VfB Stuttgart 1893

To the Lowest of Lows…

STUTTGART – And then Frenchie decided to take a vacation, a decision that fans will be debating about in Gasthausen and Trinkhalle throughout Schwaben for weeks. Whether suffering from a hangover, lack of motivation or just malaise, the Reds team that took the pitch after its week off was a hollow shell of its glorious former self.

“We knew we were facing three of the top teams in Serie C in newly discovered juggernaut Parma, the dangerous and hungry LA Galaxy and the new Belgian Wunderkind RSC Anderlecht, and we just weren’t prepared,” Frenchie said. “I take full responsibility. Fortunately, it was just the first leg against these three and we have a chance to come back in the future, but it was a bad blow to face three defeats like that.”

The first came at the hands of new manager heznfire, whose form has been nearly perfect since joining the league. An early strike from just outside the box into the upper corner set the tone, and his relentless attack on the German net didn’t abate for the next 78 minutes. Only the spectacular play of Stuttgart keeper Sven Ulreich kept the match from being a blowout as he stopped a multitude of shots.

Parma scored again at the death with a stoppage time goal from long distance that completely deflated the German squad.

Things went from bad to decidedly worse as Stuttgart traveled to Los Angeles to take on the Galaxy and redwings8831. The Germans very nearly took an early lead, as a wicked blast from attacking midfielder Kuzmanovic solidly struck the far post, but skipped past the German strikers, who were unable to corral the rebound.

What should have been a very balanced game turned against the visitors quickly with an early penalty that was converted by Landon Donovan. What killed the German side, however, was its complete ineptitude at being able to handle the LA corners.

“We just couldn’t move the bastard, and we couldn’t get in front of him,” Frenchie said. “I just don’t understand how a he was able to do it. Three corners, three goals, all to the same spot. No matter what we did, we just couldn’t move him, we couldn’t intercept. I’ve never been so frustrated as a manager as I was watching those goals find the back of the net.”

The lone bright spot in the game for the visitors came when winger Timo Gebhart initiated a beautiful give-and-go run up the middle that ended with a curling shot into the upper corner.

“But we can hardly hang our hat on that when the final scoreline showed a 5-1 defeat,” Frenchie lamented.

And to cap off the end of an awful week for the beloved Roten, they dropped the third of three matches against Belgian side RSC Anderlecht and jb_banco.

Anderlecht scored first on an ugly giveaway in the German box, as a Belgian cross found the Stuttgart defender Maza, who couldn’t control the ball, and saw it bounce right onto the boot of Mbokani, who casually tucked it away into a gaping net. Anderlecht struck again 10 minutes into the second half, on a beautiful counterattack cross that took advantage of a disorganized and ragged German back four. But the visitors clawed back.

On a set piece from distance, Kuzmanovic opted against an attempted cross into the box and instead passed to a wide open William Kvist, who tapped the ball forward to team captain Cacau. Cacau gathered the ball, took one dribble toward the middle and lashed a vicious shot into the lower corner to half the deficit.

But it was as close as the Germans would come, as the home Belgian side added a third tally at the 73rd minute.

“This was disheartening,” Frenchie said. “To go in against tree of the top teams and come away without a single point – scoring only two while seeing our boys have 10 put up against them… We’ll have to take advantage of some upcoming games and claw our way back up. We need to intimidate, get back to form where our shots-on-target average is back up there. This week was a learning experience. It’s still early enough that we can come back from this. West Ham and Bling_CO and Athletic Bilbao and danwin will be facing an angry and hungry Stuttgart club, I can promise you that.”

Stuttgart Rattles English Nerves and Woodwork, but Must Settle for Draw

Stuttgart - Die Roten of Stuttgart welcomed the Hammers to the Swabian valley for their first tilt of the season, and a wild affair it was. The home team looked to capitalize early, sending ball after ball into the box, but each was just beyond the reach of the pursuing German strikers.

"I felt we were really close the entire game," manager Frenchie said. "Just a few minutes in, the ball was just centimeters away from Ibisevic's boot when the Hammers keeper snatched it away. The whole game went like that for us - centimeters away, but it may as well have been a kilometer."

The Germans struck first in the 58th minute when winger Martin Harnik sent a screaming shot to the English keeper's right. Robert Green steered it aside, but right onto Vedad Ibisevic's waiting foot, who slotted it home for his team-leading fourth goal of the season.

The lead lasted but the blink of an eye, however, as West Ham put together a beautiful counter that started with a charge down the right side, a swift cutback by Kevin Nolan, and a lobbed chip to a wide open John Carew, who headed the ball past Sven Ulreich into the corner just five minutes later.

" Bling_CO deserves a lot of credit," Frenchie said. "He came back with fire after we scored, and his setup for that goal was impeccable. He tried it again two or three more times, but we got wise to it pretty quick and kept him off the board after that."

The home squad turned up the pressure for the last 25 minutes, firing volley after volley toward the English net. They struck first the right post and then the left and then, at the 90th minute, had a corner to win it all. Substitute left back Ibrahima Traore sent a beautiful curling corner in that found the head of 6' 3" defender Mathieu Delpierre, but the Frenchman's effort sent the ball squeaking a hair's breadth wide of the English net, ensuring each team would walk away with but a single point.

"We had the game on our foot a handful of times. We hit the woodwork when we should have found the back of the net and Robert Green took care of the rest," said Frenchie. "Next time we meet, we'll be sure our shooting is a bit more on target and walk away with the three points we need for promotion."

Stuttgart takes victory in second leg of Spanish rivalry with Athletic Bilbao

Stuttgart - Looking to make up for an early-season 3-2 loss to Athletic Club, VfB Stuttgart traveled to the Iberian Peninsula with revenge on their minds, and walked away with a vital three points in their quest for promotion.

Once again, Athletic Club stuck first and once again, it was a corner to an unmarked Fernando Llorente, whose header in the 31st minute was never in doubt.

