Aug
20
2008
Hoffenheim score 20 in a game – what can English teams learn from them?
1899 Hoffenheim scored 20 goals past lower league opposition SC Reilingen in a friendly on Tuesday.
Now that’s probably not better than what Australia did a few years ago but it does have a lesson in it somewhere?
Is it:
Pick your preseason opponents really carefully to boost your team’s confidence (Arsenal)?
Rotate for maximum effect (Liverpool)?
Have a rich owner (Chelsea)?
Probably all 3. All they need to do now is to actually win something – no pressure, eh? Somehow I don’t think Klinsmann is going to get worried just yet.
Also see: Raphael Honingstein (Guardian) on Bundesliga (some of it on Hoffenheim).
Well, that’s an interesting spin on a story that actually did not ahppen this way.
Hoffenheim did not pick Reilingen as oponent, but merely accepted the invitation for a anniversary game (Reilingen is currently celebrating 100 years. Their juniors also played Bayern Münich’s youngsters some weeks ago – and get hammered, naturally). Now one might wonder how come that a first league team accepts to play a seventh tier one. Perhaps because the clubs have good relationships? Maybe also the fact that the largest Hoffenheim fan-club is in Reilingen?
1400 people came on a heavy rain to see a good show, and the lads did not let them down. This wasn’t done to boost any records or something – whay would they need it? Check on Hoffenheim’s official site – thei’re are not even mentioning the result. One wouldn’t think, reading how this was misinterpreted here.