Bleacher Report - Articles by Daniel Kaiser

The Best XI Young Players in the Bundesliga

Daniel Kaiser — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:19:48 -0500

Inspired by an article on the best young players in the Serie A, I have decided to publish my take on the best young players in the current Bundesliga campaign. My judgement is solely based on recent performances. I have included the average grades given by German football magazine "Kicker", but my selection is not based on those grades (explanation of the grade system: "1" (A) is the best , "6" (F) the worst possible grade).

Goalkeeper: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen, 23 y.o.)

(14 Bundesliga matches, average kicker grade: 2.89)

Rene Adler is one of the rising stars in German football. The East German goalkeeping sensation has made his Bundesliga debut two seasons ago and has managed to become Germany`s no.1 - earning accolades for his debut match against Russia.

However, after two flawless seasons at Leverkusen he also had to deal with some major setbacks this season: a mistake in the friendly against England and some mediocre performances at club level. Nevertheless, Rene Adler is still the best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIxdoN3p2O4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeDbYbPEr0E

Left Back: Stefano Celozzi (Karlsruher SC, 20 y.o.)

(15 matches, average kicker grade: 3.36)

Stefano Celozzi is the product of Bayern Munich`s acclaimed youth system. At the age of 16, Hermann Gerland, the legendary coach of Bayern`s reserve team, invited him to play for Bayern II and he soon established himself as a regular in the third division of German football.

After three seasons in Bayern`s reserve team, Celozzi made the next step and moved on the Karlruhe for a mere 200,000 euros. Bayern will likely regret his sale. The German-Italian has left a strong impression after the first half of the season and was voted Karlsruhe`s best player in an online poll.

http://www.ksc.de/aktuelles/anzeigen/news/celozzi-ist-spieler-der-hinrunde/29.html

Centre Back: "Geromel" (1.FC Cologne, 23 y.o.)

(17 matches, average kicker grade: 2.94)

The tall and pacy Brazilian Tonon Pedro Geromel moved to Cologne from Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes last summer and quickly established himself as one of the best centre backs in the Bundesliga. At times world-class, Geromel`s performances are one of the main reasons newly promoted Cologne has finished the first half of the season in eleventh place with little worries about relegation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPJ8pIewg9I

http://de-de.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Geromel/549100616

Centre Back: Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund, 20 y.o.)

(17 matches, average kicker grade: 3.29)

Neven Subotic has become one of the most discussed topics among American football fans. Although he represented the US at youth tournaments, Neven has recently decided that he wants to play for the country of his heritage, Serbia, in the future. Subotic has risen to one of the best centre backs of the German top flight. He belongs to a new generation of centre backs who read the game and are capable of containing forwards without using tackles.

Furthermore his height make him dangerous at set pieces and he has already scored five goals in his first Bundesliga season. Recently, rumours have emerged that he was heading to Serie A side SSC Naples. He quickly rubbished those talks on his facebook site: "Guys, calm down, I am staying at Dortmund..." Dortmund fans hope that he will stay for years to come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lKNuc7pnD8&feature=related

http://de-de.facebook.com/people/Neven-Subotic/5026930

http://www.neven-subotic.de/

Right Back: Andreas Beck (TSG Hoffenheim, 21 y.o.)

(16 Bundesliga matches, average grade: 3.00)

Andreas Beck is not the typical footballer - he spends his spare time reading books written by Nietzsche and Dostoewski and publishes book reviews on his personal website. He has good technical skills and creates danger when he links up with Hoffenheim`s attacking play.

Kicker magazine has just voted him to be the Bundesliga`s second best wide back after Philipp Lahm (kicker: "They are exceptions but they do exist: defenders who can contain Bayern`s Ribery. One of them was in the first half of the season Andreas Beck - a true sign of quality")

Beck has come a long way - literally: He was born in the Siberian town of Kemorovo and moved to Germany when he was three years old, since his parents were of German descent (Volga Germans as they are called in English) and thus qualified for German citizenship.

