As Time Goes By

Recently, another American squad has beaten "die Mannschaft" - this time, however, it was the ladies' turn. Last week, the number two ranked USA women's national team  (USWNT) defeated the number one ranked German national team in the World Cup semifinal. The Americans went on to defeat Japan in the final (a rematch of the final four years ago where Japan was victorious) to win their third World Cup. Since the beginning of women's football, the Americans have been a world power. Mia Hamm, Christine Lilly, Abby Wambach, and many others will go down as some of the all time great women's footballers. Clearly, the men can not say the same. But why? 

My answer (by no means do I claim it is the right answer) is the evolution of football through athleticism and technical ability.  

Suppose a new sport is invented that no one has ever played before. Who will be the best at this new sport? Well, most likely, it will be other athletes. Athleticism, such as quickness, strength, speed, awareness, coordination, balance, etc will obviously play a major role. So the first attempts at this sport will be dominated by the biggest, fastest and strongest. But after some time, the losers realize they must develop a bit of strategy. Tactics become more important. Those who aren't the biggest, fastest, or strongest will find ways to compete, develop new insights, and change the style of the game. The athletes may adjust to these changes, or they may not. The weaker side's tactics and technical ability will grow faster than the athlete's because their game depends upon it. The athletes can jump higher or run faster so they do not rely on technical ability. Yet the smaller players must, in order to compete, develop a better understanding of tactics and become more technical. (Can you say Lionel Messi? And how about Clarence Goodson? If you said "who?" - that is exactly my point.) And so the gap begins to shrink. Now after some more time, years, decades, generations even, all the players go through the same athletic training. It's easy to close that gap. The new players realize how to properly train for the game and everyone becomes bigger, faster, and stronger. But the talent gap still exits. It is much harder to develop that understanding - the technical/tactical developments. And the group the initially dominating lags behind. 

At the onset of women's football, American girls were better athletes. They had played basketball and softball and other sports growing up and professionally. They had the advantage and it is evident by the history of the sport. Now, the talent gap is closing. Teams like Japan, Brazil, Germany, and France have some of the most technical players in the world. And while the Americans still are at the top of the sport, I expect it not to last much longer. As women's football grows more and more popular, and more and more girls throughout the world pursue it as a career and a passion, the underdogs will close in on and overtake the Americans. The USWNT loses girls to other sports and relies to heavily on athleticism. The same reason we were initially the most powerful team in the world is leading to our downfall. 

On the men's side, it is perhaps a different story because the game has a much longer history than the women's. The men are at the stage where technical ability is at the forefront of success (see Barcelona). The German national team is the defending World Cup champions and certainly deserve to be the number one team in the world. Their players are the most technical and proficient. Their tactics are beautifully choreographic. But they don't have any 6'7" athletic freaks. They have footballers. That is what is required to win matches. Men's football is beyond the stage of "bigger, faster, stronger." The women's game is still in its infancy, but I believe it will grow out of that stage. And that means trouble for the Americans. I hope you celebrated quite a bit at the recent American victory, it may be the last one we see in a long time. 


On an unrelated note, my mom and sister came to Leipzig a few weeks ago. We also saw Dresden and Berlin together. I must thank Hobart College not only for the opportunity for me to experience something remarkable, but also giving my family the experience as well.

America the Beautiful

So this post will deviate from the world of Red Bull because I recently was fortunate enough to see the US men's national team play against Germany in Köln (Cologne). When the game was first announced, I knew I had to go. So, I had a nice trip that included stops in Dortmund and Düsseldorf plus a few days in Köln to see the match. The US came out on top in a surprising 2-1 victory over the world champion Germans. I certainly will not say the Americans are on the same level as 'Die Mannschaft' but it was certainly a good win.

About four years ago Jurgen Klinsmann took over as the US head coach. He immediately made it clear that the red, white, and blue were going to be more proactive, imposing, and we were going to challenge the best teams in the world. This past week, the US beat the Netherlands in the Netherlands and then beat Germany in Germany. In both games, although not the most beautiful football ever produced, the US had a strong showing.

