Canucks in Germany - October 2010

[Guest Ed]

Roundup of upcoming action for our Canucks in Germany

Friday

Saturday

Bundesliga 1

FC Koeln away to SC Freiburg. McKenna still out from his knee surgery. Chance for Koeln to take some points against one of the surprise starters in the Bundesliga this season.

Liga 3

Olivier Occean and Kickers Offenbach host Werder Bremen's reserves as Offenbach look to keep 1st place in the 3rd division. Nik Ledgerwood back from injury but not sure if he will factor as SV Wehen Wiesbaden are away to Bayern's reserves.

Sunday

Bundesliga 2

FC Offenbach away to Erzebirge Aue, de Jong on the bench. Adam Straith will have to wait for a chance to win his starting spot back as Energie Cottbus are away to FSV Frankfurt.

[Guest Ed]

Yikes. I take it you can't edit a Thread title?

[El Hombre]

I'm not sure why thread starters aren't able to edit their own thread titles. I think I've fixed it for you though.

[Guest Ed]

Thanks.

[Guest Ed]

Olivier Occean subbed out for the last 15 or so in Offenbach's 3-1 win over Werder Bremen reserves, no goals from Occean today.

No sign of Nik Ledgerwood as SV Wehen Wiesbaden down Bayern's reserves 1-0.

[tarnado1555362291]

B2.

Marcel De Jong started in midfield and played 90 minutes for Augsburg, picking up a yellow in a 3 - 2 loss to FC Erzgebirge Aue.

FSV Frankfurt 3 - 2 Energie Cottbus - Adam Straith was on the bench.

[Guest Ed]

Monday's action has Rob Friend and Hertha Berlin hosting Alemannia Aachen. Friend starts, 0-0 at the half.

[loyola]

Monday's action has Rob Friend and Hertha Berlin hosting Alemannia Aachen. Friend starts, 0-0 at the half.

Final score 0-0 (Friend taken off at the 66th min.). Enough for Hertha to remain top of the table with 17 points.

BTW, OO recieved a 3 form Kicker.de for his weekend performance. He's tied in first place for the best average.

[nolando]

Article from a few weeks ago (??) that mentions Wassey: http://www.westline.de/fussball/sc-preussen-muenster/Willkommen-bei-Preussen-Schalke;art2027,268280

Sounds like he is in a similar situation to Stalteri, with a contract but without sufficient interest from other clubs to sign him from his club, who doesn't want him. Did I get that right, german speakers?

[Grizzly]

Article from a few weeks ago (??) that mentions Wassey: http://www.westline.de/fussball/sc-preussen-muenster/Willkommen-bei-Preussen-Schalke;art2027,268280

Sounds like he is in a similar situation to Stalteri, with a contract but without sufficient interest from other clubs to sign him from his club, who doesn't want him. Did I get that right, german speakers?

The article doesn't give any reasons for him not finding another club and such a situation does not always result due solely to insufficient interest from other clubs. The article mentions that a number of former Munster players are playing in Schalke's reserves but then says Wassey is the only one whose transfer was not successful. Then the coach of the Schalke reserves says before the season they decided that he would no longer have a role with the team and that he trains alone each day but won't play for Schalke again.

[nolando]

The article doesn't give any reasons for him not finding another club and such a situation does not always result due solely to insufficient interest from other clubs. The article mentions that a number of former Munster players are playing in Schalke's reserves but then says Wassey is the only one whose transfer was not successful. Then the coach of the Schalke reserves says before the season they decided that he would no longer have a role with the team and that he trains alone each day but won't play for Schalke again.

Thanks. So, then he is officially without a contract?

[Obinna]

why don't the whitecaps look at a guy like this? i remember reading on rednationonline that he certainly wouldn't be opposed to playing in vancouver. that was like a year ago though so i dunno how he would feel about that now.

[Grizzly]

Thanks. So, then he is officially without a contract?

The article doesn't say anything about his contract situation but I am pretty sure he is still under contract to Schalke. In Germany, clubs are required to allow players under contract to train using their facilities even if they have been cut by the team and he is doing this so that suggests he is still under contract. If I remember correctly we found out near the end of the pre-season that he would not play for Schalke anymore. Assuming he found out at the same time, that might have been a big part of the reason he has been unable to find a new team before the end of the transfer period. As far as the suggestion about him signing with Vancouver, I don't think he has ever played above the 4th division in Germany though he might have played in 3rd at one point (am not sure, maybe Ed remembers). Nevertheless, if he signs with a new club I would expect it to be a 3rd or more likely a 4th division club. Schalke must have seen some potential in him or they would not have signed him in the first place but it is questionable whether he is an MLS level player. Wouldn't hurt for one of the Canadian teams to give him a tryout but the removal of the MLS Canadian quota may not give them much motivation to do so.

[Guest Ed]

This weekend's games:

Fri

Bundesliga 1

FC Koeln vs Borussia Dortmund - McKenna out for months.

Bundesliga 2

Fortuna Duesseldorf vs FC Augsburg - de Jong on the bench.

Saturday

Bundesliga 2

FSV Frankfurt vs Hertha Berlin SC - Friend starts.

