As posted before I didn't expect a point from the first three matches of the season. So HSV is here on the plus side already with 1 point. What I expected, though, was fighting for every metre on the pitch and scoring, both didn't happen so far, unfortunately. All of us, rational thinking, HSV fans didn't expect anything from yesterday's match. I already mentioned in my last post here that the last HSV win in Munich was in 2007 at a time when HSV was still playing in Europe. After that we were humiliated by them over the years with embarrassing scores and yesterday was no exception. The 0-4 after just 30 minutes was the first time in the long history of the Hamburger Sport Verein that this happened. Thank God that Bayern stopped it after that a bit and scored only 1 more goal. So 5 goals is what I expected realistically tbh (Leipzig got 6 from them ). HSV defence yesterday had 2 "kids" against men (Vuskovic (18) and Soumahoro (20)), both making their first ever appearance in the shirt with the "Raute". Naivety from our coach to bring them against the likes of Kane, Olise and Diaz. This had disaster all written over it just from the beginning I'm old enough to remember the times (in the early 80s) when this duel HSV vs Bayern was the top match and played on equal level, often with a win for us. Those times are over for a long time. The gap between both clubs has widened dramatically after 2010. Just to illustrate it: Transfermarkt.de lists HSV market value with 108m € (and that's imo already too high) and Bayern's market value with 905m €. Both teams had 3 Premier League players in the team. Bayern with Kane, Diaz, Olise bought them for approximately 200m € (more or less) HSV with Luka Vuskovic (on loan from Spurs. He's the brother of HSV player Mario Vuskovic (actually still banned until 2026 due to doping), Viera (on loan from Arsenal) and Lakongo (bought for just 300.000€ from Arsenal, didn't play yesterday). This alone shows the actual gap financially between both clubs. Bayern can buy actual players from the PL, we have to loan youngsters from the PL or buy cheap ones who don't have a future there anymore. ******** Anyway, at least it's over and HSV can now begin to concentrate on opponents that we maybe can beat. Starting next week at home against Heidenheim, who are actually last in the standings. This is a must win match. No excuses anymore. edit: Kudos, though, to the travelling HSV fans who made the long journey "abroad". The away tickets for HSV fans were of course sold out immediately, although the chances for getting a result there wasn't realistically there. But that can't hinder them. I'm not doing away trips anymore, just home matches as a season ticket holder. Away trips are for the younger ones. Last time I watched HSV in Munich was when they were still playing in the Olympiastadion
Out of curiosity, how much does a ST at Hamburg cost? And does that mean you've never been to the Allianz?
This varies depending on whether you want a standing or seated season-ticket. I'm a traditionally standing man and I paid 340€ for my season ticket I have no intention to watch a Bayern match in the Allianz Arena (let alone that I would never get a ticket as a non Bayern member). ***************** btw: Unrelated to Football: Sunday evening Germany won 88-83 in the Final of the Basketball Euro against Turkey (our 2nd Euro title after 1993). So Germany is actually holder of the World Championship and Euro Championship in Basketball combined. Gratulation, Jungs!
