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2023 – Back To The Future

It’s been a disappointing first half, starting with Sebastian Haller’s diagnosis, continuing through more injuries (Reus, Dahoud, Reyna, Bynoe-Gittens). Some players have still not lived up to their promise, most notably Malen and Adeyemi.

The result is we are sitting at 6th in the table, 4 points off Frankfurt at 4th, 9 points off Bayern at 1st.

Long time fans will recognize this as not so bad. They will look back to 2015 (aka Klopp’s last season) when we fought to get to 7th; or maybe 2018 when Peter Bosz took us to the bottom of the league, and Peter Stöger brought us back to 4th.

In other competitions, we are well in the running with winnable draws. On February 8 we play VfL Bochum in the Pokal Round of 16. On February 15 we play Chelsea at home in the UCL Round of 16.

The Good New

We now head into the Rückrunde (plus a few) well rested, with injured players coming back into the mix, and a favorable schedule. Outside of the fact that Haller will probably not see action for a while, it appears that all players are back for Marbella.

Bayern is scrambling to shore up their defense with Lucas Hernández and Manuel Neuer out. Chelsea is in the middle of an historic losing streak and a massive injury crisis (Mount, Sterling, Fofana, James…).

No obvious meetup dates through January and February. Maybe we can sort something out for Chelsea on February 15. I have a feeling that will be a fun match.

This Is Dortmund!

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens starts against Bochum

So many “fans” worried about the last couple of matches. Calls for “Rose Out” after the Dynamo Kiev match. Screaming about the team’s lack of motivation after the rather exciting match versus Bochum. Just get over it. This is what you signed up for.

Borussia Dortmund has managed to hover around the top 10 teams in the World for a decade. Take a look at this list and tell me why those teams are ahead of us. Hint: money. Along the way, we’ve picked up the most exciting 16 and 17 year olds in the world, turned them into superstars, then been forced to watch them move on. That’s kept us in the top 15 every year, but it doesn’t make us rich.

Was this season more disappointing than the last Klopp season? The season of the two Peters? Last season, when Edin Terzi´c saved our bacon? Not really.

And, like every season, this is a time for hope. Tom Rothe and JBG got their shot and took it. A Moukoko start is possible in the next two weeks. Exciting new players are being signed. Imagine Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle lining up in front of Gregor Kobel next season.

But still…Kehl and Rose have said that they will be building through two transfer windows. The process is ongoing. What’s the most we can hope for next season? Fighting for the Meisterschale, winning the Pokal, and quarter or even semi-finals of UCL.

This is Dortmund! Every season a new hope, a new chance to reach the top. Some season in the future it will pay off. Always remember that Klopp took three years to take us to the top. We haven’t given a Manager three years since. Maybe now is the beginning of a new era. Maybe not. We’ll all still be here either way.

When is A Fan Not A Fan?

Had to stop following the Borussia Dortmund Fans Worldwide Facebook group last week. Too many negative posts. The group was invaded by “fans” who really seemed to have no love for the team at all and very little grasp of the English language. Here’s where I draw the line:

“Burki out!” – this has been ongoing for quite a while, but after Köln it exploded in that group. It was posted no less than 20 times, some demanding that Hitz take over, some demanding that we buy a “better” Goalkeeper. Hey people! He is the Goalkeeper for Borussia Dortmund! He is very good. We are not buying anyone else and he’s been starting ahead of Hitz for Dortmund and Switzerland for years.

“Favre out!” – This was the call after the Union match. I’ll admit that I’ve posted the same thing jokingly, but these idiots are serious.

“Good Riddance!” – I read this sentiment tossed at Abdou Diallo, Omer Toprak, Andre Schürrle and Maxi Phillip. That’s when I knew that these were not Dortmund fans. We support any player that puts on the uniform, and when they leave we wish them well. That’s it. That’s all.*

*OK, this may not apply to Dembélé, but you all know why.

OK…sorry to rant, but needed to speak out. If you are looking for a team that tosses out €100M on a backup striker, Dortmund is not for you. If you are looking for a club that gives up easily on players and coaches, Dortmund is not for you.

