Buddle traveling to Germany to sign with FC Ingolstadt [R]

I know I'm hoping beyond hope around here but hopefully there will not be much more analysis of Jozy from two clubs ago.

Anyway, based on limited highlights I've seen it appears Buddle has hit the ground running and connecting well with teammates.

 

Absolutely. Ingolstadt is relegation-threatened, but they have started the second half with 1 win and two draws in 3 games. They have scored 3 goals in those games and Buddle has scored 1 and assisted 1 of those 3 goals.

So, he has indeed hit the ground running, his coach and team has to be happy so far, and US fans have to be pleased for him. Let's hope he keeps it going.

He probably won't keep his 2.0 average Kicker rating for the whole second half, but who cares. If he helps score or set up a third to a half of his team's goals in the second half and Ingolstadt avoids relegation, he'll be a hero. So far so good.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-l5FyA3pgo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-l5FyA3pgo[/ame]

 

I like you train of thought. I was thinking this
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYpAa5MOzMU"]YouTube - Player - baby come back[/ame]

 

That's "you're in a barbershop, about to get whacked" music. Now he's definitely not coming back.

 

Do you have a link in English? I can't understand the Germans because they have a different word for everything. Except frankfurters and Volkswagon - they use English words for that.

 

You stole that from Steve Martin!

btw, there's also Hamburgers...

 

Off the highlights in the game thread, the "2" wasn't a result of the Kicker writers homerism.

Edson had 4-5 excellent chances to score - forced a 3-4 of excellent GK saves, then missed narrowly twice and also made the aforementioned two shot assists, one of which Buchnner scored on and the other, an easier opportunity, which he thumped over the bar at a point blank range.

 

Then they have that bass ackwards player rating system where 1 is good, and 6 is bad (or is it 5). Everytime I read those German ratings I have to do a logic inversion to make heads or tails of it

 

Hype put aside... why are you seemingly so jaded about Edson doing well in the BL2? Is it not reasonable to assume that with the ever improving competitiveness of the MLS that one of it's top players could exceed in the German 2nd division? We're not talking about some up and coming prospect who hasn't wet his feet yet at the pro-level here. It's Edson "freaking" Buddle mannn!!! ...

I'm tempering my reaction to his success so far because it's let me down before when I've followed a player I've attached my bandwagon to. He's done about what I was hoping and slightly expected he would do since he's been there (which is make an impact right away). And it looks like he could potentially over-achieve and garner some attention this summer from possibly a bigger club... he hinted that desire as much in his latest podcast interview. Of course for the remainder of the campaign he's focusing on helping Ingolstadt avoid relegation.

I think it's reasonable for fans of his to get excited after his first 3 appearances. Is it not realistic to do so? I've not really seen many comments in this thread that have been completely over the top... so I'm confused a bit by your reaction thus far.

 

I'm not LB, but having much of the same experience with German Football as he does, I wanted to respond.

No, I don't think it is very "realistic".

I know why they get excited, but that doesn't make it "realistic."

We've seen too many guys, no matter what nationality, start out like gangbusters only to return to earth and fade into oblivion.

I am in no way saying this will happen to Edson Buddle.

I think LB and I both want to see him set the league on fire here and get picked up by one of the big clubs.

However, again, we've seen too many guys look like "The Second Coming" in their first few matches only to flame out.

In other words, we've seen this all before.

It might look like pure skepticism to you, but with us it is just caution brought on by experience.

 

It is possible that Buddle will perform like Conor Casey. Casey did quite well in B2 (14 goals in 30 games with Karlsruher in 2003-4), but was unsuccessful in B1 with Mainz (2 goals in 38 games over 2 yrs after leaving Karlsruher). Casey has obviously done well in MLS, as has Buddle. Now, some guys can take the next step up satisfactorily, and I personally think Buddle can if he gets the opportunity soon enough, but we'll have to wait and see.

 

Sure, it makes sense to temper optimism from time to time because you can never take anything for granted, but if you had to wait X number of games before you were allowed to be excited, what would be the point? I think we're all here because we're excited to see Americans have any success abroad, and it seems Buddle has gotten off to a good start. Being excited doesn't mean you think he's going to light the BL2 on fire and transfer to Bayern Munich (at least not to me).

Does anyone know how long Buddle's contract runs Ingolstadt? I couldn't find it in any news reports.

 

Nitpicking, but if you aren't writing out the full "Karlsruher SC," then it's should just be "Karlsruhe."

 

While I lived in Germany, speak German and understand that the addition of the 'r' denotes something either "of" the city of Karlsruhe or named after the city of Karlsruhe, it's a pretty big ask that the average American soccer fan would know that one is the name of the city and the other part of the name of the team.

Most Americans can't find Germany on a map and even most Bigscocer posters would be challenged to find Karlsruhe on a map.

I'm just nitpicking that that was a pretty small nit to pick

(I think this is all withdrawal because the USA-Egypt game was canceled)

 

I agree, but I think Rainer is just telling him it is "Karlsruhe"...without the "r".

 

I'm not sure if that even makes sense... Edson has not exactly lit the BL2 on fire in his first 3 games, but he has played well and that is why people are getting excited... which is a very realistic approach.

 

Through 2012-13 season (July, 2013).

BTW, my hopes and somewhat expectations if that he gets cleaner with his footwork and learns to pick a corner more.

That said, I think his runs off the ball are getting better already.

 

I just stumbled across a quote which is pretty funny in lots of contexts here. There's a very interesting interview in the recent issue of the German 11 Freunde magazine with German punk legend Dirk Jora, singer of the band "Slime" and an important person in the St. Pauli hardcore fan scene, who cultivate a friendship with Celtic.

DJ: "... for one time I want to kick this Gurkentruppe (lit. cucumber troup, fig. for washout) of Celtic, my second club, out of the European cup, and win both games."

Q: "Gurkentruppe? You're also a Celtic fan..."

DJ: "Dude, I've been with Celtic in 16 countries and 26 cities. Lithuania, Helsinki, I've been everywhere, I was at Sevilla at the UEFA Cup final, without a ticket of course, but having a party with 80.000 other fans who didn't have tickets either. I'm a Celtic supporter for 20 years now. They're almost as important as St. Pauli to me, but they're breaking my heart for years now. What a disastrous Gurkentruppe! They're losing to teams who would get a whipping from FC Ingolstadt in Germany."


Take it for what you want, almost everything in there. League X vs league Y, the decline of Scottish soccer, and most important here: Is Ingolstadt better than a "big club", or are they bad enough to be a synonym for "terrible"?

 

Having seen the last two matches before this last one is it safe to say now that Ingolstadt will make a push up the standings? Having a better GD than a couple teams above them indicates to me they are at least a half decent defensive side in the bottom half of the table. Now that the attack seems to have evolved with the addition of Edson is it reasonable to assume they could make a serious run to safety?

 

Safe to say, assume? No.
Possible? Yes.
It's a long season.
The ball is round, and a game lasts 90 minutes.

 

C'mooooon... speculate, it's fun!

 

They can avoid relegation. That's about it. Realistically, they will be in a fight for the rest of the season. The attack, even with Buddle and Cauiby, is good for 1-2 goals per game. The defense is error-prone and is likely to give up just as many.

 

Typically goal/point/run differentials eventually tell over time. They are usually better predictors then w/l/d records in terms of future performance. I wouldnt ever put a team at the bottom as favorites to stay up, but I imagine that the feeling around the club at this moment is pretty positive about their chances.