Well, I never thought I’d see the day where nearly half of most European league campaigns are through and the most dominant team in all of the leagues is…Borussia Dortmund? Where did this come from? Riding a 12-game unbeaten streak, Dortmund sit 7 points ahead of the next closest team, FSV Mainz (also a relative surprise) and 14 points ahead of German giants Bayern Munich. Let’s keep in mind the campaign is 13 games young right now.
Sure, the club is no stranger to success, being one of the most successful clubs in German football history with six league titles and two DFB-Pokal cup titles. Recent history, however, hasn’t been the greatest to Dortmund. The club struggled to avoid relegation in the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons, finishing 9th and 13th in the Bundesliga, respectively. However, the club’s insistence in using a young and vibrant roster has finally paid off. After losing a dull 2-0 contest against Bayer Leverkusen, the team hasn’t looked back.
Led by in-form Argentinean striker Lucas Barrios (7 goals in 12 appearances) , the German veteran Sebastian Kehl to anchor a rock-solid midfield, and the young Turkish midfielder Nuri ?ahin, Dortmund is firing all cylinders. The club has a league best 31 goals to its name and conceded a measly eight in 13 matches for an absurd 23 goal differential. In the major leagues, only Barcelona and Real Madrid can best this goal differential (to put into perspective how dominant they really have been). In a league typically defined by parody and drama in the late season, the league title (with the way Dortmund has played) might as well be hand delivered to club manager Jürgen Klopp today. So what’s been the catalyst for success?
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly has been going on with the squad. Hell, this miss was actually a clip from the club this season. Warning: this may be one of the worst misses you will ever see.
What is known is that even with misses like this, the team is full of confidence and is exhibiting a dominance not seen in German football in some time. The team plays fluid attacking football and really enjoys going at team’s back lines instead of sitting back and letting the game come to them. In a summer in which largely defensive formations were implemented for the World Cup, this type of mentality is a breath of fresh air. Thank the players. Thank manager Jürgen Klopp. Thank yourself by tuning into a team besides one that plays in a Bayern Munich jersey, Italy, Spain, or England.
Written by Chris Behrens, writer for SoccerProse.com