He began his professional career at VFB Stuttgart, but despite showing great potential he didn`t get enough match practice and decided to switch to Hoffenheim rejecting an offer from Spartak Moscow. His move paid off and his (so far) outstanding form might rather sooner than later earn him his debut for the German national team.

http://www.andi-beck.de/

Left Midfielder: Marko Marin (Gladbach, 19 y.o.)

(17 matches, average grade: 3.25)

Many football fans might associate ZZ with Zinedine Zidane, but it is also short for Zauberzwerg (German for "magic midget"), the nickname of Marko Marin. Although Gladbach finds itself in last place after the first half of the season Marko Marin has impressed so far. The 19 year old Serbian-born midfielder is one of Germany`s greatest talents.

Marin has celebrated his debut for the German national team this season and you can expect to hear more of the small and skillful winger in the years ahead. In a recent interview Marin has stated his desire to play in the Champions` League - which makes Gladbach fans worry that they might lose their best player in the near future, and should alert Europe`s top clubs to make efforts for his signature.

If you want to see Marko`s first goal for Germany just follow that link:

http://www.marko-marin.de/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZD1seQ29_4

Centre Midfield: Renato Augusto ( Bayer Leverkusen, 20 y.o.)

(17 bundesliga matches, average grade: 2.79)

Renato Augusto came to Bayer Leverkusen last summer and is the latest of a number of high calibre Brazilians who have signed for the German pharmaceutical giant`s football team in the recnt past. In the first half of the season Renato Augusto has been the most impressive midfielder bar Franck Ribery in the German top flight. Sooner or later, he will move on to a bigger club, but until that happens Leverkusen fans enjoy the former Flamengo star`s dribblings and decisive passes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_yFOO6zZQU

Centre Midfield: Sami Khedira (VFB Stuttgart, 21 y.o.)

(14 Bundesliga matches, average grade: 3.13)

Sami Khedira has already won the Bundesliga title in his first season as a professional football player at Stuttgart. The son of a Tunisian father and German mother is physically strong with good technical skills and extremely dangerous in the air. He has been one of the best players at Stuttgart this season and his two goals against Bayern along with his high work-rate in the defensive midfield earned him a place among the best young players of the Bundesliga season.

http://vodpod.com/watch/1226557-stuttgart-2-2-bayern-munich-highlights

Right Midfielder: Kuba Blaszczykowski

(17 Bundesliga matches, 3.19)

In his first season at Dortmund, Kuba Blaszczykowski had problems to adapt himself to his new environment. But this season Kuba`s performance at club level and in the Polish national team have been truly eye-opening. The former Wisla Krakow player has become Dortmund`s most dangerous forward whose dazzling dribblings cause shock and awe within enemy defenses.

He has just been named Poland`s footballer of the year (ahead of Artur Boruc) and rumours about Liverpool being interested in signing the "Polish Figo" just won`t go away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZO-hqrmlA8&feature=related

Forward: Chinedu Obasi (TSG Hoffenheim, 22 years)

(12 matches, average grade: 2.59)

With all the buzz about Hoffenheim`s leading striker Ibisevic, the name Obasi has often fallen under the table. But in my opinion, the powerful and technically skilled Obasi is the most talented of Hoffenheim`s impressive forwards. At the start of the season, Obasi was Nigeria`s star player at the Beijing Olympics and hence missed the first few games of Hoffenheim`s Bundesliga campaign.

But when he returned to his club, he soon made himself a name in the Bundesliga scoring 6 goals and giving three assists. Apparently, Chelsea wants to secure his services—Chinedu`s friend Obi Mikel is already playing for the Londoners.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=%22Chinedu%20Obasi%22&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#

Forward: Edin Dzeko (VFL Wolfsburg, 22 y.o.)

(15 matches, average grade: 3.27)

The current Bundesliga season could be dubbed "The year of the Bosnians" as so many of them have become the stars of the league: Ibisevic, Misimovic, Salihovic and last but not least Edin Dzeko.

