PREVIEW: WEEKEND GERMAN ACTION Friday, September 15, 2006
Steve Cherundolo and his teammates will travel with new coach Dieter Hecking to local rivals Wolfsburg on Friday, while Chris Lancos and Kaiserslautern II will take on Brett Goulet's Elversberg.
VfL Wolfsburg - Hannover 96
Hannover will travel to VW-City on Friday night to try to get off on the right foot under new trainer Dieter Hecking, who just made the move from league rivals Aachen.
In last place on zero points after three games, the 96ers have gotten off to an atrocious start and will be looking to right the ship against Lower Saxony rivals Wolfsburg, a team they haven't beaten since October of 2004.
Steve Cherundolo will return to the field for the guests, but Hecking will have to do without midfielder Hanno Balitsch (back) and Michael Tarnat (red card suspension).
Wolfsburg will have to make do without Marian Hristov, Facundo Quiroga, Pablo Thiam and Peter van der Heyden.
Alemannia Aachen - Borussia Mönchengladbach
Kasey Keller and his 'Gladbach teammates have given up one goal in three games and sit in fourth place, one point behind the league-leading triumvirate of FC Nürnberg, Bayern Munich and Schalke 04.
On Saturday, Keller will lead his charges over to local rivals Aachen in hopes of catching the Bundesliga newcomers reeling after losing their promotion coach Dieter Hecking to Hannover.
Oliver Neuville is expected to return to action for the foals, with Peer Kluge and David Degen still day-to-day. Filip Daems and Wesley Sonck will need at least another week before they return to the playing field.
For Aachen, newly appointed trainer Michael Frontzeck will be without the services of Emmanuel Kontriris and Szilard Nemeth.
TSV 1860 München - SC Freiburg
Gregg Berhalter and the Lions will make the trip over to Freiburg on Sunday with three points on their minds.
Third place 1860 have gotten off to an unexpectedly good start to the new season and will hope to continue the home team's woes at least for another week.
Both teams are experiencing several injuries with 1860 missing Roman Tyce, Lukasz Szukala and Philipp Pentke, while Freiburg are missing Dennis Aogo, Andreas Ibertsberger, Winfried Sanou, Ibrahim Tanko and Jonathan Pietroipa.
TuS Koblenz - Wacker Burghausen
Koblenz will look to rebound from the heartbreaking loss to Leverkusen in cup play last weekend when they host last place Burghausen on Sunday.
Josh Grenier should once again be in central defense for the home side, and trainer Milan Sasic will have the option of throwing recent offensive signing Ferydoon Zandi into the mix.
Both teams will be at full strength in a game that marks the first time they have ever faced off in any competition.
FC St. Pauli - Bayer Leverkusen II
St. Pauli was unable to get the victory in midweek action despite putting three goals on the board and will look for a better result in front of the home faithful when last place Bayer Leverkusen II come to town on Friday night.
For Pauli, Timo Reus may replace Cup goat Patrik Borger in goal, while Timo Schultz and Fabian Boll are probable.
Leverkusen will be without Assimiou Touré and Kim Falkenberg for the game.
VfL Osnabrück - VfB Lübeck
The Lilywhites lost a close one on Wednesday night and will look to move back up the table when they host Jacob Thomas' old team Lübeck on Saturday.
Joe Enochs' side currently sit in eighth in league, four points behind second place Lübeck.
Hamburger SV II - SV Wilhelmshaven
Having recovered from an ankle injury, Benny Feilhaber will start in midfield for the second game in as many weeks when league newcomers Wilhelmshaven arrive at the Wolfgang Meyer Sportpark on Saturday.
Hamburg Coach Klaus Bäron will be without Tolgay Asma to injury and more than likely will lose Mario Fillinger and René Klingbeil to Thomas Doll's side, who also play on Saturday.
SV Elversberg - 1. FC Kaiserslautern II
Chris Lancos should remain in the starting XI when the young Red Devils make the short trip over to fact Brett Goulet's Elversberg side on Saturday.
Goulet is expected to reform his defense after losing 4-2 to Karlsruhe II last week, with Jan Velkoborsky being the most prominent casualty.
Stuttgarter Kickers - 1. FC Saarbrücken
Both Stuttgart and Saarbrücken are coming off huge upsets of Bundesliga sides in the DFB Pokal, the Kickers knocking off Hamburg and Saarbrücken taking out Mainz.
When the two teams meet on Saturday, David Yelldell will hope to guide the home team to their fifth win in succession and remain atop the Regionalliga Süd standings.
Notes
Conor Casey is still recovering from a knee injury and will not be available when Energie Cottbus come to town this weekend.
Kickers Emden with Grover Gibson and John van Buskirk have a bye this weekend in the Regionalliga Nord.
Due to injury, Michael Mason is not expected to see action when Kassel take on Ingolstadt this weekend.
Currently visting YA: 331 