"I thought I was going to have a heart attack," Frenchie said. "They beat us again in the same way they beat us before. I knew what was coming and we still let it happen. Fortunately, we calmed down and didn't let it rattle us the way we did in Week 1."

The Germans struck back in the 58th minute when Vedad Ibisevic sprung Brazilian-born German striker Cacau free on a breakaway down the middle of the pitch. With nobody within five yards of him, Cacau had his choice of shots.

"I kept waiting for him to come off his line to challenge me, but he never did," Cacau said. "So when I was about 16 yards out, I fired hard and low to the corner and the keeper never had a chance. To be honest, I'm just glad I didn't mess that one up."

The Germans struck again just three minutes later on a play that came from a quick throw-in from the right side, as right back Khalid Boulahrouz whipped his throw to Martin Harnik, who took on two defenders, freeing Ibisevic toward the middle. Ibisevic cut back toward the center of the box, split two Spaniards and fired a hard, low liner into the far corner.



The game was marred, however, by questionable refereeing, as very soft contact by both sides saw three yellow cards issued - the first time both danwin and Frenchie1916 had been thus sanctioned this season in league play.

Fernando Llorente picked up his yellow early in the match charging hard into the box for a loose ball that was collected by German keeper Sven Ulreich.

"I didn't think it was a card, and I've actually never seen a card issued for an infraction like that," Ulreich said after the match. "It was harmless. I picked up the ball and Fernando tumbled over me. It happens three or four times in every match without a foul being called, much less a card being issued."

William Kvist picked up his yellow for the visitors in the second half on an innocuous challenge to Llorente in open space on what was clearly a 50/50 ball. But the pièce de résistance came in the 86th minute when Spanish defender Iraola was carded for bringing down German striker Vedad Ibisevic in the box. Iraola had clearly begun his slide to block a shot he assumed was coming from German striker Cacau, but Cacau tapped the ball forward to Ibisevic, who happened to be standing both in Iroala's path, and a foot inside the box.

Ibisevic fired his penalty kick high and hard to the Spanish keeper's right, giving him six goals on the season, two more than striking partner Cacau.

"They brought me here in January to help them score goals, and I'm glad I can fulfill that role," Ibisevic said. "It's no secret this team has had a hard time finding the back of the net the past few seasons, so it's encouraging to see us in the hunt right now. We'll have to see what everybody else does in Weeks 9 and 10, but four points out of six, four goals scored in two games ... Hopefully that helps our cause. We have some very important matches coming up and we'll be working our Arschen off."

Stuttgart Coppa Tradizione Roundup

STUTTGART - Stuttgart knew its chances of advancing in to the knockout rounds of the Coppa Tradizione were slim give its difficult Group H draw. The perennial Serie C minnow was facing off against Serie A giant Friz and Spartak Moscow, newly promoted Serie A opponent CxMacx10 and the Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Nickaepi, who scored 33 goals last season with A. Makhachkala, now managing the dangerously offensive Moscow Dinamo in Serie B.

“Let’s face it, my opponents probably looked at me as the fourth place finisher in the group, Friz as the likely winner, and CxMacx10 and Nickaepi fighting between themselves for the coveted second spot,” Frenchie said. “We were going to do all we could to make sure they remembered the day they faced Die Roten of Stuttgart.”

The first match was against the giants of Moscow, and the Serie A veteran didn’t disappoint. Spartak Moscow jumped out to an early two-goal lead, netting both in the first 11 minutes of the tilt and rocking the visiting Germans back on their heels. They planted a third just before the halftime whistle, and looked to sail smoothly through their first match but adding a fourth less than 10 minutes into the second half.

But despite being down but such a hefty lot, Stuttgart didn’t give in – knowing that goal differential could make or break advancement down the road. An unlikely goal came from defensive midfielder Christian Gentner in the 59th minute as he blasted a show low into the corner, and newly acquired striker Vedad Ibisevic cut the Russian lead in half with a score in the 81st.

“We lost this one, and we expected to,” Frenchie said. “I wish we’d come out a bit stronger at the outset on defense, because I think we could have held him to just two goals and at least earned ourselves a draw. But to get two on such a strong team when we’ve traditionally had trouble putting the ball in the net – I’m proud of my boys.”

The second Coppa tilt came against Moscow Dinamo and a newly confident Stuttgart team looked dominant through much of the match. Nine of the team’s 12 shots were on frame, the home team Germans dominated possession and, in the end, walked away with a late-game victory, courtesy of a dubiously awarded penalty kick in the 90th minute.

Stuttgart struck first on a picture-perfect cross from striker Cacau to partner Ibisevic, whose header lashed past Shunin in the 41st minute. The Russians answered early in the second half as Lomic intercepted a pass deep in German territory and slid it to Voronin, who slammed it home low to Sven Ulreich’s left.

From there, the teams traded punch for punch like two heavyweights. Stuttgart was caught a hair’s breadth offside on what would have put Cacau in alone on the keeper in the 55th minute, and Vedad Ibisevic, attempting a cheeky chip five minutes later, sent the ball just wide of the post.

Moscow Dinamo answered in the 76th with a delicious cross into the German box that sent both defenders and goalkeeper scrambling to cover a wide open net. A blasted Russian shot glanced off of Ulreich’s upraised knee and skimmed just high of the crossbar.

“We’ll have to get video of that, because it was definitely the save of the tournament,” Frenchie said. “Ulreich has pulled our arses out of the fire before, but this one was spectacular.”

The match looked to end in a draw as Stuttgart mounted one final attack down the right flank. Martin Harnik sprinted free of his defender and passed to Ibisevic on the edge of the box. Ibisevic had the option of crossing to Cacau or passing back to Zdravko Kuzmanovic who was free at the top of the box with a clear shot. He opted for the latter, but just as he freed himself of the ball, he was clipped on the heels by the Russian defense and, in true Ashley Young form, went to ground. The referee awarded the penalty with no time showing on the clock and Ibisevic, weary and battle-worn, blasted the ball high and left to give the home team a 2-1 victory, and life in the group.

