How did Bayern score against Wolfsburg?
Friday nights are never pretty…are we talking about Bayern already?
How did Bayern score against Stuttgart, Mainz and Schalke?
Today’s truly tranquilizing triple threat tied to this tumblr that trumps Twitter’s top tweets. Fuck it, too difficult. Let’s just start.
Post-Winter Break FAQ
With the first competitive match of the year at home against Fürth being just hours away, I’m trying to answer what I think are the most frequent questions on the minds of Bayern fans.
A Half In Stats
The FC Bayern Kids Club calculated this stuff for me. Thanks a lot, boys and girls, you are free again. Go outside for a bit, those three weeks must’ve been tough.
How did Bayern score against Nürnberg?
With an individual mistake. One of hundreds in this match yet the only one Bayern took advantage of. This affair should’ve been decided after 45 minutes, there can’t be any doubt about that. Bayern played on a level way lower than against Leverkusen and probably even lower than against BATE (who played smart and effective football, unlike Nürnberg). Here’s a short goal analysis.
FCB Danterized - van Buyten, Daniel
There’s not much happening these days due to the international break. Nevertheless, something Bayern-related always happens. Here’s a short update of what you have to know.
The reserves lost for the first time this season on Saturday, 0-1 at home against Frohnlach. This pushed them all the way back to the 5th position in the league. With league leader Illertissen being 8 points ahead of Bayern at this point, it’s unfortunately quite likely that they’ll once again miss promotion to the third division. The most disappointed man was coach Mehmet Scholl whose press conference lasted 20 seconds. Watch a video of it here.
Better news: Diego Contento can run again. About a month after his injury, he’ll now regain match fitness as soon as possible and might even play as left-back once he’s fit enough. Speaking of injured left-backs, David Alaba, just like Mario Gomez, will need a bit more time than Contento but both are making good progress. Expect them to be back in October.
Most of the players who are fit will represent their country tonight. Holger Badstuber, Toni Kroos (fit again after a bruise dangerously close to his penis), Philipp Lahm, Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer will face an Alaba-less (and thus useless) Austria at 8.30pm local time. All FCB guys have good chances to be a part of the starting lineup.
A direct battle of the Bayern might take place in Belgium at 8.45pm local time between Daniel van Buyten and Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic, although it’s doubtful whether van Buyten will start.
Arjen Robben (coached by Louis van Gaal) will play against Hungary at 8.30pm local time. Find your own Manuel Neuer-Hungary jokes.
Same time, different country for Xherdan Shaqiri who’s expected to start against Albania. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld now complained that the ref failed to protect Shaq against an apparently aggressive Slovenia last Friday and hopes that the midfield cube can make it out of the second qualification match alive.
A big match is waiting for Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, the king of the Ukraine and Twitter. At 8pm local time, he and his teammates will face England at legendary Wembley. But since you’ve all seen the pictures of an excited Tymo inside that stadium, you already know that.
Franck Ribery might meet a few BATE players at 9pm local time when he and the French national team deal with Belarus. Just like every non-German European except Daniel van Buyten, anything but a spot in the starting lineup would be a surprise.
Leaving Europe, Claudio Pizarro will represent Peru against Argentina (as far as I know without Demichelis but maybe with Jose Sosa) at…I don’t know the local time to be honest, some time in the middle of the night if you’re in Europe.
That’s all.
Rekordmeister’s Top 25 Players of the Season 2011-2012
#21. That Ball.
Playing Köln is always an experience, and last December’s match was no different. Though the now-relegated side decided to play the final match of the Hinrunde with 9 defenders and Podolski, that didn’t stop the boys in red from having their fun. Daniel van Buyten even had a blast…..of the ball! When the Belgian Bull stepped up to take a free kick, the ball ricocheted off a defender and exploded! Arjen Robben laughed (a rarity), kicked the ball to the cheering fans, and Bayern went on to win the match 3-0. Köln went on to relegate, with no help from the Smoke Monster. No word on where the ball is today.
Daniel van Buyten has extended his contract another year until 2013.
“We are delighted that Daniel will play next season for Bayern. We know what we have in him,” said Bayern sporting director Christian Nerlinger, “with his qualities and his experience, he will continue to be an important part of our squad.”
Since mid-January, he’s been out injured, but has recently begun running again. We can’t wait to see him back out on the pitch!