As it would turn out, I also got to meet one American player's father after the game and we spoke for quite a while about our views on the US team. He echoed my idea that while the two matches mean very little (especially for Germany and Holland), it is the greatest confidence booster for the American squad. Two quality victories playing against some of the world's best players is something every guy in that locker room will hold on to. For example, Bobby Wood is currently a 22 year old American playing in the German third division. He scored his first international goal against the Netherlands - the game winner. Then he scored his second international goal on an absolute cracker of a shot (maybe 30 yards from goal) to beat Germany. If his confidence is not high right now, it never will be.

And that concept applies for the team as well. The entire group can come back proud of what they had accomplished, and as a coach I know that it is a huge motivational building block to use. There are obviously things that could have been done better, but it gives you the ability to say, "Okay - we can compete. But now the next step is this or that."



I think experience is something incredibly underrated in football. The best players are used to playing on the biggest stages, with the biggest crowds, the most pressure, and against the best opponents. The more the American team can be in those situations and perform well, it only helps the group. Yes, many play professionally for big clubs and have seen lots of success, but it is also crucial for the young players (a Stanford sophomore is on the roster!). The German squad is composed of players from the biggest clubs (Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Real Madrid, etc). The US certainly does not have that. And it will, in my opinion, be very hard to consistently compete at the highest level without that pedigree of world class players. Germany has built that and over the past five years or left their mark on the world as the team to beat. Well, the USA beat them. Don't call us number one in the world yet, but it was certainly a step in the right direction. To tweak the phrase, the Köln Dom wasn't build in a day. (let's just hope it doesn't take US soccer 600 years to get to the top haha)

Night and Day

So the football season has come to an end for the RB Leipzig group. The first team could not complete their late season surge and finished in fifth. That means that they will remain in the second division for next year. A few days ago, they announced that Sporting Director Ralf Rangnick will take over as head coach. He is currently the sporting director for both RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg. I think that it is not a sign that RBL performed poorly this season or they were very upset with the direction of the team, but it is strictly about getting better. Rangnick has managed Bundesliga teams before and knows how to win at that level, and also how the Red Bull organization wants to play football. The previous head coach, Achim Beierlorzer will stay on as an assistant and RBL will also have a new goalkeeper and strength coach for next season.

I guess that is definitely something that is universal - we live in a "What have you done for me lately?" world. Results determine everything. Football clubs, especially clubs spending millions of euros, want to win. And they want to win now. Even though Red Bull had set a goal of reaching the Bundesliga by 2019, this season almost seemed to be a let down. They spent a great deal of money on players, but had to fire the coach in the winter. They made a late surge to perhaps gain promotion, but were unsuccessful.

The academy teams also fared well, but were unable to win any titles. The U19s were eliminated in the semi final (I was able to go see the first leg in Red Bull Arena). Many of the younger age groups, as well as the girls academy teams are still playing and, in typical Red Bull fashion, winning last weekend 7-1 (U12 boys) and 6-0 (U15 girls).

The hope is that these players will progress through the ranks of the academy to one day play for the first team. While obviously it is not possible for everyone, that is the hope of the club. Especially in Red Bull, the style of play is taught from the youngest academy age groups all the way to the first team. That way, they are developing a mentality as well as developing a footballer. That is a major difference in the US. We have one huge problem in player development in US football. That is college. Almost all the best players go on to college soccer. It throws a huge wrench in all academy and player development plans to lose a kid for four years. For example, the players on the Red Bull U18 have now been playing together for four or five years. But next fall, they all leave to go to college. And while they all will be playing at top Division 1 schools (Virginia, Cornell, Michigan, etc), they are now removed from the Red Bull environment. All the time and work put into developing these players in the academy is now finished. And the club can only hope that in four years, their players have progressed. This is a huge problem in my opinion. I am not saying that college soccer (or college in general) is a bad thing, however it is a major problem for player development. It complicates matters for players, coaches, clubs - basically everyone involved.

From my experience working in the RBNY academy, there is definitely a disconnect between coaches and players in regards to college soccer. The players (justifiably) care quite a bit about their collegiate career because that is the next step towards becoming a professional. A good college career means you get drafted and are given a shot in MLS. But the academy coaches do not care about the college process because they are helpless. There is nothing they can do but say 'okay.' So, I have seen this clash between ideals - collegiate soccer giving players the best opportunity for professional soccer while academies try to develop players to give them the best chance for professional soccer.