So it all came down to the third and final match against CxMacx10 and the Wolves, a team known for its speed, counterattack, possession and defense of passing lanes.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Frenchie said. “We’d never played Wolves before. We knew they had been promoted to Serie A, and they had a reputation for skill and speed. Our nerves got the better of us in the first 10 minutes and they took quick advantage.”

Just three minutes into the match, Steven Fletcher took a through pass from Kevin Doyle and slotted home the first goal of the match. It looked like the Germans were going to face a repeat of their first game of the tournament, but they buckled down the defense and blocked shot after shot throughout the half.

“We just couldn’t penetrate them,” Frenchie said. “They were very nearly flawless in guarding the forward passing lanes. He’d send a midfielder to shut down your outlet pass and another to harass the ball carrier. Your only option was to pass it backward and try a different route. It was actually lovely football to watch.”

But the Germans did finally penetrate in the 61st minute when defending midfielder Christian Gentner sent a perfect cross to striker Vedad Ibisevic, whose header knotted the score at 1-1. Stuttgart very nearly repeated the feat in the 81st minute when Ibisevic sent a mirror cross into Cacau, but the Brazilian-born striker’s powerful header whistled just wide of the net.

The true drama came in the dying seconds as Wolves initiated a perfect counterattack and took advantage of the Germans’ left back playing too high. With no time left in injury time, the Wolves striker from inside the box sent a devastating curler past Sven Ulreich, only to have the ball strike the inside of the post, skirt the entire length of the goal line, and roll harmlessly into touch as the final whistle sounded.

“I went to bed not knowing whether we’d advanced, but very proud of what we’d done,” Frenchie said. “Three games, two against very difficult Serie A opponents and a victory against a Serie B, and five goals - is a stepping stone for us. I found out later that Friz didn’t help our cause when he only managed a draw against Wolves, but I’ll take four points from this group and build on it. We’re very much in contention in the League this season, something we’ve not been able to say before, and we’re no longer the pushover that we were just a short season ago.”

Die Roten Come Up Short, Earn Stinging Draw Against Bottom-of-the-Table Bolton

STUTTGART - The scoring touch that had eluded Stuttgart for its first two seasons in Serie C returned at the most inopportune time this week as the home team Germans couldn't find the back of the net against English rivals Bolton. What looked on paper like an easy matchup turned into a desperate attempt to bury a shot as Stuttgart's chances were squandered time and again.

"I don't know what it is about Bolton or County5, but that guy just plays us right," Frenchie said. "Between friendlies and league matches, I think I've drawn against him five times. I don't know why I have such a hard time sealing the deal against him, but he has consistently played me well. Part of our problem is we keep looking past him to see who we have to play next, and he makes us pay each and every time."

And true to form, despite possession that exceeded 60 percent and more than twice as many shots on frame, Stuttgart couldn't put the ball home. Their best chance came in the 90th minute when, awarded a timely corner, Martin Harnik whistled a beautiful high, curling pass into the center. It found an unlikely target in defender Serdar Tasci, who surprised his mark but leaping for a strong bicycle kick that whistled past Bolton keeper Jussi Jääskeläinen... and caromed harmlessly off the crossbar.




"It was a microcosm of our game," Frenchie said. "Dominate possession, great pass, great shot - and nothing to show for it. And now we're dropping down the table at a time we can ill afford to. We're going to have to step it up now against the top of the table if we're going to have any shot at all."

With two Games Remaining, Stuttgart Evaluates Season

STUTTGART – As the season is winding down, ownership of VfB Stuttgart is taking a hard look at its current situation, evaluating the positives and looking for areas of improvement. The team went on spurts of good form, only to be brought crashing back to earth by woeful displays of ineptitude at the most inopportune times.

At the end of the day, the most recent season would have the be viewed as a marked improvement over seasons past, regardless of what happens over the last two games. Die Roten already have six more points than they amassed last season, and four more than their debut season in TFS. With two games left to play, there is no reason that more points cannot be had.

Additionally, even though the Reds are sitting sixth in the Serie C table, they are 5-1 against the three teams directly above them this season.

“The fact of the matter is we have a difficult time beating some of the teams at the bottom of the table, and I have no idea why,” said Frenchie. “It’s certainly something that we have to address. We only had two real howler matches this year – a 5-1 drubbing by the LA Galaxy because we couldn’t guard their corners, and a recent 3-0 loss to Kobenhavn because we couldn’t get the damned ball out of our own end. There were a couple of one goal losses that should really have been draws, or even victories, and a couple of draws that could very well have ended up on our side of the scoresheet.”

With two games remaining – against heated rivals redwings8831 and the LA Galaxy and Bling_CO and West Ham – Stuttgart knows it has no chance at promotion, but it can still finish much better in the table.

“We’ve finished seventh two years in a row, with 17 points and 15 points, respectively,” Frenchie said. “We have 21 points right now, and two matches coming up that we can take four, or even six points from. I both like and respect Go Devils and LasVegasFC, but damned if I don’t want to finish higher than them on the table and have something to build on going into the summer.”

Stuttgart Renews Managerial Contract, Sets Sights High

STUTTGART- Despite its third consecutive seventh-place finish in Serie C, VfB Stuttgart ownership announced the decision to renew the managerial contract of Frenchie1916 after coming off the team’s most successful campaign to date.

The one-season deal, the financial terms of which were not disclosed, was met with cautious optimism by the team’s fans, whose support for Die Roten has been unwavering, despite falling far short of expectations.

The team said it made its decision based on the continual improvement Stuttgart has made during its three years in the Serie, increasing its goals scored by more than double, doubling its wins and increasing its points year-over-year. Additionally, Stuttgart has key wins last year over higher-ranked teams captained by recently promoted LasVegasFC and Yak61, as well as Go Devils, demonstrating an ability to compete at the highest level. Plus, despite not advancing beyond the group stages of the Coppa, Stuttgart earned a difficult victory over Serie B opponent Nickaepi and a draw against CxMacx10, who finished second overall in Serie A.

