Americans Abroad

Enochs goal is ruled best in Germany for September.

(Wednesday, October 20, 2004) -- Osnabrück's American midfielder Joe Enochs was voted as having scored the ARD Sportschau "Goal of the Month" by German soccer fans.

His highlight-reel goal was scored from 24 yards past a diving Bayern Munich goalkeeper to give Osnabrück a 1-1 tie in a German Cup match. Munich, of the 1Bundisliga, had the last laugh, however, winning the September 27 game 3-2 by scoring in the closing seconds.

In the 33 years that the "Goal of the Month" has been awarded, Enochs is the second American to receive the honor. On February 18, 1994, striker Eric Wynalda of 1. FC Saarbrücken scored the game-winning goal against Rot-Weiss Essen in a game that ended 2-1. Wynalda scored by lobbing the ball over the keeper to himself before heading it home.

Last Saturday, VfL Osnabrück went a man down in the first half, butmanaged to hang onto a 0-0 draw with visiting Preussen Münster in the third-division Regionalliga Nord. Enochs went the distance in the game that saw eight yellow cards and two reds, the last red card coming for Münster in the 55th minute.

Osnabrück (5-3-4, 19 points) us in eighth place.

U.S striker Clint Mathis did not dress for Hannover.

The improbable hero for Hannover was Silvio Schröter, who was filling in because of injuries. Schröter started the scoring in the seventh minute when he controlled a pass just outside of the box, allowed it to bounce once in front of him before hammering it into the top left corner of the net past a diving Simon Jentsch. In the 42nd minute, Schröter missed wide right by a few inches, having broken into the box to receive a pass from

Not to be deterred, Schröter put the game out of reach in 64th minute when he scored from close range. Joker Daniel Stendel scored the last Hannover goal in injury time.

Hannover (3-3-2, 11) is in a four-way tie for seventh place with Hertha Berlin and next travels to Borussia Mönchengladbach.

U.S. striker Conor Casey was in the starting lineup for surprising Mainz 05 which came from behind to defeat defending Bundesliga champion Werder Bremen 2-1. Casey, however was removed before the fun started.

After Greek Euro 2004 hero Angelos Charisteas put Bremen ahead in the 56th minute, Casey left the game in favor of forward Niclas Weiland. Weiland used the opportunity and evened the score in the 83rd minute. In the 90th minute, Benjamin Auer scored from in front of the net to win it.

It was the fifth time this season that Mainz has drawn even after being 1-0 down. And for the second time, Mainz recovered to get the victory.

Newly promoted Mainz (4-1-3, 15) leapfrogged over Bremen and Bayern Munich into third place and next travels to FC Schalke 04 Sunday night.

Cottbus controlled much of the game and did everything except score, even pushing forward after having been reduced to nine players in 64th minute when Youssef Mokhtari was ejected for a tackle from behind. In the 55th minute, Michael Thurk of Cottbus was ejected when he and Ahlen's Musemestre Bamba, who was also sent off, got a little too close for the referee's comfort.

Cottbus (2-2-4, 10) is tied for ninth place and is five points away from the promotion zone. On Friday, the team travels to SpVgg Unterhaching.

American striker John van Buskirk of Rot-Weiss Erfurt started for the first time this season in a 3-0 home loss to Erzgebirge Aue, also a club from the former East Germany. Van Buskirk put in 68 minutes before being getting the rest of the night off with Erfurt already down 3-0.

Erfurt (1-3-4, 7) is in 16th place after losing its last two games by lopsided margins. Next up is a trip to Eintracht Trier.

Matarazzo was once again not in the starting lineup for Wehen because of a stubborn eye infection when the team defeated FSV Mainz Amateurs 3-1 on the road. Wehen (4-3-4, 16) is in eighth place, one point behind American midfielder Grover Gibson and SSV Jahn Regensburg.

Gibson, who didn't see action last week, was back in the starting lineup Saturday for a 2-0 victory over local rival, the visiting Bayern Munich Amateurs. Regensburg (5-4-2, 17) is even on points with sixth-place TSG Hoffenheim.

After three victories in a row, SV Elversberg with American coach Brent Goulet and former U.S. international Michael Mason could only muster a 0-0 draw at home against Hoffenheim. Elversberg (5-2-4, 19) is tied for fourth in the table.

In the Regionalliga Nord, the "young talents" of Hamburger SV, with American defender Ian Joy not only lost 1-0 Sunday to Werder Bremen amateurs at home, they also lost their coach. Klaus Toppmöller was relieved of his duties after another disappointing loss with Thomas Doll replacing him.

Against Bremen, Joy started and put in 77 minutes before leaving. Hamburg (8-3-1, 25) fell from first to second in the table, but is even on points with KFC Uerdingen 05 (7-1-4).

VfB Lübeck and American striker Jacob Thomas also had a hard time scoring Sunday and drew 0-0- with host 1. FC Union Berlin. American striker Ryan Coiner did not see action for Berlin.

Thomas went the distance for Lübeck (6-4-3, 21), which is currently in seventh place. Berlin (2-8-2, 8) remains 17th in the 19-team league.

Harris King, an American from South Carolina, has lived in Germany for five years. He is a Business English lecturer at the University of Bamberg. E-mail Harris King.