It is quite a complicated situation that is almost nonexistent in Europe. If a player wants to become a professional, he stays in the club's academy and tries to work his way up. He continues to learn and the academy can mold him into the player they hope he can become. They never lose him for four days, never mind four years. It gives the clubs a much greater ability to continue to develop players from 18-22, just before their professional careers. While in the US, academies lose that ability as players leave for college. It is a problem right now and I do not necessarily see it changing any time soon. Major League Soccer has done a good job implementing some rules that allow academies to keep their players after they graduate from college, but it is still not on par with the European system. Is that a major factor for why American football is behind many European counties? Possibly. Possibly not. It is certainly a major difference though.

You Make Me Feel So Young

Just to give an update on the most recent match:
RB Leipzig is currently sitting in fifth place in the 2nd Bundesliga. If they were to finish third, that would give them a chance to be promoted to the Bundesliga - which is the ultimate goal for any German football club. Last week, Leipzig played SV Darmstadt (currently third) at Red Bull Arena. The game was quite exciting, with RBL going down 1-0, then scoring with about ten minutes left to tie the match. And in the dying minutes, pressing for a victory to keep their hopes of promotion alive, Leipzig sent their goalkeeper (and every other player) forward to try to score. Sure enough, the ball falls to Fabio Coltorti's (RB Leipzig GK) feet and he puts it in the back of the next, 2-1 Leipzig. The following moments of sheer pandemonium will stay with me for quite a long time. It was quite an exciting environment to find myself in, and was absolutely crazy. I don't think words could really describe it.

Here is the game winner

I think this fits nicely with what I was planning to write about, though. So far, I have mostly talked about the anti-Red Bull feelings and how the club has caused an uproar in German football. But being in Leipzig, you certainly also see a very different side. I get to see the passion and support the club receives from its fans - young, old, men, women, anyone. At matches, it is a fantastic environment - a huge stadium with 40,000 faithful supporters. Perhaps when RBL travels to away matches, do not welcome them so warmly. But in Leipzig, they are certainly adored. 

"Einmal Leipzig - immer Leipzig - RBL" 

Once Leipzig - always Leipzig. The home supporters are (at least from my impression) completely behind the team. There is no nonsense of Red Bull or money or this or that. For RBL supporters, it seems that there is not much to the story. RBL is a football club, and people love them, just like people love Bayern München or Manchester United or any other club. Especially among young fans and children, the politics or ownership of the club is not important. All that matters is that every Sunday eleven guys come together to play a football match. So it is promising to see so many kids at the matches, kids that know every player and every stadium chant (and taught them to us!). For me, that is what football is about. The team and the supporters uniting over a match. On the field, nothing else matters - race, gender, religion, age - football is magic in that way. It gives us all something to get excited over, to pretend we are a kid once again, looking up to our idols, dreaming of being a professional athlete. At least for me, that is certainly part of the allure of football. 

The overwhelming support shown by the fans is something really exciting to see and I love going to the matches. Even at the training sessions (which are often open to the public), there are always fans there. Kids bring their jerseys to get autographs and take pictures with the team. The support for the club is there, one hundred per cent, regardless of Red Bull or logos or sponsors. 

You can go to a football game in the US, or American football or any other sporting event in the US, but the environment created by the fans does not compare to what I am experiencing here. Maybe the hatred from other clubs or other fans has stirred up some Leipzig supporters to really show themselves and their pride in the club. Maybe it hasn't, and football fans are just naturally crazy supporters. Either way, it's certainly a great environment to be a RBL fan, or just a football fan in general. And I would have to say that the players must agree with that as well. 

High Hopes

In 2009, when Red Bull purchased a football team in the German fifth division, they immediately had high hopes in the franchise. If I can say anything about my knowledge, it is that they seem to follow the motto "go big or go home." And they tend to go big. The initial goal was to take the club from the fifth division to the first division (Bundesliga) in 10 years. Well, in 2015, they are currently in the second division - but still with those high hopes.