“We learned that we can stick with anybody – we just need to step it up and get promoted,” Frenchie said. “I’m absolutely confident in my squad and my ability to manage these boys. The addition of Vedad Ibisevic and his 10 League goals last year did wonders for our team, and we’ll be looking to capitalize on that this coming season.”

Asked about the length of the contract, Frenchie was evasive.

“Well, I have come to love Stuttgart, the fans, the stadium and this team,” he said. “But times are changing. We’re going to lose Khalid Boulahrouz, Matthieu Delpierre, and Timo Gebhart in season 7. And we may lose Julian Schieber in the transfer window, as he’s declined a contract extension. On the bright side, we should have Gotoku Sakai in the squad in season 7, which would be a tremendous help in defense if I am still here. But there may be opportunities for me elsewhere, possibly a bit further north, where I once made my home.”

Another announcement from ownership is a sponsorship change in the team kits. Gone will be the stinky cheese of Gazi in season 7, as Mercedes-Benz Bank has stepped up as a shirt sponsor for the 2012-2013 season.



“We are looking to the future,” Frenchie said. “I look at the landscape of Serie C and I see no reason why Die Roten cannot be zum König gekrönt!”

Stuttgart Earns First-ever Season-Opening Victory

PALERMO - In its fourth season in the Serie, Stuttgart was finally able to get off on the right foot, earning a victory out of the gate against a luckless Palermo. The visitng Germans came out firing, lashing the ball at the home keeper thrice in the first 10 minutes, but were unable to defeat the deft Italian. Stuttgart defensive back Khalid Boulahrouz scored his first league goal in four seasons at the 20 minute mark, winning a 50/50 ball 30 yards out, taking two careful touches and lacing a low shot beyond the Vivano's reach. Palermo equalized minutes later on an awful back pass by the Stuttgart midfield that was bungled by the center backs, allowing Migliaccio a free run in on Sven Ulreich, who had no chance to make a save on a well-struck ball at point-blank range.

With the score knotted at 1-1 at the half, the Germans came out in the second half as they did at the first - leaning forward and determined to put their team ahead. William Kvist saw a streaking Cacau in a gap between the left back and his center back partner and put a perfectly weighted through ball onto the Brazilian-born striker's boot. Cacau, one-on-one with the center back sprinted toward the net, stopped on a dime and cut back to lace a high curler into the far corner.

"That shot gave our boys a lot of confidence," Frenchie said. "Our bench was on their feet and the fans who made the trip to Italy were drowning out the locals. We we knew we still had 35 minutes of game time, but we had high hopes of holding that lead and even building on it."

Palermo very nearly equalized with a vicious header off the crossbar at about 70 minutes, and then fell victim to dubious officiating when an apparent foul in the box by the German defenders went uncalled.

"Yeah, we were pretty lucky there," Frenchie chuckled. "Our defenders didn't exactly tackle him in the box, but suddenly, everyone went down in a pile, and everyone on the pitch stopped playing waiting for the whistle. When it didn't blow, we were able to clear the ball, say a quick novena, and continue the match. We almost put two more in, but Vivano was stellar in this game and deserved his Man of the Match credit."

"We weren't too familiar with OhDaesu19 and his team, so it was a pretty nerve-racking match," Frenchie added. "I'm glad we could come out three points ahead, and two very winnable matches ahead of us in our first three. I expect us to have nine points at the end of our first three matches - anything less would be a tremendous letdown."

Stuttgart not only has League games against danwin and Bling_CO with Atlhetic ZBilbao and West Ham, respectively, but a very difficult match against Zikry and Ajax in an early Coppa group match.

"Zikry is a tough opponent - we've played him a number of times in the past few weeks. He knows that we're a strong defensive team, so the key to the game for us will be scoring first and parking the bus," Frenchie said. "I don't expect that one will be a blowout either way. It should be a very good, very even match. He'll pour it on with the best he's got and we'll have to do everything we can to take advantage when he makes a mistake."

Mix of stout defense, deft passing gives Stuttgart Coppa draw

STUTTGART - Die Roten welcomed one of the toughest teams it's ever faced into the Mercedes-Benz Arena Monday night as the Dutch juggernaut Ajax, under the new management of Zikry, stormed south for the first Coppa match of the new season. Ajax disembarked from the bus with a noticeable swagger, having not conceded a goal in four games of league play, and scoring seven.

"We know this team," Frenchie said before the match. "We've managed a few friendlies against Ajax in recent weeks, earned a win or two, gotten beat a time or two. It's going to be closer than the jackasses at Bet365.com think."

Perhaps playing mind games, Frenchie did not stick to the game plan he had alluded to following the team's opening league victory against Palermo. Instead of falling back on their heels and forming a protective shell, Stuttgart relied heavily on possession and passing, sending hard, chipped passes into tight space in an attempt to create chances. The first true test of the match came on the boot of Cacau, who found himself 18 yards out from the keeper with room to move. He sent a high penetrating shot to Vermeer's right that beat the keeper, only to rattle harmlessly off the crossbar about 15 minutes into the game.

"I think that may have awakened the sleeping giant," Frenchie said. "Ajax turned it on after Cacau put a little scare into 'em."

In true Stuttgart fashion, Die Roten turned away shot after shot, overlapping their own defensive line to prevent the Dutch from having clear looks at the net. At the end of the day, the two centre backs would have more blocked shots between them than the keeper had saves. The first half drew to a close with the score knotted at nil-nil, and the tension around the Stadion was palpable.

The second half began as the first had ended, with Stuttgart dominating possession, but Ajax getting the lion's share of shots and shots on frame. The repeated attacks finally broke through the German defense when a streaking Eriksen sent a picture-perfect cross to the far post, where Lukoki calmly headed it home on the short side at the 52nd minute.