There is a reason why Sancho, Witsel, Brandt and others come to Dortmund. It’s because Echte Liebe is not just a marketing slogan. It is the foundation of everything.

All About Seattle

Monday, 15.07.2019

Arrival at 11:55am (LH 490 flight)

Looking for a warm welcome at the airport. Emma will be there as well!

Tuesday, 16.07.2019

Public Training @ Seattle University. Free of charge. All are welcome.

Time slot between 5:00 – 8:00pm. Kick-off will be provided soon.

Fan training session @ Seattle University.

Want to train like a BVB player? Here’s your chance:

Directly after the A-Team training we are offering our fans a “Train like BVB” – session for our fans as we have two coaches from our BVB Football Academy with us.

We are envisioning two groups. One for ages 7-13 and an adult group. Free of charge. Max attendees 40 in total.

You want to take part? Application at email hidden; JavaScript is required and I put you on the list. First come – first serve. Please bring football equipment with you.

Wednesday, 17.07.2019

Legend-Touchpoint & Raffle: Start around 3:00pm.

Meeting point for all BVB fans around the stadium. Venue will be provided soon.

Match against Seattle Sounders @ Century Link Field – Kick-off: 7:30pm

Tickets: SeatGeek

You can filter for the BVB Supporter Section!

Welcome To The Long Summer

Perhaps you are a “new to BVB” fan. You must be a bit confused at this point. If you are an American, you may be wondering “How is my darling Christian Pulisic going to shine in all this chaos?” If you are one of our Asian members, you may want to know if Shinji will get more or less love in the next season. Read on.

Last season we lost three great players. Ilkay was acceptable, he was mostly injured anyway. Mats was understandable. He was, in his mind, returning home. Miki? Screw him and his Manager 🙂

Speaking of Managers, we dropped a very successful Manager the day after a Pokal win. It was not a good look. One would think that Herr Watzke would have someone lined up after a stunt like that, but that was not to be. Eventually we settled on Peter Bosz, and everybody seems to be happy and looking ahead.

This Summer feels different. Zorc seems determined to buy all the young talent in Europe. Last season’s buying spree was mixed: Dembélé and Guerreiro were gems; Bartra showed great promise; Götze and Schürrle were injured; Merino, Rode and Mor never showed up. Worth it? yes!

At a time when we looked pretty set, Management has begun another buying spree. Isak came in early but never played. Dahoud and Toprak were “pre-signed” before the end of the season. Now Zagadou and Maximilian Philipp. This team looks stacked.

Some players will have to leave. Park may be out, if he likes. Subotic is back from loan and will probably be sold. Ginter looks like he needs a change of scenery. Rode could be a valuable commodity along with Bender. Mor and/or Passlack may benefit from a loan. But hey…none of those are the one you want to know about, are they?

Yes! By all indications, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is leaving. He is 27 and in his prime. He’s always indicated that he would like to play for Real Madrid one day. That does not seem likely with Benzema and Morata there, so now it seems he’ll “settle” for Paris. Bild reports (shorthand for “probably not true”) that they will get him for €70 and will double his salary.

But…it’s looking more and more like this will not happen. The more these deals are reported the more Zorc says “no offers have been made.” It would be a silly move for PSG, spending a fortune on a player they have no position for and isn’t their first choice. China seems out of the question.

Also said to be leaving is Shinji Kagawa. Don’t believe it. He’s currently in form and looking to sign a new contract. Plus, Bosz will be eager to try out his Japanese on him.

Others may go out on loan, or be sold. It happens. Believe it when you hear it from bvb.de and believe the opposite when you hear it from Bild.

So hey, enjoy the Summer and we’ll see you for the Super Cup: August 5 at Wirtshaus. Ous, Christian, Shinji, Weigel…all your favorites will be there. This is the team of the future.

Event: Der Klassiker – Dortmund @ Bayern – October 4

We will be gathering at 8am Sunday, Oct. 4:

Tom’s Urban Live
1011 S. Figueroa St. B 101
Los Angeles, California 90015

The first official joint gathering to include the new Borussia Dortmund Los Angeles Fan Club and the FC Bayern München Los Angeles – Official Supporters Club.

We will use the Facebook Group to arrange carpool and travel arrangements. This will be a big one!