The powerful striker has been on fire this season with five goals and seven assists in his curriculum vitae. The tall and powerful forward has not only become one of the Bundesliga`s best strikers, but he has also scored four goals in Wolfsburg`s current Uefa Cup campaign.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMBkwt4lRFg

Substitutes: Neuer (Schalke) - Höwedes (Schalke), Compper (Hoffenheim), Boenisch (Werder), Hummels (Dortmund), Santana (Dortmund), Henrique (Leverkusen), Tasci (Stuttgart)- Weis (Hoffenheim), Diego (Werder), Carlos Eduardo (Hoffenheim), Özil (Werder), Barnetta (Leverkusen), Kacar (Hertha Berlin), Kroos (Bayern), Ottl (Bayern) - Ba (Hoffenheim), Fenin (Frankfurt), Gomez (Stuttgart), Podolski (Bayern)

The German National Team—Polska Edition

Daniel Kaiser — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:48:20 -0500

Could Germany field a national team which is exclusively made up of Polish-born players? Yes, argues Daniel Kaiser and gives an outlook for a possible 2010 team where even the coaching staff and bus driver are of Polish origin. I left out German players who have a Polish background but who were not born in Poland. Discuss: Do you think this team has enough quality to qualify for a European or World Championship?

Begin Slideshow

Ezi The Wizard: A Forgotten Legend

Daniel Kaiser — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:53:16 -0400

Last summer Podolski scored twice against Poland, the country of his birth. Some youth in Katowice, only a few miles away from Gliwice where Lukas was born, were celebrating the goals of their local hero in a pub. Obviously, the other pub-goers found that not very amusing, hours later Podolski`s Polish fans had to be treated in a hospital...

Coincidentally, Katowice is the home town of Poland`s most controversial footballl player. He was born Ernst Otto Pradella in 1916. His father, whom he never met, died as a German soldier in the Great War. When he was six years old, his hometown Katowice became part of the Polish state and at the age of 13 he adopted the surname of his stepfather. The German Ernst Pradella became the Pole Ernest Wilimowski.

The Rise of Ezi the Wizard

Wilimowski started his career at local club 1.FC Kattowitz, a team that was exclusively made up of ethnic Germans. At the age of 17, the skillfull forward with six toes on his left foot moved to Ruch Wielkie Hajduki, a bigger club in Poland`s first division, and soon established himself as the deadliest striker in the league. He scored 112 goals in 86 games and won numerous titles with his new club.

Ernest, who was nicknamed "Ezi" by his fans, earned his first cap for Poland in 1934 at the age of 17. But his behaviour off the field saw him excluded from the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Ezi enjoyed his success too much, his escapades with women and booze became well known.

But on the pitch (in case he was sober) he didn't show any weaknesses.

Brazil vs Poland , WC 1938 - the first match of the century

Poland managed to qualify for the World Cup in 1938 and had to play Brazil in Strasburg. Then, the World Cup was a knockout tournament with no group stage. Poland had to beat Brazil in order to reach the next round, but they were clear underdogs. Brazil`s best player, the legendary Leonidas opened the scoring after 18 minutes. But the game was far from over. In what the French press would call "The match of the century" the next day, Poland eventually lost 6-5 after extra time. Wilimowski scored four goals, but still ended up on the losing side.

Due to his brilliant performance against Brazil he became a superstar in Poland. Brazilian and French clubs tried to sign him. He was 22 years old and about to become a legend.

But 10 years later, the name Wilimowski was a forbidden word in Poland. His name was erased from the football statistics and the collective memory of the Poles. It wasn't Wilimowski who had performed so heroically against Brazil in 1938, but defender Szczepaniak. It was as if he had never existed.

How the Pole Ernest Wilimowski became the German Ernst Willimowski

With the outbreak of World War II Wilimowski's career in the Polish national team and football league was over. But that didn't stop him from playing football.

Ernest Wilimowski retook his German citizenship and changed his name for a third time to Ernst Willimowski. In order to avoid being drafted into the German army he applied for a police unit. He went on to play for several German clubs and managed to win the German Cup with 1860 Munich in 1942.

Maybe Ezi's fans would have found a way to tolerate this behaviour by their idol. After all, he was not the only player of the 1938 team who became German citizen after the invasion of Poland. Poles were not allowed to play football during the occupation and hence those professional footballers who changed nationality did this mostly out of necessity.