3 Liga

SV Wehen Wiesbaden vs VfB Stuttgart II - Ledgerwood back from injury; not sure of game status.

SpVgg Unterhaching vs Kickers Offenbach - Occean starts.

Sunday

Bundesliga 1

1899 Hoffenheim vs Borussia Moenchengladbach - Stalteri not with 18 man squad.

Bundesliga 2

Alemannia Aachen vs FC Ingolstadt 04 - Lassonde not with 18 man squad.

Note - Energie Cottbus reserves, newly promoted to Regional League Nord this season, have started Julien Latendresse-Levesque the last 3 games, all shutout wins. They've moved up 9 positions from last place in the last month.

[SthMelbRed]

^is that the full reserve side, not the U-23s (for JLL)?

[Guest Ed]

^is that the full reserve side, not the U-23s (for JLL)?

"Full reserve side" = U23's in Germany. There is no reserve side per se, just the Energie Cottbus II, often referred to as the U23 side.

[nolando]

^^How is de Jong starting on the bench?

I know some used to gripe about players getting lost in limbo in England but from where I am sitting we have lost more potential full-time starters (or have had guys drop down a division) to the German Leagues in the past year(s) than in any time I can remember in England. Ledgerwood and Friend drop down leagues, McKenna's not a regular starter. Stalteri and Wassey lost in the woods, Straith doesn't seem to have his spot back securely, de Jong is now apparently a bench guy, etc etc etc - did Sidra piss on the German flag or something? I don't get it.

Of course Occean is thriving, but it must be said playing well below his level.

Of course, Germany has been wonderful for development purposes, but if Hart wants Canadians playing at high level and starting regularly as adult professionals to have a shot at the MNT, maybe Germany's not the place for many of our guys.

[Guest Ed]

^^How is de Jong starting on the bench?

I know some used to gripe about players getting lost in limbo in England but from where I am sitting we have lost more potential full-time starters (or have had guys drop down a division) to the German Leagues in the past year(s) than in any time I can remember in England. Ledgerwood and Friend drop down leagues, McKenna's not a regular starter. Stalteri and Wassey lost in the woods, Straith doesn't seem to have his spot back securely, de Jong is now apparently a bench guy, etc etc etc - did Sidra piss on the German flag or something? I don't get it.

Of course Occean is thriving, but it must be said playing well below his level.

Of course, Germany has been wonderful for development purposes, but if Hart wants Canadians playing at high level and starting regularly as adult professionals to have a shot at the MNT, maybe Germany's not the place for many of our guys.

Take a pill man.

Marcel de Jong starts for FC Augsburg, playing central attacking mid in a 4-1-3-2 formation.

De Jong out at minute 65 as Duesseldorf hold onto a 1st half lead and win 1-0.

[TFCRegina]

^^How is de Jong starting on the bench?

I know some used to gripe about players getting lost in limbo in England but from where I am sitting we have lost more potential full-time starters (or have had guys drop down a division) to the German Leagues in the past year(s) than in any time I can remember in England. Ledgerwood and Friend drop down leagues, McKenna's not a regular starter. Stalteri and Wassey lost in the woods, Straith doesn't seem to have his spot back securely, de Jong is now apparently a bench guy, etc etc etc - did Sidra piss on the German flag or something? I don't get it.

Of course Occean is thriving, but it must be said playing well below his level.

Of course, Germany has been wonderful for development purposes, but if Hart wants Canadians playing at high level and starting regularly as adult professionals to have a shot at the MNT, maybe Germany's not the place for many of our guys.

I'd rather our players be sitting on the bench or playing a league lower in Germany than doing that in any other country in Europe, other than maybe Holland.

[Guest Ed]

^^How is de Jong starting on the bench?

I know some used to gripe about players getting lost in limbo in England but from where I am sitting we have lost more potential full-time starters (or have had guys drop down a division) to the German Leagues in the past year(s) than in any time I can remember in England. Ledgerwood and Friend drop down leagues, McKenna's not a regular starter. Stalteri and Wassey lost in the woods, Straith doesn't seem to have his spot back securely, de Jong is now apparently a bench guy, etc etc etc - did Sidra piss on the German flag or something? I don't get it.

Of course Occean is thriving, but it must be said playing well below his level.

Of course, Germany has been wonderful for development purposes, but if Hart wants Canadians playing at high level and starting regularly as adult professionals to have a shot at the MNT, maybe Germany's not the place for many of our guys.

Rather biased opinion from me, but I firmly believe there is no better place for Cdn players to develop (including anywhere in Canada).

1. Ledgerwood dropped down a league, his choice.

2. Friend was basically cast aside when a change in trainer happened in Moenchengladbach. Took this summer's opportunity to move to a BIG club in Hertha, who absolutely believe they will be right back in the Bundesliga 1 next season. Playing 90 minutes every week for a top Bundesliga 2 side matches the level of any of our active players aside from perhaps Hutchinson.

3. Stalteri is largely done at that level.

4. Wassey was getting sporadic minutes at tier 4 level in Germany with Schalke reserves. They do not see a future with him at Schalke.