Yet it has not been all sunshine and rainbows. Many intricate issues have come about, from ownership and legal measures (which I will not focus on so much) to a huge anti-Red Bull movement from opposing fans. Even within the club, there is an enormous amount of pressure to win - always.

In German football, it has been the tradition that clubs are owned by a large majority of stock holders and fans. Yet, Red Bull greatly defied that tradition and has done much navigating to make sure they are adhering to all the rules imposed by the German Football Association. This has caused quite a stir among fans. No opposing fans want to see a company come in and immediately spend millions of euros to try to elevate a single club. In the US, that is often how professional sports operate - big teams have big money and they win. But in Germany, it is not so much the norm. The complete Red Bull overhaul has been met with some strong resistance.

In speaking with a staff member, he told me about how jealous other clubs were of RB Leipzig. RB Leipzig officially stands for RasenBall Sport Leipzig because of certain rules, yet very few people are unaware of what the RB truly represents. The main issue is money. Red Bull has continuously poured money into the club. Just this past winter, RB Leipzig spent the second most amount of money to sign new players in all of German professional football. Other smaller clubs will simply not be able to compete with an organization that operates like that, and other fans and clubs are, from my view, angered mixed with jealous.

The sticker above says "100% Werbung - 0% Fußball" - which translates to "100% Advertising - 0 % football." I found it as I was walking to the match near Red Bull Arena. It speaks a lot, I think, about how others feel about the club. In American professional sports, money is king. The richest teams win. And then, because of that, people love to hate the rich teams. I am sure people all across the US "hate" the Yankees, the Patriots, the LA Lakers, etc. But I think the hatred toward RB Leipzig is different. It is certainly a bit about jealousy - RB Leipzig is spending money and buying players and winning matches. But also, I think it is challenging the entire German football system. 

German football is not about huge companies spending money and challenging anyone to try to stop them. Most clubs stand no chance with the resources that Red Bull has, and they understand that. It is not a rivalry hatred that I see. It is a "you-don't-belong" hatred. Red Bull has changed the entire idea of what a successful football club could look like in Germany. And just like all big change, there will always be resistance. Yet, with their high hopes (and deep pockets), I think we will be seeing RB Leipzig celebrate league titles a lot sooner than most people hope.

A Brand New Start of It

The legendary Frank Sinatra once sang that he wanted to "make a brand new start of it, in old New York." Well I've come from New York (sort of anyways) to a city that truly deserves the adjective of old - Leipzig, Germany. The city was founded in 1015 (no typo), and so will be celebrating its 1000th anniversary this year. 

Among one of the main purposes of my time here is to discover the differences between American football (soccer) and German football. (It did not take long for me to be told not to use the word soccer here.)  I am fortunate enough to have seen and been around some quality football in the US, and my hope is that that will continue in Germany. 

Back home, I work with the New York Red Bulls. I have worked for two years in their Training Programs, which is basically summer camps for kids around the tri-state area. I have also been a part of a Regional Development Staff, which screens young players who aspire to be in the Red Bull academy. And most recently, I have worked as an assistant to Simon Nee, the Academy's U16 coach. 

Red Bull also owns a team in Leipzig, known as RB Leipzig. Certain restrictions do not allow companies to own football clubs in Germany, so they cannot be called "Red Bull," so instead, their official name is Rasen Ballsport Leipzig. However, there are very few people who do not know what the RB on the jersey actually represents. 

During my time in Leipzig, I will be able to see their organization and compare it to what I know from back home. I have already spoken to many people within the club and must say that they have all been quite welcoming and kind to me. 

RB Leipzig has a home match coming up this Sunday, the first weekend of fixtures since I have arrived. I am quite excited to go to the arena and see the team play.They only have about six weeks left in the season, so I will be catching the end of their run. New York's season has just begun, and I am hopeful that they can continue their success from last season.

 I will certainly have some more thoughts after this weekend. It will be a big one for "Die Roten Bullen." On a side note, I would like to also take a trip to Salzburg, Austria while I am in Europe - another location of a Red Bull club. Red Bull Brasil may have to wait though...