Coming To America: BVB and LAFC begin "friendly" relations...

BVB made its first stop of the summer in the United States, starting summer vacation in Los Angeles.  With some marketing and other events, it seems the club are finally recognizing the potential that exists across the pond. Enough talk of that for now, though. The match...

BVB squared up against LAFC in a "friendly" that annoyingly involved several not so friendly challenges from the upstarts. This was frustrating to see as yes, it's fussball and it's an athletic competition, but if the purpose is to have a partnership and help them grow, it'd be helpful if they don't fly in studs up.

The fanclub had a few close connections to the match, with LAFC midfielder Calum Mallace having played in Milwaukee previously, along with his brother. He played with Marquette University and actually played against one of the members in a collegiate match. Fun fact.

It was an interesting start to this summer's German invasion and hopefully the beginning of a long partnership between BVB and the USA.

The game didn't mean much, but it was nice to see the hunger from several players, despite it being the off-season. Nuri Sahin was fantastic in his passing and nutmegging, while Jeremy Toljan had a solid performance. Philip hit the post and scored, causing the defense a lot of problems, even though he spent the previous day surfing. Maybe the most exciting showing was that of young Sergio Gomez, who teased fans with some energetic movements and sly touches. High expectations for next year....

BVB plays its next game in Chicago, where this squad will be waiting to welcome them with open arms...

WELCOME MARWIN HITZ!

Dortmund has a new face between the sticks next season, though the somewhat confusing signing of Marwin Hitz has made many fans scratch their heads, or pull their hair out! Many had hoped for a higher profile signing to supplant Burki, though it seems this signing will just give him a Swiss pal to train with rather than provide much competition. Burki remains the first choice it seems.

Hitz adds to the growing Swiss contingent at BVB. There could be more that follow as the Swissification of Dortmund seems to be in full effect.

Before passing judgment, however, Marwin deserves some recognition. He got a lot of shot practice at Augsburg, that's for sure. His heroics have kept Augsburg safe from relegation for some time. He is an experienced goalkeeper that has a lot of experience in the Bundesliga. He could slide into the squad seamlessly. He also could perhaps be the answer to the club's striker question, unbeknownst to many. All you need to do is type "Marwin Hitz Goal" to know what I'm talking about. Striker's finish it must be said. Future target man?

Jokes aside, many worry this signing is a continuation of the club's inability to attract and keep the top players in the game. Kevin Trapp and others linked were arguably much higher profile signings and some view this as settling for something less than ideal, much like they did in previous managerial searches. Hitz has little European experience and will not provide much competition for Burki who has somehow held on to his starting spot for next season it appears. Does a signing like Hitz really match the club's ambitions? It remains to be seen.

One of the less exciting transfers of this summer most probably and one that hopefully signals bigger spending in other positions, having gotten Hitz on a free transfer--saving in one area may allow the club to spend a little more in another area.

In any case, WELCOME MARWIN! May you score more goals than you concede...

A New Man At The Helm: Lucien Favre

The worst kept transfer secret in the manager merry-go-round market has finally come to be official--Lucien Favre is the next manager of Borussia Dortmund.

A manager with proven success in the Bundesliga and the ability to communicate in multiple languages with a diverse squad, Favre is the manager Dortmund missed out on last season.  He was their first choice, but a rigid contract situation delayed things some. Still, BVB now have their man. Many now ask, "Did they get it right this time?"

There are a few noteworthy and promising connections with Favre and BVB already that deserve some commentary. Favre worked with a young Marco Reus and brought the best out of him at 'Gladbach, earning him a dream move home. The Dortmunder Jung recently said that Favre was the best coach he ever had. It seems like a good pairing for the new coach and what will likely be the new captain. With the surprising signing of Marwin Hitz, a Swiss goalkeeping crew will hopefully feel more settled under their compatriot. Burki appears to be getting a last chance, so all BVB fans are praying for something better from the streaky goalkeeper next season. Fingers crossed and thumbs pressed that Favre can bring the best out of Burki the way he brought the best out of a young Marc Andre Ter Stegen at Gladbach. Another connection from his days at the false Borussia that really excites is that with Mo Dahoud, who was first given a chance under Favre and will have a big role next season. Way back in his Hertha days, he worked with BVB legend Piszczek, who began his transition from striker to wing back under the guidance of Favre. What a move that turned out to be...

With these types of connections to the squad, one has to be a little excited about next season.

Will Favre be able to work his magic in the Bundesliga once again, maybe this time, challenging for the Schale? He will have a solid squad, with some definite additions and some departures surely on the near horizon. He'll need to strengthen in defense, midfield, and up front, so he has the opportunity to hand-pick his team in a way. It will be interesting to see what transfers follow Marwin Hitz' arrival and how the new man rebuilds a BVB squad in a kind of crisis.

Season In Review: 2017-18

What seems like a longer season than normal is finally over. It is with a sigh of relief that Dortmund fans cross the finish line, having just squeaked out a Champions League spot. In the end, a tumultuous season has not ended all that badly, relatively speaking.

The coaching instability at BVB is causing a big leadership problem. Since Klopp left, we've struggled to find our next leader. After a fairly bitter split with Tuchel, Peter Bosz and Peter Stoger failed to meet the standards of a club of this prestige. Newly-appointed Lucien Favre may or may not be the answer. Regardless, there is a bit of excitement about the changes, which were necessary.

Several important players were injured and/or out of form for most of the season, which also hurt BVB this season. Reus and Phillip are two notable ones in terms of staying healthy. When Piszczu was out, we also struggled. Schmelzer, Sokratis, Gotze, Schurrle, and Castro, all experienced players and normally reliable, did not have good seasons. It seems that some of these players may not be in black and yellow next season.

Still, excuses cannot cover the fact that this season was not good enough. Rifts between club and fans are evident and the recent success and trophy haul has raised expectations and standards. This season, BVB failed to meet those expectations and standards. It must be said.

We finish behind Bayern, Sch***e, and Hoffenheim. We were nowhere near the title, finishing almost 30 points from silverware. What is most painful and more worrying is that we end up 8 points behind the blau-weiss Scheiss. Hoffenheim beat us outright, fair and square, and deservedly, in a winner-take-all head-to-head battle on the final matchday of the season. We weren't up for it, which was the case most of the season.

As a result, fewer Dortmund stars than you'd expect from a club of BVB's stature will be at the World Cup this summer. But Marco Reus...

A fairly disappointing season precedes an exciting summer of change in Dortmund...