons off.

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      • Mr. zip,

        BS

        Timmy’s replacement is arguably better, and has been in place for some time. Plus the WC and the qualifiers are a long way away.

        LD had no relacement and left when he was needed and did not say when or if he was coming back . Timmy gave us a date.

    • Simply expanding the WC roster to 26 as you suggest would be the best move in my view

      Most national teams come into the World Cup with only a short break from a very long tough season. The extra three players would give managers a lot more leeway in terms of rotating and resting players.

      Then again the limited roster forces managers to get creative and players to improvise and there is something entertaining about that.

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  4. “Schweinsteiger, which translates as Pig [Redacted] in English, was pleased with the honor. I will immediately teach my comrades the art of flopping and screaming for 90 minutes, as I have done throughout my career.”

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    • Right on, it’s ridiculous he didn’t get punished for bringing fake blood onto the field. he should be banned for four months from all soccer related activities!

      Reply

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