Dieter Hecking had. Nuremberg won, played well and found their rhythm despite losing all their
best players in the summer. Cologne lost, played badly and still haven't found their rhythm despite
keeping all their best players.
The Bundesliga is back in its 49th incarnation and Friday's curtain raiser was both wonderful
and frightening frightening at least for Bayern, Leverkusen and who else might have had vague hopes
to win the league next year.
Dortmund 3-1 Helpless SV. Defending champions Dortmund kicked off the new
season in style and with a promise of beautiful football, only they seem to be able to deliver this
season.
English speaking BVB fans are on cloud nine. Their German speaking counterparts are on cloud
seven. But maybe there's a way to bring the two together for the big party on May 14th. Roman
Weidenfeller will volunteer as a translator. A 2-0 victory over Nuremberg clinched Dortmund's
seventh German championship and the first title after nine years, thanks to Leverkusen doing, what
Leverkusen does best.
Dortmund need to postpone their lap of honor through the Bundesliga. Manuel Neuer may have made
the "next big step" in his career from one Europa League bound club to another. A wild winning
spree at the bottom of the table leaves Cologne and St. Pauli as this weekend's biggest losers.
Leverkusen 2-1 Hoffenheim.
Bayern Munich, freshly freed from Louis can Gaal's dictatorship, do a Schalke and put five past
a sorry opponent. Leverkusen, being that opponent, suffered a severe case of title race deja-vu.
Dortmund seized the opportunity to put one hand on the Bundesliga shield. Elsewhere teams struggled
to achieve that one decisive victory to escape all their relegation woes.
