Germany: 2009-10 Bundesliga Preview

There's an episode of Seinfeld-the one where Kramer is mentoring a Miss America pageant contestant- where Jerry and George are watching TV in their hotel and George suddenly blurts out "Hey! Yankee game!" Jerry flips the channel and Don Mattingly promptly splits his pants. What does any of this have to do with German soccer? Not much, except when I remembered that the major European domestic leagues get underway tomorrow, like Costanza I thought "Hey! Bundesliga!"

In recent seasons the Bundesliga has emerged as one of Europe's most competitive leagues, with a "Bayern Munich vs. the Field" format unfolding. Of the last eight titles, the big, bad Bavarians have captured four, while four other squads have captured one each. Think of Bayern as the Bundlesiga's Tiger Woods. They open each season as favorites, this year being no exception, and whether or not they play up to expectations determines if a squad from the field can emerge as champions.

Which outsiders can mount a challenge this season? My darkhorse pick is Schalke. The Gelsenkirchen outfit has come close in recent seasons, but are still without a league title since 1958. The addition of master manager Felix Magath should enhance their championship credentials. Plenty of others are in the mix- Hamburg, Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen- but in a crowded group, there's no reason not to pick the safe bet, Bayern Munich, to win their record 22nd title.

Germany knows how to open the season in style. Like the NFL, the curtain-raiser is a primetime affair featuring the defending champs. Friday's only game has Wolfsburg opening at home against 2007 champs Stuttgart. The rest of the league gets started over the weekend.

Europe's Overlooked Managerial Star

Following Chelsea's FA Cup win over Everton, the New York Times asked if outgoing Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink is the best manager in the world. While his name, along with those of Jose Mourinho, Alex Fegruson and Carlo Ancelotti often dominate the headlines, Europe's most underrated manager plies his trade in Germany.

The surprising Bundesliga title captured by Wolfsburg this season is another mark on the impressive resume of Felix Magath. With three titles in five years, Magath now heads to Schalke, where he may be the coach that finally turns the perennial contenders into league champs. Magath previously captured league/cup doubles in his first two seasons with Bayern Munich (2005 and 2006), but in typically impatient Bayern fashion, he was fired after a slow start to his third campaign. In 2003 he lead Stuttgart to a second-place finish, their best mark in 11 years.

Is Magath the best in the world? Not quite. But he has earned his place among the discussion of Europe's elite managers. When Franz Beckenbauer recommends you for knighthood, you must be doing something impressive.

Champions League: The Draw for Round Three

Heading into Friday's draw for Champions League third round qualifying fixtures, Atletico Madrid was the name all the big boys were hoping to avoid. Based on their status as Champions League participants for the first time in 12 seasons, La Liga's fourth-place team could have been drawn against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal or Juventus. The unlucky foe turned out to be Schalke, the German side that advanced to last year's quarterfinals. The Gelsenkirchen outfit will now have a tough time reaching the group stages. The other noteworthy fixture was no doubt met with groans in the home of Steve McClaren. The new boss at Dutch squad FC Twente will not be greeted warmly at the Emirates when his troops face Arsenal.

The third-round qualifying doesn't get the coverage and attention of the Champions League proper, but in many ways carries more pressure than the group stages. Look at a team like Liverpool, which got off to an awful start in the group stages last season, but still had time over the course of the six-game mini league to gather themselves, advance and eventually reach the semifinals. While the competition for the big teams may be weaker in these two-legged qualifiers, there's no time to fall behind and rally as there is in the group stages.

Last year I attended the third-round qualifier second leg between Celtic and Spartak Moscow in Glasgow, (that's when the picture at the top of the page was taken) and the constant reminder in the press before and after the game was how much money was at stake. There's roughly $10 million US waiting for group stage qualifiers, and that's cash that can have a major impact on many teams' annual budgets. The combination of high stakes, quality competition and the potential for season-altering victories and defeats make for some tense encounters.