Good news is Hoffenheim reduced goals conceded to one. Bad news is that they lost to fellow relegation candidate Augsburg. Putting Brooks at LCB instead of the middle of a 3 back line is the way to go, imo.
Brooks starts in the center of the defense, and Hoffenheim took a 2-0 lead. However, a header just took a deflection off of Brooks and in - he was guarding Stage, but no one was guarding Pieper, and as he pushed through Stage to challenge Pieper, Pieper's header popped off of his shoulder and in. Should end up a Pieper goal and not an own goal. Next play, with the Bremen crowd rocking, Brooks makes a good clean challenge at the top of his box, deflecting the ball away after being knocked down, that chills out Werder's momentum a little bit.
Commentator full of praise for Brooks, who seems to have won more than his fair share of balls in the air. Just got called for a foul winning one in the air, however.
Max Philipp puts a potential equalizer off the post hit extremely hard from eight yards out, in the 92nd minute. That will be the replay if they can't equalize.
Scratch my previous statement. 94th minute handball penalty kick against Hoffenheim. They might be rescued by VAR on an offside earlier in the play.
VAR overrules the penalty because of that offside, and that could be one of the moments that save Hoffenheim this year...
Full time, huge three points and back to back wins. Brooks / Matarazzo / Che have some breathing room. I don't remember Brooks having a better match this season.
Brooks starts against RB Leipzig. His turnover playing out of the back leads pretty directly to the opening goal for RBL, as a couple of passes and a calm Nkunku finish are all it takes. Caden Clark on the bench for RBL has a chance to be the real YA highlight of this one.
Brooks important block of a cross out for a corner. RBL did a quadruple sub and are putting on a major push for a second to finish this off.
John Brooks, member of the USMNT preliminary 60-man roster, starts for Hoffenheim against Union Berlin, who remain in a battle for champions league spots. Early 2-0 lead, but Union grabbed one back. 2-1, Pefok still on the bench.
Brooks with another big defensive stop. If they can hold on and the other matches keep going their way, they could celebrate staying up in about 20 minutes. But also maybe not. Brooks looks quite tired, 76th minute.
3-1 Hoffenheim - Dabbur with a great bit of skill along the end line, and a pass that sets up Kramaric for a very sitter-ish sitter with the keeper pulled to protect near post. 3-1, and Brooks / Matarazzo may have succeeded in a difficult rescue mission for Hoffenheim.
Pefok rolls a backheel to Becker for a rolled cross that leads to a shot, but Brooks is able to block it.
Brooks slides to block a shot, that comes in really hot from close range, and probably hits him in the balls. ball ping pongs around a bit and falls to Laidouni, who finishes for 3-2 in the 95th minute. Waiting for Brooks to be ready to play the last two or so minutes due.
Dabbur scores for 4-2 against an exposed defense that was chasing the game, and Hoffenheim are now almost certainly STAYING UP.
Brooks probably the top defender of the match, though he definitely looked a little like Sunday seniors league at times late.
Brooks started a cup match against Lubeck (third tier) in a Pokal match. Team conceded a handball penalty, but had the better of play and equalized late in the first half. Brooks playing in the middle of a back 3.
Brooks looking solid, and has hit a few vertical passes. His defensive partners have had a couple of huge avoidable mistakes this half that nearly led to conceding, so Lubeck is pretty fired up and believing.
Handball PK awarded to Hoffenheim - guy trying to retract his arm from a cross. Now one arguable handball penalty for each side. Kramaric takes and makes, 2-1.
Here's a rarity - both of Brooks' fellow CBs have been subbed off. Pellegrino Matarazzo still the manager here, as I should have already mentioned.
Brooks starts the season opener against Freiburg, in the center of a three man backline, Scoreless 30 minutes in.
Skills maestro Brooks breaks all the lines in a run where he wins three straight challenges, ending with a semi-accidental pass behind the defense to Bebou, but the keeper gets to it first. Alternate universe Brooks for a moment.
Brooks initially looked to have an own goal - he partially deflects a cross that then partially deflects off of his teammate Szalai and nestles perfectly inside the far post. Trailing 1-0; misplayed the attempted clearance of the cross but at least he won't get the own goal.