I wasn't talking about visiting an away HSV match in Munich (as I wrote before I'm not doing away matches anymore only home matches). I was talking about a match in the Allianz Arena without HSV and so it's impossible to get a ticket without being a Bayern member....if I'd have had the wish to visit a Bayern match (but I haven't). ******************************************* Just 3 matches played in the new Bundesliga season 2025/26 and already the 2nd coach sacked! Hard times for coaches actually. After the Dutch Eric ten Hag who was sacked by Leverkusen after just 2 league matches (plus 1 cup match), it's now the Swiss Gerardo Seoane who was sacked by Gladbach after the 3rd match with only 1 pt (from 2 home and 1 away match) It's not only that Gladbach couldn't score in those 3 matches (0-0 vs HSV, 0-1 in Stuttgart, 0-4 vs Werder) but it's, combined with the end of last season the 5th consecutive match in which they couldn't score (main reason is of course that their striker, German international Tim Kleindienst (16 goals last season), is still injured). Overall Gladbach is now winless in 10 consecutive Bundesliga matches. So this is Seoane's 2nd sacking as a Bundesliga coach in his two jobs (at Bayer and Gladbach). Time to go back to Switzerland, it seems, where he was successful before coming into the Bundesliga. (Champion with Young Boys Bern in 2019/2020/2021 plus Cup Winner 2020)? And in the 2.Bundesliga we also have a sacking of a coach, Bochum's Dieter Hecking. One of the most experienced Bundesliga coaches got the sack after the disastrous start of Bochum after their relegation. Only 1 win (and 4 losses) from 5 matches at the start of the season. Sporting Director Dirk Dufner who backed him was also sacked btw. Tabula rasa in Bochum, it seems. They should've known that it's not easy as a relegated club to get promotion immediately next season. It happens (as shown by Köln or Werder lately) but it's not the norm as HSV had to learn (and actually also Schalke and Hertha in their now 3rd season in the 2nd tier). Miro Klose in Nürnberg is also on the brink of sacking imo. From contender for promotion before the season, they are actually last placed with only 1 pt from 5 matches. But he's a legend as a player so they're still reluctant at the club to give him the sack so soon but if the downfall of the CLUB continues it will happen. edit: My last 2 posts merged (I hate it when I have to make double posts )
Well, I think congratulations are in order to FC Köln’s Jakub Kaminski. The Polish left-wing became the latest goal-scorer in Bundesliga history last weekend against his former club. (I only learned this by watching my* Bundesliga Highlights Show a bit late this week.) Apparently 90’ + 13’ + 35” is the new record. It produced a late 3-3 draw in Wolfsburg. *yes, mine. But being the magnanimous chap that I am, I’ve given permission for ESPN+ to make it available to other USA subscribers as well. P.S. I will have to report back in due course, as they have available another item of length 44 and 1/2 minutes entitled Bundesliga Special #3: Hamburg - Two Clubs, One Rivalry.
Cheap (yes, even if for a standing slot). Shame that you've never been. Wouldn't say it's a top German ground but certainly one to do (behind the Giesing one of course).
Lautern seem to be in a good mood in the Zwei with another win last night. Nurnberg in big trouble. Would be huge to have such a big club in the Drei.
Great to see Vuskovic on the score sheet. He was thrown in at the deep end against Harry Kane last week but had a really good loan last season. Hopefully he'll have another good loan spell this season. Nothing left to say about the freak at Bayern. Another hat-trick - still underrated in England.
A lot of his tallies are PKs, yes? It becomes a misleading stat, however skillful a PK-taker is. (Kane is the guy to use!). But since 70% of penalties are converted (or so I have read), a better stat would also take into account the player drawing the penalty. Is there such a stat? If not, is the PK-drawing player awarded an assist? Given the average 70% conversion rate, the one whose skill drew the penalty deserves more credit than the penalty taker, however skillful. UPDATE: This is made more complicated if it is unclear who gets credit for drawing a penalty, esp if it’s a handball call. Those are often just dumb stupid luck. In a more perfect world, football will have developed an AI application that analyzes a mass of player movements that can fairly attribute credit for scores, and determine fairer handball decisions. (Another AI application could greatly improve how credit is given for ice hockey success.)
