Americans Abroad

Cherundolo scores first Bundesliga goal in Hannover 96 victory.

Steve Cherundolo (6) is joined in a goal celebration by teammates after the American found net for the first time in the 1Bundesliga. -- Hannover 96 web site photo --

By Harris King (in Bamberg, Germany)
SoccerTimes

(Monday, October 25, 2004) -- United States defender Steve Cherundolo scored his first-ever goal in Germany's 1Bundesliga Saturday, helping Hannover 96 win for the fourth time in five games by defeating host Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0.

Celebration was not on Cherundolo's mind after the game. He was knocked unconscious by an inadvertent clash of heads early in the second half and complained of a headache after the victory was complete.

After Per Mertesacker scored off a corner kick in the 16th minute, Cherundolo used his speed and instincts to provide a highlight-reel goal 20 minutes later. After an unproductive Gladbach corner, Nebojsa Krupnicovic received the ball at midfield and immediately fired a long pass to Cherundolo who was breaking at full speed past a failed offside trap. Cherundolo controlled the ball with an outstretched leg before heading it over the onrushing keeper Darius Kampa to make it 2-0.

"My goal happened after a brilliant pass from Kruppi," Cherundolo told the 96Soccer.com. "I know him a long time and how he passes. I speculated and expected the pass. I got the pass well and headed over the goalkeeper Kampa. I am happy more for the team than for scoring my first Bundesliga goal. We don't have the top players like in some other Bundesliga clubs, but we play very well together."

Cherundolo

Cherundolo was knocked out when he and Gladbach's Per Kluge collided after both went up for a header in the 56th minute. He was replaced by Danijel Stefulj, ending the American's streak of having played every minute of every game this season.

In replays, Cherundolo appeared to already be unconscious before he hit the ground, but had come to by the time he was carried off the field on a stretcher.

"I've got still some headache," Cherundolo said later Saturday. "The doctor will tell me more back in Hannover, but I think I will be able to play on Tuesday against Kaiserslautern. Per Kluge came from the back and I didn't see him while he hit me during a head-to-head collision. I was unconscious a bit of time."

Cherundolo, who has been named Hannover vice captain, did not practice Monday. "He is not just feeling well" Hannover coach Ewald Lienen said. "It is possible that he will not play on Tuesday against Kaiserslautern."

U.S. attacker Clint Mathis did not dress for Hannover (4-3-2, 14 points) which moved up to seventh place.

U.S. striker Conor Casey and FSV Mainz 05 traveled to Schalke 04 yesterday and lost 2-1 despite its continued good play.

Casey was part of a three-striker lineup that had just as many scoring chances as Schalke, but was unable to capitalize on them late in the game. The last Mainz shot on goal was cleared off the line by a Schalke defender in the 90th minute. Casey was substituted for in the 79th after picking up a yellow card in the first half.

Mainz (4-2-3, 15) dropped from third to a three-way tie for fourth with Schalke (5-4) and Werder Bremen (5-4). On Wednesday, Mainz hosts Hansa Rostock.

In the 42nd minute, Zsolt Löw scored from a set play to put Cottbus ahead 1-0, but the team from Germany's East could not contain Unterhaching's counters in the second half and conceded goals in the 62nd and 85th minutes. Berhalter, who put in 90 minutes with the captain's armband, had a chance to score off a corner kick in the sixth minute, but his shot from in the box was blocked by the Unterhaching keeper.

Cottbus (2-3-4, 10) is in 13th place in the 18-team league and takes on Erzgebirge Aue Thursday night in a nationally-televised contest.

American striker John van Buskirk of Rot-Weiss Erfurt was a late substitute, but Erfurt went scoreless for a third straight match in a 2-0 loss to Eintracht Trier. Erfurt (1-4-4, 7), which fell to the last place, next hosts Alemannia Aachen on Wednesday.

American defender Pellegrino Matarazzo didn't not see action for Wehen, but was dressed for first time in several weeks after having recovered from a eye infection. Grenier put in 90 minutes in central defense for Koblenz. Koblenz (7-3-2, 23) remains in third place while Wehen (5-3-4, 19) moved up to seventh.

American midfielder Grover Gibson and SSV Jahn Regensburg traveled to first-place Sportfreunde Siegen and settled for a 1-1 draw after giving up a goal in the 82nd minute. Gibson went the distance for Regensburg (5-4-3, 18) which is eighth in the table.

SV Elversberg, led by American coach Brent Goulet and with former U.S. international Michael Mason on the front line, was drubbed 4-0 by the host FC Bayern Amateurs yesterday. Mason went the distance for Elversberg (5-2-4, 19) which dropped to sixth place.

In the Regionalliga Nord, the "young talents" of Hamburger SV, with American defender Ian Joy, regained a share of first place by defeating host Preussen Münster 4-1 Saturday. The lopsided victory allowed Hamburg (9-3-1, 28) to go by KFC Uerdingen (8-1-4, 28). Both have a plus-10 goal differential, but Hamburg has scored 23 goals to 21 for Uerdingen.

Joy went the distance and picked up a yellow card for Hamburg.

American midfielder Joe Enochs and eighth-place VfL Osnabrück (5-3-5, 20) went down by a goal early in a road game at Eintracht Braunschweig, but Thomas Reichenberger scored late for a 1-1 draw. Enochs played 90 minutes and picked up a yellow card.

On Saturday, VfB Lübeck (6-4-4, 22) and American striker Jacob Thomas tied SC Paderborn 1-1 at home and remained in seventh place. Thomas started, but played only 27 minutes.

American striker Ryan Coiner did not see action for 1. FC Union Berlin which was unable to build on the previous weekend's draw and lost 1-0 to FC Chemnitz. It was Berlin's eighth loss in nine games and leaves the club (2-9-2, 8) in 18th place, next-to-last, and six points shy of escaping the relegation zone.

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.