Category: Bundesliga

LA Galaxy confirm signing of ex-Dortmund star Marco Reus

The 35-year-old is a formidable addition to the Galaxy’s already-strong attack

The LA Galaxy have made a major addition ahead of the MLS playoff push, signing former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marco Reus.

Reus, 35, joins the Galaxy as a free agent and has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract through the end of the 2026 MLS season, with the club using targeted allocation money to complete the deal.

“Marco Reus is a world-class player who has excelled at the highest level of the sport, including playing in two Champions League finals for Borussia Dortmund and in the FIFA World Cup with the German national team,” said LA Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz.

“For Marco, a two-time Bundesliga Footballer of the Year, to join the Galaxy after playing his entire career in Germany is a testament to the project we are continuing to build at the club. We look forward to Marco’s contributions to the LA Galaxy as we enter the critical final stretch of the 2024 MLS season and beyond.”

Led by dynamic attackers like Joseph Paintsil, Riqui Puig, Gabriel Pec and Dejan Joveljić, the Galaxy have surged to the top of the Western Conference standings. Should head coach Greg Vanney find a way to successfully integrate Reus, it would make the team’s attack even more formidable.

Reus is one of the best German players of his generation and a legend at Dortmund, where he tallied 301 goal contributions in 429 career appearances across all competitions in 12 seasons.

The midfielder departed the club at the end of the 2023-24 season when his contract expired.

At the international level, Reus has 15 goals and 14 assists in 48 career appearances for the Germany national team.

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Hoffenheim boss Matarazzo reportedly offered USMNT job

Could the USMNT be set to hire the New Jersey native?

Could the U.S. men’s national team be closing in on its new head coach?

That appears to be the case, per two reports out of Germany that strongly link Hoffenheim’s Pellegrino Matarazzo to the vacant position.

According to Kicker, Matarazzo has been offered the USMNT head coaching job and is still undecided, though he is open to to the position.

Bild was more emphatic, reporting that Matarazzo has already informed Hoffenheim that he wants to leave to take the USMNT job.

The time may be right for Matarazzo to seek out a change, as Hoffenheim is currently in the midst of some upheaval that has recently seen the club sack managing director for sport Alexander Rosen.

Matarazzo was born and raised in New Jersey before he moved to Europe for a playing career spent in Germany’s lower divisions. After retirement, Matarazzo began a coaching career that saw him earn his first head coaching role in 2019 with Stuttgart.

The 46-year-old impressed with his work at Stuttgart, and just guided unfancied Hoffenheim to a seventh-place Bundesliga finish and a European place.

Matarazzo even expressed his interest in the USMNT position last year when it was vacant, saying: “At some point, I do feel like it’s time to give back to soccer in the States but when that time will be we’ll see.”

The USMNT position has been vacant since Gregg Berhalter was dismissed last month in the wake of the team’s stunning group-stage exit at the Copa América.

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Wolves vs. RB Leipzig: How to watch friendly, TV channel, live stream

The two sides will square off at Chase Stadium, home of Inter Miami

RB Leipzig and Wolves will continue their preseason preparations when they face off in a friendly Saturday night at Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale.

RB Leipzig’s first tour of the U.S. began with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday in New Jersey, and will conclude with another match against Premier League opposition.

Marco Rose’s club finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season, and will return to Germany for one more friendly at home against PSG next weekend before kicking off the regular season.

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Wolves, meanwhile, will be looking to get back on track after falling 3-1 to Crystal Palace on Wednesday. This will be the final game of the club’s U.S. tour, which has also seen them beat West Ham.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

Wolves vs. RB Leipzig (friendly)

  • When: Saturday, August 3
  • Where: Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Paramount+ (WATCH LIVE), CBS Sports Golazo Network

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RB Leipzig vs. Aston Villa: How to watch friendly, TV channel, live stream

RB Leipzig and Aston Villa will square off in a preseason friendly at Red Bull Arena

RB Leipzig and Aston Villa will continue their preseason preparations when they face off in a friendly Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena, just outside New York City.

For RB Leipzig, the match will be a first official preseason clash heading into the 2024-25 season, as well as a first-ever match in the United States.

Marco Rose’s club finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season, and all eyes will be on whether goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt and midfielder Assan Ouédraogo — each joining the club in €10 million summer transfers — will make a debut.

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Villa, meanwhile, will be looking to get back on track after Saturday’s 4-1 loss to MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew. That derailed a preseason that had been going to plan, with 3-0 wins over Walsall and Spartak Trnava.