Stuttgart knew, given the difficult makeup of Group C, that a loss could mean death for any chance of advancement into the knockout round, and the team suddenly found renewed life. For the next 20 minutes, the home team Germans passed the ball beautifully, poking at the Dutch defense, searching for a weakness that heretofore none had found. Finally, midfielder William Kvist spotted Martin Harnik hovering at the edge of the box, in an advantageous position in front of his defender and with an angle that would give him a run at goal.

"There was much rejoicing when we scored that goal," Frenchie said. "We knew it was huge to get one on Ajax and we're pleased to be the first to do it this season. At that point, it became a matter of holding him off and hoping we could find space to nail in one more."

But neither side would score again, leaving Stuttgart satisfied, and Ajax undoubtedly disappointed in the result.

"There were moments where [our] defense were stretched by the passing of Stuttgart who decided to play a lot of short chipped passes to great effect," Zikry said impassively after the match. "Slack defending gave Harnik too much space on the edge of the box as he was able to drill it low past Vermeer."

Both teams will need to step up their offensive play against jb_banco and Geneseo98 to advance out of the Group. Geneseo98 and Everton pulled off what can only be described as an improbable upset over jb_banco and Olympiakos in the first round.

Group C may still be the Group of Life for Die Roten!

Stuttgart exorcises ghosts of the past, defeats West Ham 2-0

LONDON - In a long-delayed matchup, the XI of VfB Stuttgart was finally able to defeat a team that had stymied their attempts time and again. West Ham, despite its perennial position toward the bottom of the Serie C table, has long held Stuttgart to a series of frustrating draws.

But in their first matchup of the season, Stuttgart was on their front foot from the get-go, peppering the English side with shots, dominating possession and emerging victorious in an early must-win matchup for a team desperate for promotion.

West Ham and Bling_CO held the German side scoreless for the first 35 minutes, despite the visiting Teutonic barrage on the English net from near and far.

“We tried everything, crosses, through balls into the box, curlers from 15 yards, and nothing went in,” Frenchie said. “Then our long-shot specialist found himself in some space and took the team on his shoulders.”

Taking a 20-yard pass from Vedad Ibisevic, Zdravko Kuzmanovic found himself with 15 yards of clear space in front of him. He took three short touches and fired from 22 yards, blasting the ball into the lower corner for Stuttgart’s opening goal of the match.

Less than 10 minutes later, Ibisevic found striking partner Cacau free in the box for a second headed goal. From there, Stuttgart did not cease their assault firing at the English net 18 times over the course of the game.

“This was the first game this season where we put our game together – overwhelming offense, stifling defense, possession, passing,” said Frenchie. “We need to use this as a building block and ensure we can take on the stronger teams in Serie C. It’s going to be a true battle at the top.”

Stuttgart builds early lead – clings to hold off Athletic

Despite being injured just three minutes into the match, Stuttgart striker Vedad Ibisevic struggled back to score twice early to give Stuttgart a much needed victory over Athletic Bilbao, another team that has repeatedly thwarted Stuttgart’s attempts to claw its way into the higher divisions.

Early lag didn’t slow down the injured Serbian, who took a nearly perfect pass from left back Christian Molinaro to drive home the opening goal just eight minutes into the match. He found his double just six minutes later when Cacau served him a perfect pass at the top of the box.

From there, Athletic initiated a nearly 70-minute assault on the Stuttgart net, firing shot after shot at the German keeper. The visiting Spaniards found a chink in the armor in the 31st minute when Fernando Llorente, the perpetual thorn in the Stuttgart side, fed an open Iker Muniain for Athletic’s first and only goal of the match.

Athletic and danwin very nearly found its equalizer in the 60th minute when Llorente sent a ball through traffic. Sven Ulreich managed to get a fingertip to the ball, but its momentum carried it toward the back of the net. Only a desperation, diving lunge from team captain and defender Serdar Tasci cleared the ball on the line and prevented the knotting goal from finding a home.

“Everyone thought that was going in,” Frenchie said. “Ulreich was already lamenting the goal, Llorente was already celebrating it. Only Tasci had the fortitude to make that diving clearance. He saved the game for us. I don’t know why he wasn’t awarded the Man-of-the-Match, but he certainly made the save of the game for us.”

Everton snatches late goal to steal draw against Stuttgart

What should have been a celebration in the Stuttgart locker room for a hard-fought victory was muted when visiting Everton scored a tying goal in the dying minutes, and very nearly a go-ahead with the clock running down.

“Well, at first I was pissed that we’d let victory slip away,” said Frenchie. “But the way things turned out, I’m just happy we held on for the draw.”

The match looked like it could end in a scoreless draw, as a back-and-forth affair yielded no goals for the first 60 minutes. But Vedad Ibisevic slipped his defender on the wing just long enough to send a cross to the far post, where Cacau was waiting. Cacau’s header put the home team on top, and then Stuttgart foolishly tried to park the bus for a full 30 minutes.

“We were exhausted, no two ways about it,” Frenchie said. “ Geneseo98 played this one perfectly –as the game went on, he increased the pressure, intercepting passes and moving his back line increasingly forward.”

With less than 10 minutes on the clock, the English side answered, with an equally delicious cross-header combination. A deflated Stuttgart side very nearly gave up all in the waning moments when the center backs allowed themselves to be split on a through ball, but Sven Ulreich played the one-on-one perfectly, waiting until the last second to come out and cut down the angle, preventing the go-ahead goal and saving a point.

Eight fouls, Six goals ... One "no comment"

Frenchie brushed past reporters with a brusque “no comment” following his team’s 4-2 defeat at the hands of the LA Galaxy. The match was testy from the beginning, with increased pressure from the visiting Americans pushing the German defenders further and further into their own end.

A total of 8 fouls were called in the match, although the officials didn’t hand out any cards.

