Keller records shutout, Mönchengladbach opens by defeating Cottbus 2-0.

Gregg Berhalter

Gregg Berhalter works on his fitness for his new club 1860 Munich.
-- 1860 Munich web site photo --
By Robert Wagman (in Washington, D.C.)
SoccerTimes

(Monday, August 14, 2006) -- The German Bundesliga opened its 2006-2007 season this weekend with a very satisfying result for United States goalkeeper Kasey Keller, but much less so for his World Cup teammate, defender Steve Cherundolo.

Keller posted a clean sheet and Borussia Mönchengladbach started its campaign with a 2-0 decision Saturday over newly promoted Energie Cottbus which finished the match down a man. After Marco Kuntzel hit the post on a close-in effort for Cottbus, Keller kept Mönchengladbach in the match in the first 45 minutes with good saves on shots by Jiayi Shao and Sergiu Radu.

G'ladbach took over in the second half with Bo Svensson scoring in the 51st minute and, after Cottbus' Lawrence Aidoo was sent off three minutes later, Oliver Neuvillle converting a penalty kick in the 60th.

Yesterday, Hannover 96 got off to a rough start, giving up three late goals to lose to visiting Werder Bremen 4-2 at AWD-Arena.

Cherundolo had an up-and-down match, losing the ball deep in his own end on Bremen's first goal. Hannover moved to a 2-1 lead before everything fell apart in the last 11 minutes. Hugo Almeida leveled the score at 2-2 in the 79th minute, before Germany striker Miroslav Klose and second-half substitute Daniel Jensen gave Bremen the victory.

U.S. striker Conor Casey has not yet returned to training with FSV Mainz, still recovering from a preseason knee operation to clean up scar tissue following major surgery last spring. He watched Mainz open the season with a 2-1 win over VfL Bochum.

American midfielder Benny Feilhaber did not dress for Hamburg SV which kicked off the new season with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Arminia Bielefeld at home

U.S. defender Gregg Berhalter went the distance for his new 2Bundesliga club, 1860 Munich which opened the season with a 1-1 draw at SpVgg Greuther Fürth.

Beasley sits out Eindhoven exhibition

In the Netherlands, U.S. midfielder DaMarcus Beasley is only training lightly for PSV Eindhoven and did not play when his teammates fell 3-1 to host Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Shield exhibition match at The Amsterdam ArenA yesterday,

American striker Lee Nguyen played the final seven minutes for PSV.

American midfielder Michael Bradley came on with a half hour to play for Heerenveen which lost its final preseason test 1-0 to host OFI Kreta in Crete.

Earlier in the week, Heerenveen defeated Middlesbrough of the English Premier League 4-0 with Bradley playing the final 25 minutes in the defensive midfield.

Robert Wagman is SoccerTimes senior correspondent.

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