Per Red Bull, the parent company that owns RB Leipzig, the broadcast of this friendly will include body cameras and drones that track the ball at all times.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

RB Leipzig vs. Aston Villa (friendly)

  • When: Wednesday, July 31
  • Where: Red Bull Arena (Harrison, N.J.)
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Paramount+ (WATCH LIVE)

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U.S. youth international Banks, 17, signs first pro deal with Augsburg

One of the USMNT’s top prospects could make his Bundesliga debut this season

FC Augsburg has announced it has signed defender Noahkai Banks to his first professional contract.

The 17-year-old has signed a three-year deal through 2027, with the option of a further two years.

The German-born defender has represented the U.S. at various youth levels, and made the jump to the U-19 side in the March international window.

Banks is considered one of the top defensive prospects in the American player pool, and could now make his Bundesliga debut in the upcoming season.

“Noahkai is a very talented central defender who we believe can make the jump to the Bundesliga. Last season in particular showed that he can adapt quickly to the next higher category and, thanks to his performances in the U-23s, has earned this step into the professional team squad,” said Augsburg sporting director Marinko Jurendic in a club release.

Banks profiles as a potentially elite center back prospect, with a 6-foot-3 frame and excellent ability on the ball.

Augsburg added that Banks would not participate in this month’s U-20 Concacaf Championship, which will serve as a qualifying tournament for the U-20 World Cup.

The teenager will instead prepare for the upcoming Bundesliga season with Augsburg’s first team, and will travel with the team to a training camp in South Africa.

“I am delighted that I have been given the chance to make it through to the pros. A childhood dream has come true for me and I will do everything I can to be able to play for FCA in the Bundesliga in the future,” added Banks, who has been in Augsburg’s academy for nearly a decade.

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U.S. youth star Campbell, 18, signs pro deal with Borussia Dortmund

The forward has signed his first pro deal with the Bundesliga powerhouse

Borussia Dortmund has signed U.S. under-19 forward Cole Campbell to a professional contract, the Bundesliga club announced on Tuesday.

The deal is a significant milestone for the 18-year-old, who joined Dortmund in 2022 and has starred for the club’s youth teams in the subsequent two seasons.

Campbell has scored 18 goals and provided 19 assists in 52 games for Dortmund’s U-17 and U-19 teams.

“Cole is a difference maker in our U-19 team,” Dortmund CEO Lars Ricken said in a club release.

“His speed, his dribbling, his finishing and his mentality are qualities that make him special. We want to further promote his development, introduce him to the professional team and let him start with the professionals in preparation.”

Campbell was born in the United States to an Icelandic-American mother and American father. He represented Iceland at the U-17 level before filing a one-time switch with FIFA in March to play for the United States.

“Cole is a very young and extremely exciting player who has made a huge step forward with us in the past year. We see a lot of potential in him and are happy that we will take the next steps together,” said sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

Campbell will join Gio Reyna as American players in Dortmund’s senior setup, though Reyna’s long-term future with the club is currently unclear.

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Report: Borussia Dortmund decides to sell Gio Reyna

The USMNT midfielder’s time at Dortmund may be up

Gio Reyna’s time may be up for good at Borussia Dortmund.

According to a report from Bild, the Bundesliga side has decided to sell the U.S. national team midfielder this summer.

Dortmund’s call comes on the heels of a 2023-24 campaign in which the 21-year-old hardly saw the field. Reyna featured sporadically at Dortmund in the first half of the season before a disappointing half-season loan at Nottingham Forest.

Reyna looked like a future superstar early in his Dortmund career, but injuries and a lack of consistent starting opportunities derailed his progress at the Bundesliga power.

For his part, Reyna told The Athletic this month that he was unsure if he would stay at Dortmund in the upcoming season or look for a new club once again.

“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna said. “I just want to go somewhere that is at the highest possible level, but still play an important role, get consistent minutes and be an important player for any team, whether it’s at Dortmund or somewhere else.”

Reyna struggled for playing time under Edin Terzić, but the manager stepped down earlier this month in a move that appeared to boost Reyna’s chances at Dortmund.

Nuri Şahin, who was an assistant under Terzić, has assumed Dortmund’s head coaching position.

Prior to joining Forest on loan, Reyna signed a contract extension with Dortmund through 2026.

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Boost for Gio? Terzic steps down as Dortmund head coach

The coach never seemed to fully trust the USMNT midfielder

Edin Terzić has stepped down as Borussia Dortmund head coach after two years in charge.