A source close to Stuttgart, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the team will ask league officials for an investigation into pressure, tactics officiating and fouls.

During the match, LA scored the first two in rapid succession, and Stuttgart fought back to earn a draw, the second coming on a beautifully redirected header from a long free kick. From there, however, the Los Angeles pressure became manic, with the team committing five fouls in the second half and swooping in as defenders were receiving passes deep in their own end.

The usually palaverous Frenchie was tight-lipped after the match, refusing to address the media.

Still angry, Stuttgart vents on Hoffenheim with Cacau brace

Clearly still angry at the outcome of its last league match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, VfB Stuttgart took to the road and took out its frustrations on new manager LAC27 and 1899 Hoffenheim, serving them a 4-0 drubbing in front of their home fans. Facing a three-man back line for the first time in his career, Stuttgart used passing lanes to perfection, finding wide gaps and executing dummies and through balls to perfection.

Brazilian-born striker Cacau, who had heretofore been Robin to Ibisevic's Batman on the squad, has jumped to the fore this season, scoring his fourth and fifth goals of the campaign and adding a helper, earning clear Man of the Match honors.

Ibisevic, who seems more than content to sit back and dish out assists this campaign, added his fifth helper, along with his third goal.

"Whatever helps the team win, I will do," Ibisevic said. "Last season, they needed me to score goals. "This time around, everyone is stepping up. Cacau now has five, and we have goals scored by six lads in seven matches. That's the balance we're looking for.

" LAC27 put on a much better show than the scoreline shows," Frenchie said after the match. "He had a very good opportunity to cut our two-goal lead in half late in the first half, but Ulreich came up big for us. After that, he had a hard time putting shots on frame. Believe me, I know that frustration."

Frenchie admitted he was surprised by the formation choice with which Hoffenheim took to the field, having never faced a three-man back line.

“I’d heard a 3-4-4 is really difficult to defend with and, having played against one, I can see why,” Frenchie said. “You get one guy just a little bit out of his lane, and there’s a gap you could run Le Mans through. I predict next time we face Hoffenheim, those guys are gonna adapt. Hopefully we can, too.”


Editor's Note: Our reporter mistakenly identified the formation used by Hoffenheim as a 3-4-4. It was actually a 3-4-3. We regret the error.

I would think a 3-4-4 would be a great formation. Anytime you can sneak in that 12th player onto the pitch it has to be a good thing right?

Turns out the 12th guy was Joey Barton ( BESHIKTAS ), and he was sent off 4 seconds into the match.

Stuttgart Clings to Third by Narrowest of Margins

Swabian Club Needs to Make its Move

STUTTGART - As history has shown, vacations have not served Die Roten well. Hoping to disprove the widely held belief that Stuttgart falls apart if it takes any time off, the German club returned to the pitch in a pair of favorable matchups against krtgolfing and West Brom and danwin and Athletic Bilbao.

Favorable, that is, on paper.

But West Brom has proven to be a team on the rise, and the German defense at home was abysmal in its first post-holiday match

"My boys stood around and watched West Brom play a lot of football," Frenchie said. "Hell, the first goal they scored, Peter Odemwingie got the ball on the edge of the area, sized up windspeed and gravitational pull, then dished off to Morrison, who telephoned his mum before he shot to let her know that the goal he was about to score was for her. It was an embarrassment."

Stuttgart nearly drew even when Cacau rattled one in to bring them within one at the half, but it was as close as they came. All in all, a horrid performance by the home German squad, and eerily reminiscent of the season, when Stuttgart sat atop the table headed into its vacation, then promptly dropped the next three matches.

Stuttgart was able to right the ship when it traveled to Spain to take on Athletic Club in Bilbao. Stuttgart relied heavily on its possession-and-passing offense and midfield pressure on defense to keep Athletic off balance, a formula that worked nearly to perfection. Stuttgart completed 160 of 182 pass attempts in the match, more than double their Spanish opponents on both counts.

The Germans opened the scoring in the 34th minutes when Cacau, dancing on the corner of the area, drew two Spanish defenders. Zdravko Kuzmanovic crept forward into the vacated space, took a perfect pass from the Brazilian striker, and blasted a low, hard shot into the Spanish net to put the visitors on top.

From there, Stuttgart focused on intercepting passes from the Spanish midfield to its strikers, interrupting the home attack time and again. It all nearly fell apart in the 60th when Fernando Llorente collected a perfect pass, sidestepped his defender and unleashed a blast to Sven Ulreich's right. The ball solidly struck the inside of the post, shot across the open goal mouth, and fell to Serdar Tasci, who was able to clear the danger.

At the 75th, Stuttgart broke the game open when Vedad Ibisevic spotted Cacau streaking between the Spanish centre back and the right back. He sent a lobbed ball over the Brazilian's head, and from there, it was a foot race to see who could get to it first. Cacau, a half step ahead of the Spanish backfield, took one touch and, with defenders nipping at his laces and the keeper charging out, sent a beautiful looping shot into the far corner to put his team safely away.

Stuttgart's next test is against unbeaten GovernedSpy and Rubin Kazan, who has given up only a handful of goals this season.

VfB Stuttgart Defeats Mighty Rubin Kazan, Looks for Strong Finish

KAZAN, RUSSIA – Die Roten of Stuttgart made the 3,200-km trek to the wilds of Kazan, Russia facing its most daunting task of the season: facing an undefeated Rubin Kazan and a desperate attempt to climb into second place – and promotion – on the Serie C table. TFS newcomer GovernedSpy has proven to be the hardest of nuts to crack this season, allowing only a handful of goals and scoring more than 30. In their first meeting, the Russian poured three in on Sven Ulreich, and Stuttgart could manage only one meaningless goal late in the match to preserve some dignity.

But coming off of its victory over Athletic Bilbao, the Reds were looking to steal at least a point from the league leaders.

And steal, they most certainly did.

