In anticipation of Borussia Dortmund’s comeback
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German soccer club Borussia Dortmund look to respond after abysmal first half of season
How in the world did this even happen? Dortmund, previously one of Europe’s finest clubs, have somehow slipped, fallen, and slipped again in the German Bundesliga. Dortmund managed only 15 points in 17 games during the first half of the season, which is shocking, unprecedented, and—quite frankly — a little sad.
Dortmund won the German league title in the 2010-11 season, as well as the 2011-12 campaign. In the 2012-13 season, the squad turned heads during Europe’s premier club competition, the UEFA Champions League, when they clobbered perennial powerhouse Real Madrid in the semi-final en route to the final versus domestic rival Bayern Munich. Dortmund were a force. They had superstars. They were elite. That, however, can no longer be said about Jürgen Klopp’s squad, a group now floundering and desperately searching for a lifeline.
It is hard to think of another club in modern European soccer that has experienced such an extreme decline in such a short time frame. This team is in the relegation zone. And it makes almost no sense.
Dortmund’s decline is at least somewhat personnel-related. Their diminishing quality of on-field product represents the undeniable truth that sustained success in European soccer is nearly impossible when playing the “little brother” role. Dortmund are Bayern Munich’s little brother, and they are bullied both on the field and in the transfer market. Dortmund have lost its two best players in recent history — Robert Lewandowski and Mario Götze — to Bayern Munich. Bayern are casually sitting on 45 points (yes, 30 more than Dortmund) as we near the commencement of the second half of the season.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund provided a thrilling contest at the Allianz Arena on Nov. 1. Dortmund lost 2-1 on the road, but the team showed life. It was a rare sight. Dortmund have been moribund in basically every other league game this season. With a league-high 10 losses, Dortmund clearly lack the allure and reputation they enjoyed just a short while ago.
Italian striker Ciro Immobile has struggled to replace recently departed star goal scorer Robert Lewandowski. Meanwhile, Marco Reus — undoubtedly the most talented player on the team—has dealt with a number of injuries of late, most recently an ankle injury that kept him sidelined until the new year. Despite the fact that European clubs with ungodly transfer budgets, such as Bayern Munich, will certainly continue to exploit Dortmund and likely sign the club’s best players for years to come, it is still easy to wonder just exactly how Dortmund has tumbled this far. This is a team with a fantastic coach, Klopp, who is adored by the fans. Dortmund have explosive players, such as speedster Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Plus, the defense is anchored by German international Mats Hummels, who is arguably one of the strongest center backs in the game today. The team has looked sharp in the Champions League, where they prepare to face Italian giants Juventus in the Round of 16. Still, the squad’s ongoing struggles in league play pose a major concern.
Dortmund will inevitably improve. They are just too talented. Just too well-coached. Right?
Fifteen points in 17 games is an embarrassment, and for a club of this caliber, the threat of relegation should never have come into play in the first place. They will be back, but their turnaround will certainly take much longer than their unexpected, rapid downfall. Dortmund’s goal differential is minus-eight. Bayern Munich’s is plus-37. Enough said.
Josh Cohen is a freshman majoring in broadcast and digital journalism. His column, “The SCoreboard,” runs Mondays.
And now it’s even worse… I don’t know why Dortmund is so weak in the Bundesliga. They can’t pass the ball, they can’t kick it to the most appropriate person on the field, they have so much problems with creating their chances and they don’t play as a team, they play like a group of 11 strangers. Klopp likes to build his starting XI with the same players everytime and this is one of the reasons why do they have so many injuries. This text of Josh Cogen gives me hope but the most important now is to move on, die Schwarzgelben!