5. Straith had a couple of not so great performances and now waits for another chance to show his stuff; nothing unusual about that; Stalteri and de Guzman went through the same process early in their careers in Germany.

6. de Jong came to his new club carrying an injury. Still managing to get good minutes lately. He was a late sub in for games 1 and 2, played an hour for games 3 and 4, sat out 5 and 6, full game 7 and today subbed out mid 2nd half. He is still getting good minutes.

7. Sidra was barely getting minutes at the 5th level in Germany last season. His performance for Canada vs Ven was a bit of a surprise but no surprise with Cottbus' release of him.

[nolando]

^ @ Ed, Develop, yes. Stay and plot out their careers, perhaps not so much. Practically speaking, if it's too good a league (B1 and B2) for our guys to play and regularly start, then have them move on before they fizzle. And, to respond to your childish response, Marcel was reported to be starting on the bench (as he has a few times), which is why I commented. Nothing reactionary about that. Can't take even the slightest criticism of your beloved league?

^^ TFCRegina, not your best reply ever...the alternative I would propose is playing week-in-week out, of course. If it means switching over to a lesser league like Denmark or Norway or Belgium, then so be it - those leagues have largely been fantastic places for MNT regulars to play. And if sitting on benches in a good league meant something, then David Edgar would be a superstar in our books. I would like to see fewer of these situations, to be honest.

I'm starting to side with Hart, our guys need to play and be permanent starters at club level - period. NASL, MLS, Norway, whatever.

[Guest Ed]

^ Fair enough. From a development perspective, only Straith, Sidra and Wassey from your post are in 'career development' phase. And Straith is really developing his career and he is on the right track, has to fight for his spot. Sidra and Wassey were not getting much playing time in 5th or 4th division; Sidra has gone AWOL and Wassey will not be back with Schalke.

Furthermore, from a DEVELOPMENT perspective, both Hoilett at Mainz U19's and Latendresse-Levesque with Cottbus' U23's are both starting in excellent leagues for development.

Ledgerwood, Friend, Occean and de Jong are all starters on their clubs when healthy. I think Nik has found B2 tough with all his injuries and hopefully can climb back up a division. Occean only took the Offenbach position because of the club's and coach's ambitions.

[The Closet V]

Rather biased opinion from me, but I firmly believe there is no better place for Cdn players to develop (including anywhere in Canada).

1. Ledgerwood dropped down a league, his choice.

2. Friend was basically cast aside when a change in trainer happened in Moenchengladbach. Took this summer's opportunity to move to a BIG club in Hertha, who absolutely believe they will be right back in the Bundesliga 1 next season. Playing 90 minutes every week for a top Bundesliga 2 side matches the level of any of our active players aside from perhaps Hutchinson.

3. Stalteri is largely done at that level.

4. Wassey was getting sporadic minutes at tier 4 level in Germany with Schalke reserves. They do not see a future with him at Schalke.

5. Straith had a couple of not so great performances and now waits for another chance to show his stuff; nothing unusual about that; Stalteri and de Guzman went through the same process early in their careers in Germany.

6. de Jong came to his new club carrying an injury. Still managing to get good minutes lately. He was a late sub in for games 1 and 2, played an hour for games 3 and 4, sat out 5 and 6, full game 7 and today subbed out mid 2nd half. He is still getting good minutes.

7. Sidra was barely getting minutes at the 5th level in Germany last season. His performance for Canada vs Ven was a bit of a surprise but no surprise with Cottbus' release of him.

Great post!

[Guest Ed]

Rob Friend goes 90 minutes as Hertha Berlin hold onto top spot in the Bundesliga 2 with a 1-0 away win over FSV Frankfurt.

Olivier Occean and Kickers Offenbach drop a couple of points in the 3 Liga, only managing a 1-1 draw away to Unterhaching but still lead the league by a point.

SV Wehen Wiesbaden down Stuttgart's U23's 2-1 to keep in 3rd place, just 2 points back. No sign of Nik L.

[TFCRegina]

^ @ Ed, Develop, yes. Stay and plot out their careers, perhaps not so much. Practically speaking, if it's too good a league (B1 and B2) for our guys to play and regularly start, then have them move on before they fizzle. And, to respond to your childish response, Marcel was reported to be starting on the bench (as he has a few times), which is why I commented. Nothing reactionary about that. Can't take even the slightest criticism of your beloved league?

^^ TFCRegina, not your best reply ever...the alternative I would propose is playing week-in-week out, of course. If it means switching over to a lesser league like Denmark or Norway or Belgium, then so be it - those leagues have largely been fantastic places for MNT regulars to play. And if sitting on benches in a good league meant something, then David Edgar would be a superstar in our books. I would like to see fewer of these situations, to be honest.

I'm starting to side with Hart, our guys need to play and be permanent starters at club level - period. NASL, MLS, Norway, whatever.

Point I was trying to make was that if they're gonna be sitting, they might as well sit in Germany. It's certainly better benefiting from German coaching than English coaching.

At the end of the day though, I don't understand why North American clubs don't try to loan out bench players from Europe who are from their respective countries.