German Clubs

BERLIN — Werder Bremen coach Markus Anfang has denied using a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate after an investigation was launched by German authorities, the club said.

Werder, playing in Germany's second division this season, said an investigation was under way but the coach had denied allegations he used a fake certificate following a meeting with club bosses late on Thursday evening.

"On Thursday evening the management of SV Werder Bremen was informed of an ongoing investigation into an alleged use of a forged vaccination certificate by Markus Anfang," Werder said.

One day after being named to Vlatko Andonovski’s USWNT squad for a pair of friendlies against Australia at the end of the month, 22-year-old midfielder Catarina Macario played a huge role in Lyon’s comeback victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Bayern took the lead in the 25th minute at Groupama Stadium after Kadeisha Buchanan scored an own goal with Carina Wenninger lurking.  

The latest Gio Reyna injury update is bad news for Borussia Dortmund and USMNT fans. The soon to be 19-year-old hasn’t played since Sept. 3 when the U.S. traveled to El Salvador for the first World Cup qualifying game where he suffered a hamstring injury.

Dortmund manager Marco Rose said on Friday that Reyna has suffered setbacks and that the injury also affected nerves and a tendon.

Gio Reyna may not play again in 2021 according to Dortmund coach Marco Rose.

On Wednesday morning, the NCAA slammed Oklahoma State’s men’s basketball team with a postseason ban for an infraction that happened four years ago where the only player involved received a mere $300 (players are now allowed to be paid). For fans of college sports, this was yet another case of the NCAA crushing a smaller school for a minor infraction while letting the blue bloods of the sport off scot-free for major violations. 

Bayern Munich has been blowing out competition this season, scoring three or more goals in 11 of 12 matches coming into Wednesday, including eight in two Champions League games. But through 70 minutes on Wednesday, the German giants were scoreless. That is, until the Leroy Sané free kick vs Benfica. 

Sané blasted a marvelous free kick to break the deadlock and open the floodgates as Bayern poured it on late in a 4-0 win on Wednesday at the Estádio da Luz. Sané scored the first and fourth goals after his club had two goals denied by the VAR.

If European football wasn’t as familiar with American manager Jesse Marsch as it should’ve been, it sure as hell is now. On Tuesday, the RB Leipzig boss masterminded a stirring performance at the Parc des Princes that had the German side deservedly ahead 2-1 with just over 20 minutes to play. 

But a terrible mistake from American midfielder Tyler Adams allowed Lionel Messi to equalize before a rash challenge in the area gifted PSG another from the spot.   

Jesse Marsch’s first season as RB Leipzig manager was always going to be full of growing pains. He had impossibly large shoes to fill in replacing Julian Nagelsmann — who led Leipzig to the 2020 Champions League semifinals, becoming the youngest-ever coach to reach that stage — and Marsch inherited a side in transition with Dayot Upamecano and Marcel Sabitzer following Nagelsmann to Bayern Munich while Ibrahima Konaté signed with Liverpool.

A F̶l̶o̶r̶i̶a̶n̶ ̶W̶i̶r̶t̶z̶ ̶t̶r̶y̶o̶u̶t̶ top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday failed to live up to the billing, instead playing out like a fight between Tyson Fury and a piece of toast that’s been soaking in a bucket. 

It’s too early to award the title to Bayern — Borussia Dortmund still has something to say about that — but it’s not too early to give the Ballon d’Or to Robert Lewandowski. 

The 2021 Golden Boy finalists list was revealed on Friday and USMNT star Gio Reyna’s name is on the list. The Golden Boy is an annual award voted on by 30 different journalists to determine the best under-21 player in Europe. 

The Golden Boy was created in 2003 and has been won by notable names like Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. An American has never won the award before.

Reyna is the third American in the last four years to make the cut as a finalist for the honor. Here are the players he will be competing with this year.