Regionalliga South is hurrying through August. Already the 5th matchday will be played today and tomorrow. Tom Dooley’s Saarbrücken is making the start today. They host RW Erfurt (1 vs 8), a tricky opponent, but Saarbrücken of course is favourite. A victory guarantees rank 1, any other result might drop them to the 2nd spot. Maybe three Americans meet in Siegen where Sportfreunde play against Borussia Neunkirchen (12 vs 16). While van Buskirk and Lukin will probably start, Shoffner will most likely be on the bench after Neunkirchen won one point vs Saarbrücken this weekend. US festival also and especially in Elversberg. Five US players meet in the duel vs SV Wehen (19 vs 13). Payne and Mason are expected to start for Elversberg while Lawson faces further bench time. Matarazzo will start again for Wehen, Phillips is insecure after he was taken off in the 23rd last weekend (I assume because of injury, but I still don’t know).
Siegen wins the first US-duel of this matchday vs Neunkirchen 4-1. van Buskirk scored two goals (3:0 34' and 4:0 61'). Neunkirchen's funny season stats: two home games - two draws with 1-1 goals; three away games - three losses with 1-13 goals. The other 'US-game' ends with a 1-1 draw between Elversberg and Wehen. No goals scored by the Yanks. More about it tomorrow.
Little further team info even today: the ranking is very incomplete due to postponed games and the fact that the league is playing with 19 teams. However, in the current situation only one club of the Yanks would stay in D3: Saarbrücken is still ranked 1, but they lost lots of their comfortable lead in the last two games. Siegen is in the secure midfield on rank 7 and all other clubs would relegate - Wehen on 15, Elversberg on 16 and Neunkirchen on 18.
Mason, Phillips and Shoffner DNP. Lawson saw his first five minutes of the season, all others went full 90. van Buskirk entered the team of the day.