The move comes less than two weeks after Dortmund fell to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Bild has reported that ex-Dortmund midfielder Nuri Şahin, who served as an assistant under Terzić, is the clear favorite to take over as the club’s head coach.

“Edin Terzić leaves Borussia Dortmund. The coach, who won the DFB Cup with BVB in 2021, finished runner-up in the 2023 championship and reached the 2024 Champions League final, asked BVB to terminate his contract with immediate effect,” a club statement read.

“Borussia Dortmund agreed to the request after a joint discussion.”

Terzic added: “I feel that the club’s new era should begin with a new man on the touchline.”

The news could potentially be a boost to Gio Reyna, who will return to Dortmund ahead of the 2024-25 season after a disappointing loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

Terzić never seemed to fully trust Reyna, who started just two games for Dortmund in the first half of the season before a midseason switch to Forest.

Terzić was reportedly unsatisfied with Reyna’s defensive effort, saying last year that “Gio still has many aspects to work on to become a more complete player.”

For his part, Reyna told The Athletic this week that he was unsure if he would stay at Dortmund in the upcoming season or look for a new club once again.

“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna said. “I just want to go somewhere that is at the highest possible level, but still play an important role, get consistent minutes and be an important player for any team, whether it’s at Dortmund or somewhere else.

“I’m just looking for the right fit for me, playing at a high level and a club that wants me — where I feel valued.”

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Reyna: I want to go to a club where I feel valued

The USMNT star admitted he could leave Borussia Dortmund again this summer

Gio Reyna isn’t sure where he’ll be playing his club soccer next season, but he does know he wants to be somewhere he’s wanted.

The U.S. men’s national team star has returned to Borussia Dortmund after a disappointing loan at Nottingham Forest. After joining the Premier League side at midseason, Reyna played in 10 games, starting twice, while earning a total of just 230 minutes.

That followed a difficult first half of the campaign at Dortmund where Reyna also played sparingly.

That leaves the 21-year-old at something of a crossroads looking ahead to 2024-25. In an interview with The Athletic, Reyna admitted his spell at Forest “didn’t work out,” saying his short stint and the club being in a relegation battle didn’t help his cause.

“It didn’t go as planned. The goal was to go there and play games and get really consistent minutes but the club was under a lot of pressure and things happen,” Reyna said. “It’s never that simple, going on loan for three to four months.

“I was blessed to be at Dortmund for a few years, finishing top-five guaranteed and playing Champions League every year. At Forest, I saw the other side of it. It gave me a perspective of a different kind of football. One day, I’d love to go back to the Premier League, so to get a taste of that was also really valuable for me going forward.”

If he stays at Dortmund, Reyna will have to win over manager Edin Terzić should he wish to earn more playing time. That has proven to be a difficult task for the USMNT playmaker, who admitted he could play somewhere else come next season.

Wherever he goes, though, Reyna knows the most important thing is a goal that has proved challenging of late: consistent playing time.

“There’s been discussions and I’m not quite sure what’s going to happen,” Reyna said. “I just want to go somewhere that is at the highest possible level, but still play an important role, get consistent minutes and be an important player for any team, whether it’s at Dortmund or somewhere else.

“I’m just looking for the right fit for me, playing at a high level and a club that wants me — where I feel valued.”

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Reyna deletes comment on Bellingham Instagram post after backlash

Some Dortmund fans didn’t take kindly to Reyna’s comment on his friend’s post

Gio Reyna has deleted a comment on Jude Bellingham’s Instagram in the wake of Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s Champions League final.

Madrid star Bellingham posted a series of celebratory images after winning his first European title, with the caption: “CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!!! Siempre HALA MADRID!”

In the comments section, Reyna responded with three white heart emojis.

On one hand, the U.S. national team star’s response made perfect sense: Reyna and Bellingham are close from their time playing together with Dortmund, as the England midfielder even said last month that Reyna is his best friend outside of Real Madrid.

On the other hand, some Dortmund fans were perturbed by Reyna — at least in some way — appearing to celebrate Madrid’s victory in the final over his own team.

Reyna spent the first half of the 2023-24 season with Dortmund, making two appearances in the club’s Champions League campaign before a midseason loan switch to Nottingham Forest.

After a disappointing loan in England, Reyna will return to Dortmund ahead of the 2024-25 campaign with his future very much in the air.

Perhaps in response to the backlash, or with the hope of avoiding a greater one, Reyna eventually deleted the comment.

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