With J Hutcherson -- The Bundesliga season starts later today, and the expectations for the three clubs with US National Team players aren't exactly high. For Michael Bradley and Borussia Moenchengladbach, it's the relative prize of mid-table obscurity. It's the same for Ricardo Clark's Eintracht Frankfurt. Most pundits have Steve Cherundolo and Hannover 96 struggling not to be relegated.
It's that last one that might end up being the least accurate. Cherundolo and Hannover 96 were supposed to be one of those mid-table obscurities last season. Instead, they fought off relegation to keep their Bundesliga status. Hannover in 2009-10 had to regroup on the field after the November suicide of their goalkeeper. This season, they have to make a quick break from 2009-10.
Cherundolo joined Hannover as a 2.Bundesliga club, winning promotion after his fourth season when he became a regular starter. He's been key to the club ever since. At 31, this could be his most difficult assignment.
Hannover opens at home against Eintracht Frankfurt. Though nobody is picking Eintracht as a trouble team in danger of relegation, they're also not doing them the relative courtesy of suggesting they could over achieve. For Ricardo Clark, this season is about making sure that, more often than not, Eintracht coach Michael Skibbe is writing Clark's name on the team sheet.
In fairness to Clark, he might have already gotten there had he remained healthy last Spring. A team like Eintracht Frankfurt doesn't have the relative luxury of taking a chance on an international player. The expectation from the day they signed him is that he'll play and contribute.
There's no question that's the role for Michael Bradley at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Though he was linked with a Summer transfer out of the Bundesliga, he seems set to continue in his attacking midfield role. Bradley's game at club level is about offense. Though he hasn't gone on the multi-goal tear he showed at Heerenveen in 2007-08, he has been the creative engine for 'Gladbach over two full seasons.
Bradley is a big reason for 'Gladbach getting the relative respect they've earned since getting relegated in 2006-07 and winning promotion the next season. Minus a creative player like Bradley, someone willing to weigh risk against reward and more often than not get it right, 'Gladbach quickly slides down the expectation table.
As it stands for the start of the season, the expectation is this is Bayern Munich's to lose with the return of the big clubs slotting in behind. US National Teamers in the Bundesliga don't play for the big clubs, so any of them getting into the top eight would be a tremendous accomplishment.
Moving on, since nobody was picking the Major League Soccer contingent going 3 for 3 in the Champions League group stage before Thursday night, it's hard to put a lot on Seattle's loss in Honduras. If anything, that and Toronto dropping their home game against Cruz Azul were the expectations. Toronto pulled off an upset, Seattle didn't.
Fortunately for Seattle, they're treating a 2-1 loss like a personal affront. It's always nice to see an MLS team looking at an away game in CONCACAF play as a missed opportunity rather than an opportunity for obvious excuses.
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.