But Willimowski's did not only change his name and passport. Willimowski also started to play for the German national team scoring 13 goals in eight matches. That was too much. The Poles loved Ezi before the war, but this love turned into hate and disgust after he wore a shirt with a swastika on it while their country was burning.

And yet, Willimowski was probably not the opportunistic traitor he was thought to have been. As it was revealed just recently, his mother Paulina was sent to Ausschwitz in 1940 for having a relationship with a Russian Jew. Ernst used his influence to get her out of the death camp.

Sometimes, things are not as black and white as they seem to be on first sight...

Spotlight Bundesliga: The Goalkeeping Stars of The Future

Daniel Kaiser — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:53:53 -0400

Rene Adler

Age: 23 Height: 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Club: Bayer Leverkusen Personal Honours: Voted Best Bundesliga keeper 2008

The word "Adler" means "eagle" in English. Never has a surname revealed so much about a German player (although the English might argue that Stefan Kuntz, who scored against them in the EC semifinal in 1996, wins that contest). Rene feels comfortable in the air. His jaw-dropping saves leave opposing strikers in despair. But he also belongs to the new generation of goalkeepers who are not simply shot-stoppers but also good on the ball.

In the upcoming months, Adler will have to fight with Robert Enke (Hannover 96) for the now void spot in Germany's national team. Adler is expected to win this competition and soon he will wear an eagle on his jersey as well.

I am rather reluctant to use words like "world class" when it come to new players. But for Adler I make an exception. He is world-class and will soon become a world star.

Manuel Neuer

Age: 22 Height: 1.92 m (6 ft 3 1/2 in) Club: Schalke 04 Personal Honours: Voted Best Bundesliga keeper 2007

12 years ago, a then ten-year-old boy spent his weekends watching his local football team FC Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen. The boy kept going inside the stadium 30 minutes ahead of kick-off, in order to watch Schalke goalkeeper Jens Lehmann doing his warm-up. It might appear strange to hear about a young boy who was so focused on seeing Lehmann stretching and bending over—but those afternoons at the Schalke stadium apparently helped the now 22-year-old Manuel Neuer to become a goalkeeper who could very well surpass his idol Jens in every aspect.

When Schalke manager Slomka dropped fan favourite and veteran keeper Frank Rost in 2006, and gave an unknown 20-year-old player from their own youth academy a chance, many observers wondered. But Neuer didn't disappoint his coach.

He was instrumental in securing a 2nd place finish behind Stuttgart in his first season and was voted Best Bundesliga Goalkeeper.

His second season (2007/08) was marked by ups and downs. He made several errors in the Bundesliga and Champions League campaign and was often made the scape-goat for everything that went wrong at Schalke. In my opinion the criticism was not justified. 21-year-old goalkeepers tend to make mistakes—particularly in their second season as a regular.

It would be unfair to focus merely on the four mistakes he made, since he also delivered the best single performance by a goalkeeper in last years Champions League campaign. Schalke had won their home-tie against Porto 1-0, and travelled to Portugal in the hope to reach the CL quarter-finals for its first time ever.

Porto had a team full of stars —Schalke only the slightly overrated Kuranyi. The Schalke players didn`t perform that night—Porto were dominating the match and they were atacking from start to finish.

But one Schalke player did show-up: Neuer. You could feel the disbelief of the Porto supporters when he made one unbelievable save after an other. His kung-fu style save against Sektioui was beyond believe.

Somehow, Porto managed to beat Neuer only once. The dramatic tie had to be decided in a penalty shoot-out. Neuer didn't disappoint again and his two saves put Schalke through to the next round.

As far as pure talent is concerned, Manuel Neuer is on the same level as Rene Adler, but at the moment, Adler's consistently strong performance gives him the edge. In the future, however, Neuer will be Adler`s strongest competitor for the national team.

Michael Rensing

Age: 24 Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Club: Bayern Munich

Michael Rensing might be the third young keeper to challenge for the No. 1 spot in the German national team. But he had to wait longer to get a place in the starting line-up, being the back-up of Oliver Kahn at Bayern.

This season is his first season as a regular, and hence it remains to be seen how good he is. If he succeeds at Bayern he will be a strong contender for the national team—if he fails Bayern might as well sign Rene Adler as his replacement.