TBG's Team of the Year!

Here at TBG we award no individuals since our sport is about one word - team. It is with great pleasure that we will honour FC Barcelona as our team of the year. There is no need to even discuss why - the football played by FC Barcelona is among the best the world has ever seen, simply put.

Congratulations to FC Barcelona! The 2011 TBG Team of the Year!

Sorry for the lack of posts!

We know our loyal readers check this blog first for all important football news but TBG has been on a bit of a break for the holidays, just like all top-notch football leagues should be.

We will be back next week with our first-half review of the Bundesliga season and perhaps another exciting feature about the future of football in the U.S.

We at TBG wish our loyal followers a terrific holiday season and a happy new year. Keep it here on TBG in 2012 for great football blog posts!

Gotoku Sakai, and what he means to the USA

What if we told you that there's a player born in the United States who is on the rise? What if we told you that he's only 20 years old and will be playing in one of the best leagues in the world, a league that U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann is very familiar with? What if we told you this player has yet to earn a cap for any senior national team?

The player is Gotoku Sakai, who was born in New York City to a Japanese father and German mother. He has been loaned to VfB Stuttgart from his Japanese club Albirex Niigata.

Sakai has appeared in some youth teams for Japan, so there is virtually no chance he will play for any other country. He joins fellow VfB man Shinji Okazaki, Schalke defender Atsuto Ochida, Augsburg midfielder Hajime Hosogai, Wolfsburg midfielder Makato Hasebe and Dortmund superstar Shinji Kagawa as Japanese stalwarts in the Bundesliga. There are other Blue Samurai stars in the world's top leagues with Inter's Yuto Nagatomo and Novara's Takayuki Morimoto in Italy. Perhaps Japan's best player is CSKA hitman Keisuke Honda.

Sakai, meanwhile, is part of a young generation of rising Japanese players that includes Arsenal's Ryo Miyaichi and Bayern Munich's Takashi Usami, two teenagers who are on the cusp of big things.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, we have the same cast of characters playing in Europe - Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Steve Cherundolo, Carlos Bocanegra, Jonathan Spector and a few goalkeepers. Where are our rising players learning the game in the world's best leagues? Guess what, our teenagers and young players don't have what it takes to do what Sakai, Miyaichi and Usami are doing. And that tells you what you need to know about football here in the States.

DFB-Pokal quarter-final draw set

Here is the draw for the quarter-finals of the German Cup:
(Matches to be played Feb. 7-8)

1899 Hoffenheim v. Greuther Fürth
Hertha BSC Berlin v. Borussia Mönchengladbach
VfB Stuttgart v. FC Bayern Munich
Holstein Kiel v. Borussia Dortmund

Who do you like to win Germany's second-highest honor? Let us know in your comments below.

Bundesliga Matchday 17 review

Friday night

Bayern München v. 1. FC Köln
Prediction: 3-0
Actual result: 3-0

Even Ribery's dismissal could not stop Bayern from maintaining their three-point gap at the summit ahead of their Cup tie in Bochum.

Saturday
SC Freiburg v. Borussia Dortmund
Prediction: 1-2
Actual result: 1-4
Is this the kind of champagne football we can look forward to from Dortmund after the break? Stay tuned.

Hamburger SV v. FC Augsburg
Prediction: 2-1
Actual result: 1-1
Hamburg's 19-point haul and eight-match unbeaten streak don't look too shabby now after their dreadful start.

Bayer Leverkusen v. 1. FC Nürnberg
Prediction: 2-0
Actual result: 0-3
This stunner of a scoreline could see Dutt get the sack. He may prefer that as opposed to watching his side play Club World Cup champion Barcelona.

VfL Wolfsburg v. VfB Stuttgart
Prediction: 1-1
Actual result: 1-0
Stuttgart had a stuttering finish to their first half and Europe may be too far away now.

1899 Hoffenheim v. Hertha BSC
Prediction: 1-1
Actual result: 1-1
No surprise that Babbel is out at Hertha. The Bundesliga draw specialists are not safe yet, and neither is Hoffenheim.

FC Schalke 04 v. Werder Bremen
Prediction: 3-1
Actual result: 5-0
There was no doubt that Bremen would falter. Our only mistake was to believe the scoreline would be semi-respectable.

Sunday
1. FC Kaiserslautern v. Hannover 96
Prediction: 1-2
Actual result: 1-1
The point won't suit either side's ambitions - 'Lautern have a huge trip to Berlin for a Cup tie on Wednesday while Hannover can get ready for the second half.

Mönchengladbach v. FSV Mainz 05
Prediction: 1-0
Actual result: 1-0
Mainz may have deserved a better fate but 'Gladbach cap a terrific first half heading into their Cup match with flying Schalke FC.

Hertha BSC fire Babbel!!!

As predicted in our Matchday 17 predictions, Hertha BSC have fired coach Markus Babbel. The ungrateful Babbel refused the club's generous offer of a contract extension since he is dreaming of somehow coaching Bayern. Hertha had enough of his foolishness and he is gone.

Candidates to replace him include former Frankfurt and Leverkusen boss Michael Skibbe.

As for now, Hertha's main focus is the upcoming DFB Cup matchup with Kaiserslautern, with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line.

Good riddance Babbel!

Bundesliga Matchday 17 predictions

Friday night

Bayern München v. 1. FC Köln
Prediction: 3-0

This mouth-watering fixture pits top scorers Gomez and Podolski probably playing his last match for the Goats. Bayern have somehow failed to win their last five at home against Köln but that should change tonight.

Saturday
SC Freiburg v. Borussia Dortmund
Prediction: 1-2
The champions should avoid another slip-up, but a discontent Barrios bears watching in the second half.

Hamburger SV v. FC Augsburg
Prediction: 2-1
Hamburg are unbeaten in seven and could gain a first-half finish close to the top of the table.

Bayer Leverkusen v. 1. FC Nürnberg
Prediction: 2-0
Robin Dutt blamed Champions League football for his side's sixth-place standing. He won't have that excuse in the future after drawing holders FC Barcelona.

VfL Wolfsburg v. VfB Stuttgart
Prediction: 1-1
Neither side has been lighting the country on fire and both look like they are relishing the winter break.

1899 Hoffenheim v. Hertha BSC
Prediction: 1-1
Compper is suspended for Hoffenheim while Berlin coach Markus Babbel could be out the door in this matchup of mid-table mediocrity.

FC Schalke 04 v. Werder Bremen
Prediction: 3-1
Thomas Schaaf's side have been awful on the road and Schalke should be well worth the three points.

Sunday
1. FC Kaiserslautern v. Hannover 96
Prediction: 1-2
'Lautern need points but could be caught loking ahead to next week's Cup tie with Hertha while Hannover have no fixtures remaining after this one.

Mönchengladbach v. FSV Mainz 05
Prediction: 1-0
Reus looks to make a heroic return and give 'Gladbach a boost in their finale.