Both sides had ample opportunities to put this game away, particularly in the early going: Stuttgart had a wicked header on net in the 11th minute that was parried by Rhyzikov right onto the foot of Vedad Ibisevic, who promptly put the ball about 50 rows deep into the stands; league leading scorer Nelson Valdez had a high floating header in the 18th that 22 players stood and watched as it arced high into the night sky, glanced off the post, and fell harmlessly to a Stuttgart defender.

Stuttgart's leading scorer Cacau scored the game's only goal in the 32nd minute when he took a perfect pass from Timo Gebhart right in front of the area, turned, took one touch and curled the shot around the defender and into the upper corner.

From there, Stuttgart played boring football, attempting to disrupt passing to Kazan's lethal strikers. At the half, Frenchie went with the ultra-defensive 5-4-1 formation.

"I definitely parked the bus," Frenchie said. " GovernedSpy is deadly. He's won 12 out of 14 games. He's allowed a grand total of six goals before this game, and scored more than five times that many. He's pinpoint accurate with his shooting, has great awareness of where his open man is, and if you slip up, he's going to be behind you. So yeah, I pulled up a London double-decker, stacked 10 men in front of the area, and held on for 45 minutes."

From there, Stuttgart traveled across the continent to England, where a match against Everton was interrupted by both weather and technical difficulties, leading to a jarring affair and neither team finding a rhythm.

Everton scored first in a driving storm when Khalid Boulahrouz committed an ill-placed foul right at the end line, allowing Everton a free kick from 5 yards outside the Stuttgart 18-yard box. The English side capitalized when Jelavic headed the swinging drive home. The game was halted at the 38th minute because of weather conditions.

When play resumed, Stuttgart came out on its front foot, attacking the English side and looking for an early equalizer. Team leading scorer Cacau blasted a low, hard shot in 7 minutes later, when, once again, the game was delayed.

The second half proved to be an uneventful affair, as neither side could find its form, and they had to settle for an unappetizing 1-1 draw.

“Well, we’re not happy that play was stopped twice, but we’ll take the draw there and move on,” Frenchie said. “We’ve played Everton twice now and come away 1-1 in both games. So I guess you’d have to say it was a fair accounting, even if the conditions were less than perfect.”

-------------

Stuttgart now sits all alone in third place in the Serie C table, trailing Go Devils and Cagliari by three points, but the German side has a game in-hand over its Italian rivals. They face the wily and defensive Italian squad this week in what has to be one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.

In its other final matches of the season, VfB Stuttgart face:
* LAC27 and TSG Hoffenheim at home, who have found form of late, earning draws against Cagliari and Stade Rennes and Isaac Oyer, and a win over OhDaesu19 and Palermo;
* Stade Rennes in France, who have stumbled recently winning one, but drawing four in its last five matches;
* and the LA Galaxy and redwings8831 in California, whose up-and-down season has seen it tie TSG Hoffenheim and lose to Palermo, but beat both Cagliari and Stade Rennes.

Stuttgart leads both Stade Rennes and the LA Galaxy by two points, but the Germans have a game in-hand over the French and two games on the American side.

Frenchie Returns for Fifth Season at Stuttgart's Helm

Stuttgart - After leading his side to a surprise (albeit backdoor) promotion, ownership of VfB Stuttgart saw fit to extend the contract of manager Frenchie1916 for an unprecedented fifth season, having seen increasing returns for the past two seasons. Frenchie's tenure at the storied club has been rocky, earning just six victories in his first two seasons, but he doubled that number in his third season and took his team to 8 wins and 29 points in his fourth season at the helm

It was widely speculated that Frenchie would leave Stuttgart for the coaching vacancy at Eintracht Frankfurt, as Frenchie lived in Frankfurt am Main as a boy and has a long love affair with the historic club. But in the end, he said his decision to stay at Stuttgart was twofold: loyalty to ownership and confidence in the team that had gotten him to Serie B.

"I'll admit, I was pleasantly surprised that management allowed me to stay around and see through my vision for this club after those first two seasons," Frenchie said. "They were well within their rights to send me packing to the Pakistani league, but we all shared a vision for what this club could do and they gave me a very generous leash. Despite our 7th place finish in season 6, we definitely saw returns we hadn't seen in years past. And we were very fortunate to finish in the top three last season."

Die Roten benefited by the league expansion and an unfortunate unplayed match between Go Devils and GovernedSpy in Season 6 that kept their tenuous spot in third place fixed, and allowed them to be drawn into Serie with the addition of two new slots in the middle flight.

"This spot could very well have gone to Cagliari and Go Devils - and maybe it should have," Frenchie said. "I recognize it's a gift horse. Und einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul! I don't have too many illusions about promotion this year. Serie B is a completely different animal. I've played about 30 matches against BESHIKTAS and, while I can play him close, my record against him is about 5-5-20. If he's the caliber of player here, I'm going to be fighting for my life to keep this team in the middle of the table."

Stuttgart has a quality squad - one of the better teams in the entire Serie system. On paper. Led by the striking combination of Vedad Ibisevic and Cacau, the team's defensive backline is now anchored by Japanese star Gotoku Sakai and team captain Serdar Tasci. After losing Timo Gebhart to FC Nuremberg, the midfield remains a question mark, and the team will rely heavily on a combination of Tamas Hajnal, Martin Harnik and Shinji Okazaki to distribute the ball, and Zdravko Kuzmanovic to fire from range. Its defensive midfield is among the best in all of Serie football, held down by the dynamic passing and tackling duo of William Kvist and Christian Gentner.

"The team is in place. The weak link will undoubtedly be its manager," Frenchie admitted. "Die Schwaben will rise or fall entirely depending on me. I hope I can serve them as well as they've served me."

