Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Transfers

I promised that if there was going to be any January transfer news that I would report. Well, luckily there has been some action. While Newcastle and Oxford have been quiet, Nurnberg – the team that needed transfers the most – have been active. As of today, Der Club have picked up three transfers.

Adam Hlousek – Left forward midfielder from FK Jablonec (Czech Republic league)

Omar Gonzalez – Center back defender from Los Angeles Galaxy

Hanno Balitsch – Defensive midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen

Unfortunately, only two of those three transfers are still with the team. Omar Gonzalez, who I should add was 2011 MLS Defender of the Year and part of the US National team, tore the ACL in his left knee in his very first practice with Nurnberg. I’m finding contradicting reports whether he was the tackler or the tackled, but it did nonetheless involve fellow US teammate Timothy Chandler. Of course fate would have to involve the only two US national team members from a team of thirty to be involved in an injury causing incident. Not only is Gonzalez now then gone from Nurnberg (it was going to be a two month long loan) but unfortunately the injury will also cause him to miss many US national team games and most likely the whole 2012 MLS season for the Galaxy. Nurnberg could have really used him in the middle of the defensive line, but all three squads really could use him in 2012.

Balitsch and Hlousek will be very welcome additions to Der Club however. According to what I could find on Wikipedia and other places online, Balitsch is a left winger but will probably play a striker role at Nurnberg. He has also played for the Czech Republic national team alongside one of Nurnberg’s other strikers Tomas Pekhart.

Balitsch is a German player who was bounced around the Bundesliga a bit playing with Cologne, Bayer Leverkusen (twice), Mainz, and Hannover. It looks like he has mostly come off the bench for Leverkusen, but I’ll bet he will get more playing time with Nurnberg. Whether he has a starting role or one as a super substitute, if nothing else his experience will solidify Der Club’s midfield. Minus a few exceptions, Nurnberg is a pretty young team so a veteran like Balitsch can hopefully spread some useful knowledge amongst the squad.

That’s it for transfers so far in this midseason January transfer session, but I’ll report on more if or when they come. I’m sure the transfer market will heat up as month’s end approaches.

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