The international break is over, which means club soccer is back.
The weekend begins with an enticing matchup in the Bundesliga between Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin. American teammates Christian Pulisic and John Brooks are set to face each other in this crucial clash near the top of the table.
In Ligue 1, league leader Nice will battle Lyon, who is seven points adrift of the hosts. Mario Balotelli will look to continue his hot start to the season. He has already scored five goals in three games.
There is also one game in Scotland and Mexico on Friday as well with Rangers facing Inverness in Glasgow, while Veracruz hosts Leon in Liga MX.
Enjoy the matches.
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
2:30 p.m. – Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes/Fox Sports GO/Fox Soccer 2GO – Borussia Dortmund vs. Hertha Berlin
LIGUE 1
2:45 p.m. – beIN Sports USA/beIN Sports Connect – Nice vs. Lyon
LA LIGA
2:45 p.m. – beIN Sports en Espanol/beIN Sports Connect – Las Palmas vs. Espanyol
SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP
2:45 p.m. – Fox Soccer Plus/Fox Soccer 2GO – Inverness CT vs. Rangers
LIGA MX
10 p.m. – Azteca America – Veracruz vs. Leon
Sounds like he had a pretty uneven performance?
Dortmund just stopped trying to get the ball on the right side. Even after Mor was out and Schmelzer was replaced by Park. He was the most dangerous player for the first 25 minutes and then hardly saw the ball again, and I wouldn’t say Hertha had much to do with it.
Brooks was solid, won a lot of balls in the air, not to blame on the goal. Was a bit lucky Dembele skyed the free kick after fouling CP outside the box. That was really Pulisic’s best offense of the 2nd half leading up to the foul.
Pulisic made them pay in the first half. In the second have, he was guarded tight.
According to the announcer, after the first 25 minutes or so he said the Dortmund coach yelled, gestured or whatever for Pulisic to play back more. That made no sense to me as he was probably their most dangerous player going forward up to that time. He kind of disappeared after that.
Pulisic with the last chance of the match, goes well over the bar. 1-1 draw
And now a red for Berlin… 10v10. This is going to be a crazy 4 minutes!
Stocker sent off for Hertha, 10 on 10 for injury time
Pretty funny Moor getting a red for shoving over a guy maybe 2 feet taller then him.
And as the ref was gaining room to show the cards he shoved the same player as hard as Mor did. He did not red card himself, however.
Mor sent off, which is good for CP’s chances of starting next week.
Aubameyang from Dembele 1-1 80th minute
Pulisic quieter in the 2nd half as Dembele is driving the attack mostly through the middle and the left. Dortmund just won a penalty on a handball in the box… Then Auba’s pk was saved! Still 1-0 Hertha.
Aubameyang’s penalty saved after a handball call. No one seems to want to pass the ball to CP, he’s had maybe two touches this half.
Park on for Schmelzer, CP will need to go the 90. 1-0 in the 71st.
Brooks beaten by an Aubameyang run whose chip hits the post and stays out
Rode and Gotze off for Dembele and Kagawa. Dembele playing centrally Mor and Pulisic still on the wings.
American on American violence, Brooks getting booked for a foul on CP
Brooks with the yellow card for a clothesline on Pulisic. Not as bad as that probably sounded.
And just like that off a crafty back heel Hertha goes up 1-0.
Dortmund backline has had several give aways that have given Berlin chances. Dortmund still with most of the possession.
Also watching the game and one thing hit me – Brooks is still really young. I’ve already started to think of him as a veteran and a lock starter, but he’s only 23. That’s pretty exciting. He looks solid so far.
Pulisic shredded quite a few defenders in the first twenty. He hit one great cross and another that went to nobody on the far post. He looks pretty sharp so far. Also, he’s playing in front of 80k people in a critical game… practice for Mexico 🙂
Pulisic playing really well to start the game. Shredding the defense at will, but maybe a bit to unselfish at times.
Brooks & Berlin basically playing a bend, don’t brake defense; trying to hit on a quick counter. Playing calm and winning his challenges.
CP being perhaps too unselfish in the first 20 minutes.
Please keep posting your thoughts throughout the match, if you would be so kind. Thank you, good sir.
Pulisic just dribbled right through Jon Brooks, his pass wrongly ruled offside. CP playing well early. Hertha basically bunkering in.
Yanks playing each other became a rare occurrence for while. Young players like CP22, Brooks, and Bobby Wood are making Yanks abroad facing each other more common.
Pulisic and Brooks both starting.