In this week’s edition of his column, ESPN’s lead Bundesliga commentator Derek Rae dissects the tension-packed relegation equation featuring a couple of notable American connections.
Pellegrino Matarazzo is normally one to encourage rather than scold his players in public, but the New Jersey-born-and-raised coach of VfB Stuttgart didn’t mince his words after last week’s damaging 2-0 defeat away to fellow relegation fighters Hertha Berlin.
“It’s simply not enough, no excuses,” he said. “It’s unimportant how the boys train during the week or how loud they are in the dressing room. All that counts is what happens on the pitch, and we weren’t on top of it.”
– Bielefeld vs. Hertha Berlin: Saturday, 9:30 a.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+
– Stuttgart vs. Wolfsburg: Saturday, 9:30 a.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
Sporting director Sven Mislintat described the torrid opening phase of the game in Berlin as “our worst 30 minutes of the season.”
Stuttgart, one of Germany’s largest and best-supported clubs, not so long ago looked like the best equipped of all the teams in the Abstiegszone (relegation zone) to fend off demotion. Now they find themselves looking up at revitalised Hertha in 15th, while looking down at out-of-form Arminia Bielefeld in 17th. Eighteenth-placed SpVgg Greuther Furth are already relegated, leaving one of the other three to join them in the 2. Bundesliga next season. The team finishing 16th — currently Stuttgart — will enter a playoff against the side coming in third in the Unterhaus (lower house).
And it’s Stuttgart who have the toughest remaining schedule, hosting VfL Wolfsburg before traveling to Bavaria for a date with champions Bayern Munich and closing out the season at home against FC Cologne. By contract, Hertha visit Bielefeld, host Mainz and then end their campaign at Borussia Dortmund. After the Berliners leave the Schuco Arena, Bielefeld play at VfL Bochum before finishing…
Source : espn