Gone is the Training Pitch, on to Season 7

FRANKFURT - With nervous energy filling every man in the dressing room, VfB Stuttgart prepares for its foray into Season 7 and its first match in Serie B. The recent startling news at GovernedSpy has abdicated his position in the league has allowed Isaac Oyer to move up a division with Eintracht Frankfurt, the very team for which Frenchie considered leaving Stuttgart. As the Fates would have it, Stuttgart's first match of the new season will be against the team he of which he has been so fond for more than two decades, in the city he once called home.

"It's definitely bittersweet, coming back like this," Frenchie said. "Looking across the pitch and seeing those glorious rot und schwarz Spielkleidungen will be a special treat for me. But I look at this match first and foremost as a test of my skill as a manager. While I love Frankfurt and wish them the best this season, I sincerely hope they start their inaugural season in Die Fußball Serie with a loss."

Frenchie admitted opening day jitters were present from the very moment he awoke.

"I just need to stay within myself and not try to do too much," he said. "It's a long game - and a long season. My boys need to make sure they keep the ball in front of them, look for the smart pass and don't try to do too much as one man. If they can do that, I'm confident of an early victory. If we're too jumpy, trying to steal the ball in a bad position, Isaac Oyer and that talented squad under his command will make us pay. I must remind them to be patient, and remind myself to be the same."

And now, let's play some Fußball!

Well, That Plan Went All to Scheiße

Eint. Frankfurt vs VfB Stuttgart

3 Goals 0

23 Shots 5

Stuttgart vows to put this humiliation behind it and move on. The road only gets harder, with upcoming matches against IJGator BigSmooth33 hokie79 and Roger.

First Week Tough Learning Experience for VfB Stuttgart

Stuttgart – The Boys in Red had a rough start to their Serie B campaign, earning draws in their first league game and Coppa match, but falling in the second and third league games. The opening week saw Die Roten with just one point on the table and a slew of problems to address, having been shut out in half of their opening games.

“Truth be told, I was only disappointed with two parts of our game,” Frenchie said. “We let krtgolfing and Santos back in when he had our foot on their throat at the death. We had the game in hand with five minutes left and we let them sneak one in at the whistle. You can’t do that and expect any kind of result in this division. And our game against Isaac Oyer and Frankfurt, we were flat, uninspired, uncreative, uninteresting, und hat ringsherum beschissenes gespielt.”

There were positives in Stuttgart’s opening week, despite its dearth of points, however. Its Coppa match against snake3249 saw Die Schwaben show true heart and resilience, coming back from a two-goal deficit to draw even with their Serie A opponent, earning a crucial point in a group that could see any of the four teams advance or be eliminated. And the final game against IJGator and 1899 Hoffenheim, despite it being a 2-0 shutout, was better than the scoreline indicated. Stuttgart showed creativity in attack, mixing up long shots and passes, crosses and through balls. Hoffenheim scored its first on a cross-header combination when the defender inexplicably abandoned his mark to guard the post. The home Stuttgart squad hit the post early, earned four corners and should have drawn level with a beautiful cross to a wide open Vedad Ibisevic, whose rushed shot went screaming wide of the bar.

“We had two great opportunities to draw even, and possibly go ahead against a very, very tough opponent,” Frenchie said. “Ibisevic railed one off the post and then got over-excited and sent a wide-open, point-blank shot wide of the mark. All week I preached patience, and in that instance - that split second - I didn’t put it into practice and it cost us. He went ahead 2-0 in the 90th when I had to switch strategies to try and scratch out a late equalizer, so I’m not really concerned about the second goal. That’s a calculated risk you take, and I recognize that. We were pressing to get the draw and our back line became a bit disorganized, and IJGator was able to capitalize. All in all, we played that match very well; we just weren’t able to get the final result we wanted.”

Stuttgart’s second week will prove very challenging, with league matches against the very difficult BigSmooth33 and Celtic, hokie79 and the estimable Marseille and Roger and Espanyol. The Reds should take all three points in its Coppa match against danwin and Athletic Bilbao.

But the Reds need to show more of a nose for the goal and better control of the ball in the final third of the pitch against all of its opponents, or this will prove to be a very long season.

And a very short stay in the middle flight.

Frenchie: Stuttgart "Not a Good Place to Be Right Now"

STUTTGART – Ill winds are blowing through the foothills of Southern Germany as Stuttgart has failed to score in its last two league matches and was again shut out in what should have been a relatively easy victory in a Coppa tilt against Serie C side Athletic Bilbao.

The German squad is reeling from a series of poorly played matches and is obviously trying to find the solutions to 20 problems simultaneously, leading to still further woes.

When the season started, Stuttgart looked as if it had finally found the form that had eluded it for so long – solid defending, steady possession and consiste4nt shooting from both strikers and attacking midfielders. But what has come to pass in the first few weeks of the season has been anything but beautiful football. Die Roten’s attacks have been anemic, with possession often being thwarted 30 yards from the goal, few supporting runs, sloppy touches and a back line that has been amoebic in its form.

“Our locker room is not a good place to be right now,” Frenchie admitted. “We’re far from harmonious. Nobody is pointing any fingers, but I know the blame lies squarely with me. We are deservedly at the bottom of the table and I have let this talented group of young men down.”

Asked where he might find a viable answer to Stuttgart’s woes, Frenchie joked, “Messi? Ronaldo? … Pele?”

“Our true problem is in the final third of the pitch. We have good possession and can get the ball quickly back and forth between the wings and midfielders, midfielders and strikers, wings and fullbacks. But nobody’s in a good position to fire the ball on net. Shooting from distance will only get you so far in this league, and we’re having trouble breaking down defenses. We see other teams in Serie B scoring four, five goals a game, and we’re bumfuzzled as to how that happens. If we get three goals in a game, that’s an offensive onslaught for us.”

Stuttgart has spent hours on the training ground looking for the right tactics, the right formation, the right combination of players to find a scoring touch, but nothing has proven effective come gameday. If things don’t turn around for the German squad by the middle of the season – a deadline that is approaching all too rapidly – Frenchie’s tenure with VfB Stuttgart will undoubtedly come to an ignominious end.