Thank God. Although we still made it "exciting" again (as usual) in stoppage time when Heidenheim suddenly scored. In the first 20-25 mins it was nearly the same as last week, the only difference was that it was Heidenheim not Bayern so we were lucky not to concede a goal (or 2, 3). Then Spurs loanee (?) Luka Vuskovic made the 1-0 and that was our first goal of the season. Tbh this match was wild so many chances on both sides, instead of just 2-1 it could've been 6-5. Anyway, a win is a win..... His first home match for HSV so I could see him the first time live. He showed glimpses of why many say that he's a real talent and even more talented than his brother Mario (who was on the brink of playing for Croatia at adult level, not only U-21 level but then came this EPO-Doping verdict and so he's sidelined for 4 years (3 already done). HSV always backed him up and that's also the reason why Luka wanted to play for HSV on loan (and he visited the Volkspark several times to see his brother playing and was impressed about the atmosphere). He seems lacking a bit of speed, though, was my impression? But nonetheless a big talent. I'm now a football fan for 56 years (since my father took me to the Volkspark for the first time in 1969 as a "wee boy" (Little reference to my scottish friend @Vito Andolini ) but I never heard that such a stat exists. Would make no sense imo, because the assists would be for the opposing player (due to hand play or foul play). As for the 70% conversion rate: Freiburg's goalie Noah Atubolu just set a new Bundesliga record on Saturday when he saved the 5th penalty in a row (in their 3-0 win at Werder Bremen). St.Pauli's Goalie Vasilj has also saved 6 of the last 7 penalties. Just checked it, Bayern is playing Freiburg and St.Pauli back to back on the 11th and 12th matchday. If Atubolus new record is still going on then I'm pretty sure that Harry Kane will end it. One of the most "lethal" penalty shooter i've seen (even better than HSV's own Manfred "Manni" Kaltz (Bundesliga record holder with 53 penalty goals). Harry also set a new Bundesliga record with converting all his first 17 penalties (without the penalties in other competitions). btw: Here's a list of the Bundesliga player with the most converted penalties (Kane actually #32 with 17 in the Bundesliga) Bundesliga - Rekordelfmeterschützen edit: Doppel-Strafe droht: DFB leitet Untersuchung gegen Baumgart ein Union Berlin's coach Steffen Baumgart (ex-HSV coach) got the red card yesterday after showing the "middlefinger" yesterday to the playing field in the wild 4-3 win of Union in Frankfurt. In the 87th minute. Maybe he thought "Jeez, next weekend comes HSV and I don't want to coach against my favourite childhood club. So better get suspended for this, somehow " German FA, DFB, investigates the "case". But he's suspended for next weekends match (maybe even longer)
You might have misunderstood, but I could have been clearer. By “PK-drawing player”, I meant one of the team being fouled…one who made a great move in the box and a defender tripped out of desperation. (Or, the one who made a jaw-dropping pass to free a teammate who is tripped out of desperation.). As far as I know, players whose skills draw penalties are not officially credited with anything when their teammate scores the penalty successfully 70-85% of the time. Estimates vary in web searches; one claimed 85% in regulation, but lower in shootouts. But we both acknowledge that some penalties are instead just due to bad play from defenders. The argument I made using Kane was just an example, I could have cited Mbappe or anyone that takes a majority of penalties for their club: their total goals are an inflation of their worth, as at least some of the time a teammate’s effort has more to do with getting that extra tally on the scoreboard. Football is similar to ice hockey in that more exotic and subtle stats are necessary to gauge player effectiveness…certainly as compared to baseball, basketball, gridiron football, and tennis. E.g. in ice hockey, those who expend the skating effort to “play both ways”…forechecking in the opposition zone that can force turnovers and create scoring chances, and get back into one’s own zone in time to effectively backcheck and thwart a foe’s scoring chances…nothing other than advanced complex stats can properly measure this… …other than the “eye test” fans and supporters perform, even if only intuitively. This surely goes for football, too.
No need to be clearer, I already understood what you meant the first time: You want the fouled player to receive an assist for the potential penalty goal. But if the defender doesn't do him the favour and fouls him, then there's no penalty. If he does, however, then there's a penalty, and he's the one who "caused" the potential goal and should receive the assist, not the one who wanted to be fouled. And this would be a "negative assist" Nürnberg is too good to be relegated. OK, they had a little bit of luck to win the saturday evening "relegation battle" with Bochum in stoppage time but there's too much quality in the team to go down to 3.Liga. (They already played for one season in the 3rd tier, in 1996/97 (back then it was the Regionalliga Süd which is nowadays a 4th tier league)) re. 3.Liga: What's going on with 1860? Saturday the Oktoberfest began in Munich and 1860 loses their mind and 1-5 at home against Hoffenheim II
Beg to differ. The defender is not doing a favor, in this context. The defender is desperate, and fouls, consciously or not, to stop a goal being scored (or very likely so) in the normal run of play. In this context, it is like the “forced error” tennis statistic. This is not a rare penalty situation, and unlike the case of stupid handball penalties has much more to do with great forcing play by the attacking side than silly unnecessary mistakes by defenders.
