Borussia Monchengladbach retains successful, Bob Bradley’s Stabaek is enjoying lockdown protection in Norway, and Aron Johannsson delivered a long-range golazo in AZ Alkmaar’s win over NAC Breda.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
Might 12, 2015
1:40 PM
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Aron Johannsson’s rocket
Johannsson has been enjoying a lot better in current weeks however his 88th-minute game-winning objective on Sunday caught many abruptly. Everybody is aware of he is a good finisher contained in the field, however what is typically forgotten is his skill to shoot from distance.
With AZ Alkmaar and NAC Breda tied 2-2 late within the recreation, Johannsson hit this bomb from 35-plus yards out. The outstanding strike was his seventh of the 12 months— a great quantity given the period of time he missed.
Chandler: One and Accomplished
Eintracht Frankfurt dominated Hoffenheim on Saturday and U.S. nationwide staff proper again Timothy Chandler received on the rating sheet when he nodded Bastian Oczipka’s cross residence within the within the thirty fourth minute.
Chandler’s objective gave Eintracht a 3-0 lead and the staff coasted to a 3-1 win, transferring into eleventh place within the Bundesliga. It was Chandler’s first objective of the season—he has scored precisely one objective in every of his 5 Bundesliga seasons.
Cameron helps Stoke trounce Tottenham
Stoke Metropolis moved into ninth place within the Premier League on Sunday when it trounced an exceptionally poor Tottenham 3-0. Geoff Cameron began at proper again and whereas he had some iffy giveaways, his cross completion proportion was a stable 75%. Defensively he was a rock and little received by him on his aspect of the sector.
Though the Massachusetts native has struggled to get on the sector at occasions this season, in current weeks he reclaimed his beginning spot and is the final man standing amongst American-born discipline gamers incomes common minutes within the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, or Serie A.
Michael Orozco and Puebla
Whereas he typically flies below the radar, Michael Orozco has been enjoying effectively just lately and on Saturday he and his Puebla teammates got here up with a vital away draw towards Santos Laguna. The two-2 consequence gave Puebla the purpose it wanted to keep away from relegation.
Between this season’s Apertura and Clausura Orozco began 31 video games, performed 2700 minutes, and was an anchor on the staff’s backline.
Gladbach: Germany’s Finest in 2015
The numbers inform the story: Borussia Monchengladbach has been the very best staff in Germany for the reason that Bundesliga resumed from its annual winter break. The staff has not misplaced in 12 video games and its 2015 file is an excellent 11 wins, 1 loss, and three attracts. This contains an away win over Bayern Munich, a victory over Wolfsburg, and Saturday’s win towards Bayer Leverkusen. With simply two league video games remaining, yet another win will clinch a spot within the group phases of the Champions League.
Monchengladbach stay undefeated within the Bundesliga when Fabian Johnson begins—and the German-born American midfielder has been a daily starter for the reason that winter break. Being a daily starter for the most popular staff in Germany is a uncommon accomplishment for an American participant.
Rhett Bernstein enjoys profession recreation
San Diego native and former Brown College defender Rhett Bernstein has spent the majority of his profession within the decrease leagues in Norway. Final season, nevertheless, Mjondalen earned an unlikely promotion to Norway’s Tippeligaen and Bernstein, 27, received his first style of top-flight soccer in Europe.
On Saturday, Bernstein had a recreation he’ll always remember, scoring twice off set items and helping on one other objective to raise Mjondalen to a 4-3 win over Tromso. The central defender hardly ever will get on the rating sheet and people objectives have been really the primary two of his profession.
UPDATE: Bernstein scored two extra objectives in the present day, Might 12, towards Rosenborg, which brings his two-game tally to 4 objectives.
Stabaek continues to cruise
Bob Bradley’s Stabaek gained its fifth consecutive recreation on Saturday, this one a 2-0 highway win over Valerenga. Much more spectacular, all 5 wins have come by way of shutout.
Stabaek has displayed a lockdown protection all season, having conceded simply three objectives in seven matches. The staff has not allowed an opponent to attain a Tippeligaen objective within the final 465 minutes.
Membership expectations have been modest initially of the season and never even essentially the most optimistic of followers would have imagined the membership can be in second place at this juncture.
American midfielder Cole Grossman is having fun with extra success than he had in MLS—the place minutes have been often robust to return by. In Norway, he has turn into a key contributor for Bradley.
Morales and Ingolstadt fail to clinch
Ingolstadt has an opportunity to clinch its first-ever Bundesliga berth on Sunday when it hosts RB Leipzig. That is the glass-half-full model. The pessimist’s take: The membership squandered a chance to clinch promotion two days in the past when it misplaced to Bochum by a 3-1 rating line.
That stated, Ingolstadt and U.S. worldwide Alfredo Morales are all however sure to earn promotion to the Bundesliga. In reality, it could take an outstanding set of outcomes for it to not occur.
All of the membership wants is a single attract both of its remaining two matches. And even when Ingolstadt misplaced its remaining two video games, third place Kaiserslautern would want to win its remaining two and make up a six-goal differential to overhaul Ingolstadt and earn automated promotion.
Notes from Round Europe
Eric Lichaj was named Nottingham Forest’s Participant of the Month for April. Will this award—and his regular play in England—catch the attention of Jurgen Klinsmann? TBD.
John Brooks left Hertha Berlin’s 2-0 loss within the 54th minute after struggling a hip damage. The preliminary report is that he’s questionable and will probably be evaluated forward of subsequent weekend’s recreation towards Eintracht Frankfurt. Hertha is barely three factors above the relegation zone with two Bundesliga video games remaining.
In Eire, American ahead Jay Keegan scored for Galway United within the twenty seventh minute within the membership’s 2-0 win over Derry Metropolis. The three factors lifted newly promoted Galway into eighth place in Eire’s prime flight. It was the second objective of the season for the Stormville, N.Y., native.