Premiere League - Bundesliga challenge this week

[SAMCRO]

Between Champions and Europa League group play, we get 4 England/German club team match ups. Arsenal @ Dortmund on Tuesday, followed by City @ Bayern and Schalke @ Chelsea on Wednesday, and Wolfsburg @ Everton on Thursday.

 

[ETSA]

Between Champions and Europa League group play, we get 4 England/German club team match ups. Arsenal @ Dortmund on Tuesday, followed by City @ Bayern and Schalke @ Chelsea on Wednesday, and Wolfsburg @ Everton on Thursday.

I am getting a bit wrapped around the axle trying to figure out the US angle on any of these games. Arsenal has a 17 year old kid, Gedion Zelalem, who was born in Berlin to Ethiopian parents and has German citizenship, but went to high school in Maryland and his father has permanent US residency. Wikipedia says that if his father gets citizenship before Gedion turns 18, then Gedion will also get US citizenship. One normally expects the German dual citizens are most likely offspring of US servicemen, but this is quite different story.

What are the chances Americans in the possible pools of national teams will play in any of these games? I would assume Tim Howard will be in the net at for Everton. How about Julian Greene at Bayern? Has Gyau played with the top side at Dortmund or just Dortmund II.

 

[ZooCougar]

I am getting a bit wrapped around the axle trying to figure out the US angle on any of these games. Arsenal has a 17 year old kid, Gedion Zelalem, who was born in Berlin to Ethiopian parents and has German citizenship, but went to high school in Maryland and his father has permanent US residency. Wikipedia says that if his father gets citizenship before Gedion turns 18, then Gedion will also get US citizenship. One normally expects the German dual citizens are most likely offspring of US servicemen, but this is quite different story.

What are the chances Americans in the possible pools of national teams will play in any of these games? I would assume Tim Howard will be in the net at for Everton. How about Julian Greene at Bayern? Has Gyau played with the top side at Dortmund or just Dortmund II.

Green was loaned to Hamburg.

Mls.com does a good job summarizing which Americans will be in action in Europe.

 

[ZooCougar]

Gyau dressed for Dortmund this weekend. Which is a pretty big vote of confidence.

Brek Shea actually looked pretty good in his debut for Birmingham City. I have the game DVRd but haven't watched it. Hopefully the effort against Czech was just rust and not a sign that he forgot how to play. Jonathan Spector was also subbed in.

Green was shaky this weekend for Hamburg. Reports indicated he was muscled around. He made some plays but was dispossessed a number of times. Still, he's 19 and starting in the Bundesliga for now.

Altidore did not play.

 

[SAMCRO]

Very little US tie-in with these 4 games, other than Howard (and I won't be surprised if EFC plays their back up GK ...maybe Howard plays b/c it's home and so early in the season, but look for their back up to get most of the Europa group play starts).
Shea got the assist for Birmingham in their 1-1 draw, and from everything i read he played very well.
Correct on Gyau dressing for Dortmund. That is going to be a tough lineup to crack with any meaningful minutes though. Would love to see him loaned out where he can play (ala Shea).