Leon Flach at St. Pauli

TM says he's signed through 2022, which is quite a lengthy contract for a player his age in a German academy,

He's with the U19 team now.

 

scored last weekend his 1st of the season in a 3-0 win (scored the 2-0) over Magdeburg U19. Not that it matters since I don't think that's how midfielders are judged.

as a 01 will still be in U19 next season anyways.

 

I think Flach's real problem is his age group tbh. Age groups is always complicated as it's a lot to do with the right timing. You can't ignore players a year older or a bit younger. What's the likelihood that St Pauli integrates 2 youngsters in same positions that close in age? You still need experienced midfielders when integrating a young one.

00-Finn Becker has a pro contract and has been said that he could get 1st team chances this season and he seems headed to the 1st team in Summer. Even TM has him in 1st team in Summer.

 

looks like he's on call for Germany U18.

 

scored his 2nd of the season in a 2-1 loss to Hertha U19.

 

training with 1st team.

Mit Leon #Schmidt, Seung-Won #Lee, Christian #Viet, Jannes #Wieckhoff, Niklas #Hoffmann (alle #fcspU23), Aurel #Loubongo-M'Boungou und Leon #Flach (beide #fcspU19) waren sieben #YoungRebels im Profitraining dabei. #fcsp pic.twitter.com/Qlehzp1Uzw

— FC St. Pauli (@fcstpauli) June 25, 2019

although one would still expect him in U19 next season.

 

Yikes joins T.Tillman as being injured in his 1st training day and needing surgery.

Far less well for Leon Flach. The 18-year-old junior player had injured on Wednesday in a duel on the knee. An MRI scan now revealed a meniscal damage. Flach, who does not have a competitive match in the professional field yet, will have to undergo surgery.
https://www.kicker.de/752197/artikel/entwarnung-bei-sahin-flach-muss-unters-messer#omsmtwkicker

 

after being out for 7 weeks, looks like he's back to team training. Seems like he wants to breakthrough the 1st team, which isn't impossible.

 

Missed 1st 2 games due to injury, then made 1 unused bench. Played his 1st game of the season, game 4 and for the full 90 in Pauli U19's 1st win of the season midweek. And now today scored the lone goal to see Pauli off vs Hallescher U19 to the next round in dfb junioren cup

 

FWIW, on his IG story today, he attended the NFL game in London and was cheering on the Texans to victory. Germany is obviously his first international choice, but his birthplace means something to him too. He was born in the Houston metro area.

 

I am not so sure

On the dual national front: I am hearing Texas-born midfielder Leon Flach will be on the upcoming U.S. U-20 roster. Flach has been doing well with St. Paul's youth teams and has played for Germany's U-18 team multiple times in 2018 and 2019.

— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) January 6, 2020

 

He's on the roster:

U-20 USMNT ROSTER BY POSITION:
GOALKEEPERS (4): David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City/ENG; London, England), John Pulskamp (Sporting Kansas City; Bakersfield, Calif.), Patrick Schulte (St. Louis University; Saint Charles, Mo.)

DEFENDERS (10): Jacob Akanyirige (San Jose Earthquakes; Pleasanton, Calif.), Nico Benalcazar (Wake Forest; Wilton, Conn.), Kevin Bonilla (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; Oldsmar, Fla.), Ian Hoffmann (Karlsruher/GER; Bethany Beach, Del.), Blake Malone (North Carolina; Las Vegas, Nev.), Kurowskybob Pierre (Real Salt Lake; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Andre Reynolds II (Chicago Fire FC; Chicago, Ill.), Stuart Ritchie (Hannover 96/GER; Pleasanton, Calif.), Leonardo Sepulveda (Salamanca/ESP.; Corona, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Cole Bassett (Colorado Rapids; Littleton, Colo.), Leon Flach (St. Pauli/GER; Bad Schwartau, Germany), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew S.C.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Marcelo Palomino (Houston Dynamo; Houston, Texas), Thomas Roberts (FC Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.)

FORWARDS (5): Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City; Greensboro, N.C.), Cameron Harper (Celtic/SCO; Roseville, Calif.), Matko Miljevic (Argentinos Juniors/ARG; Miami, Fla.), Dante Sealy (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Marlon Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC.; Bakersfield, Calif.)

