Jonathan Grayson

Fans of German soccer await as the Bundesliga returns on Friday night. RB Leipzig welcomes Bayern Munich to close a harsh intermission of international failure from Germany. Germany and Europe have experienced a record mild winter, but there was just enough snow for national captain Manuel Neuer to break his leg while skiing. The Bayern […]

The World Cup’s latest demolition derby of emotional turbulence ended with Japanese elation, Spanish relief, Costa Rican wonder at what might have been, and a German soccer nation limping painfully into introspective despair. The inquest – for the third time in four-and-a-half years – began immediately. German public broadcaster ARD brutally interrogated an exhausted Hansi […]

This was arguably the game of the World Cup so far. With a respectful nod to Argentina–Mexico, the reason we love soccer is contests like this.  The World Cup is not the World Cup without the best facing the best. And Spain's draw with Germany was its nearest tie yet to a heavyweight classic. Both […]

Joshua Kimmich said before the game that Germany needed to avoid a poor one-goal loss at the World Cup. They have begun their last two major tournaments the same way. And then gone out in humiliation. But the tactical staleness that characterized Germany's decline under the latter reign of Joachim Löw remains under Hansi Flick. […]

Ever since globalization and football’s inextricable embrace in the 1990s, worldwide fans embraced the value of market language. The World Cup "shop window" showcases the best playing talent and the latest breakout stars. Scouts attend, worldwide TV audiences confirm demand and promising world-beaters are supplied to the highest bidders. Germany and Japan have plenty to […]

The headlines were eight years in the making. Mario Götze, hero of the 2014 World Cup final and former golden boy of German soccer, is back. He’s had health problems, five years in the international wilderness, and was apparently buried as an elite performer. But, superb form since a return to Germany amidst the dynamic forward […]