 

A brand new interview in English with Flach

VIA ASN

 

and the ever increasing German parents but born in USA due to work.

 

TM has him listed as moving to Pauli II in Summer. I know he has that supposed pro contract that kicks in, in Summer. But if it's accurate than it would still make sense.

a lot of pro contracts doesn't mean you jump directly to matchday squads. More like regular training with 1st team+II game time.

Pauli head honchos have stated in past that outside of 1 00 CM player that jumped last season during U19 season directly to 1st team. The norm for their club is that you play II before any 1st team.

 

is in some training camp with 5 other players, which includes 1 teammate and both are 1st team prospect.

about Flach.
comes from the U19 and will be training at the U23 from Monday - in order to also get involved with the professionals in the long term.
https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/...nte-machen-fruehstart-camp-71795850.bild.html

I'm sure he'll be involved in 1st team Summer camp but whether he makes 1st team early or later will likely depend on how he does in preseason and on the new coach.

 

didn't mention this but the new Pauli 1st team coach has been announced and is actually his U19 coach. So he knows him extremely well, he knows extremely well all the young players at the club.

although recent report said that he'll start in II. Another + article, those are the 2 players with pro contract from 01 age groups.
Aurel Loubongo and Leon Flach (both 19) will remain in the U-23 team for the time being.
https://www.abendblatt.de/sport/fus...t-ohne-Buchtmann-aber-mit-Talent-Teixera.html

reality Pauli is one of those clubs where you play II before any 1st team anyways. 00 Midfielder Finn Ole Becker is rare exemption who completely skipped II and jumped directly from U19 to 1st team. There is another player who seems like he could follow Becker in direct jump to 1st team in younger age groups too who the coach Schultz rates highly.

 

looks like it could be hard for him to find chances in 1st team next season in midfield. Today Pauli loaned in a Uruguayan CM on loan from Frankfurt.

the Pauli coach also said this,
Schultz said a few days ago that he was still looking for a "physically strong" defensive midfielder, a clearer, on the transfer market. And maybe he already has the actor on the line who could bring the "salt in the soup". "The fact that you sometimes have a sparkler with you where you don't know one hundred percent: does it work or doesn't it work", Schultz extended his announcement. "But I also feel like it."


next season for now there is 7 DM/CM (not counting Flach in 1st team) and they could get someone else too. Even if someone leaves you still end up around 6ish midfielders for 2-3 spots.

makes me wonder if Flach will get real 1st team chances in 2021-2022 season. By then loanee from Frankfurt would be gone, Becker has been drawing interest from higher for 2 years now could also leave in 2021 etc.

 

yesterday, Pauli got their DM in Nigerian Aremu.

also Flach will train with 1st team. Although between 3 Midfield injuries/unfit (still like close to a month before season starts for them to get fit) and CF injuries it's not surprising these 3 were called up.

Aus der #fcspU23 werden Christian #Stark, Serkan #Dursun und Leon #Flach heute mit ins Trainingslager der Profis reisen. 🧳

Viel Erfolg, Jungs! 😊#fcsp pic.twitter.com/bIEZRZjkx7

— FC St. Pauli (@fcstpauli) August 25, 2020

 

looks like his pro team might not see him in midfield but as LB. I recall it was said so in the interview above but looks like the club reiterated it.

But it is likely that two or three youth players will join the trip. "Especially left-back, probably Leon Flach, because Leart Paqarada may have to leave the training camp for the Kosovar national team," said Schultz.

so seems like Flach is LB #4 at the club, there is 2 experienced guys in Paqarada (joined this Summer from Sandhausen) and Buballa. Then the 3rd is one year older Kuyucu who'll miss the camp due to fitness.

seems like he got called up due to Kuyucu being unfit and Paqarada going to Kosovo NT.

either way whether he goes for LB or Midfield seems like a lot of competition for him.

 

On the bench:

Here's our starting lineup for the friendly against @werderbremen_en:

Smarsch
Ohlsson
Ziereis
Knoll (C)
Dittgen
Daschner
Paqarada
Senger
Zehir
Wieckhoff
Stark#fcsp | #svwfcsp pic.twitter.com/DtjN2iTlhb

— FC St. Pauli English (@fcstpauli_EN) August 29, 2020