Borussia Dortmund Players on International Duty
Borussia Dortmund had a slew of players get called up for their respective national teams for international duty, a good sign of effective player development.
International duty can be a bit of a drag for fans of club teams. It often means an abrupt halt to league play, just when things are heating up. Despite this, international matches often bring the prospect of tremendous match-ups, some of which practically turn out to be bona fide all-star matches, and the excitement of the next round of World Cup qualification.
International duty doesn’t just give us fantastic football though, it can also give fans a glimpse into how our favorite players are perceived in the eyes of their national programs and sometimes the rest of the footballing world in general. Getting called to represent your national team is a tremendous honor and one that only a select few players get to experience in their careers. Getting a call-up, especially as a young player, is a sure sign that people outside of the club have taken notice of a players skills and are looking for more.
As a club, having players get called up means that you’re doing a good job of developing them. National team managers and scouts feel that the training these club players are getting has prepared them for integration into a select group of a very few footballers. As a fan of a specific club, it can often be fun to follow the performances of your club’s players, especially in the instance that they are lining up head-to-head.
BVB has had a respectable 15 players leave the confines of Dortmund to report for international duty. Most for their senior squads, but some for their U21 and U19 teams. Regardless, us Dortmand faithful will have lots to watch with so many of our boys abroad.
GERMANY
Germany, of course, is going to be one of the hardest national teams to break into for obvious reasons. They’re absolutely loaded with world class talent. Two Dortmunders, Mario Gotze and Julian Weigl, have been taken by Jogi Low to square off against Czech Republic and Nothern Ireland in UEFA World Cup Qualifiers. It would be logical to assume that another two players, Schurrle and Reus, would be on their way too, if not for injuries. Thomas Tuchel feels that Gonzalo Castro should have been selected as well. Matthias Ginter will feature for Germany’s U21 team and Felix Passlack will be available for the U19’s.
GABON
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might very well be the most famous Gabonese player of all time. The in form striker will of course feature for the African country as they clash with Morocco in a World Cup Qualifier.
Switzerland
Roman Burki will be in net for the Swiss as they have a pair of Qualifiers against Hungary and Andorra.
France
19 year old phenom Ousmane Dembele will feature for the U21 French team. He will undoubtedly start for the young Les Bleus team.
Portugal
Raphael Guerreiro has been a very pleasant surprise so far for BVB. His play has picked up right where Ilkay Gundogan’s left off when he transferred to Manchester City. The European Championship winning midfielder will be available for selection in qualifiers against Andorra and Faroe Island.
Japan
Shinji Kagawa will likely feature in the midfield for the Japanese as they have qualifiers against Iraq and Australia.
Spain
Youngster Mikel Merino hasn’t seen much time for BVB’s first team yet, but he is still very young and has already shown moments of tremendous potential. He will be traveling with the Spanish U21’s this week.
Turkey
A pair of Dortmunders will be with the Turkish football squad as they take on Ukraine and European Championship cinderella story Iceland. Look for Nuri Sahin to see extensive time and expect Emre Mor to see a few minutes, as he impressed when given time during the European Championships last summer.
Poland
In years past Dortmund had 3 Polish players to send off when international duty came around in Jakub Blaszczykowski, Robert Lewandowski and Lukasz Piszczek. Now, after the move of Lewandowski and selling of Blaszczykowski, Piszczek is the only Polish player reporting from BVB, although the trio will reunite on the pitch when they take on Denmark and Armenia in this round of qualifiers.
Greece
Sokratis Papastathopoulos, commonly known only as Sokratis as his last name is too long to print on most kits, will feature in the back of the defense for Greece. Sokratis has become a valuable center back for the black and yellows and will most likely get the start for both qualifiers against Cyprus and Estonia.
USA
Last but certainly not least is the American wonderkid Christian Pulisic. Pulisic has taken both the national team and senior squad of BVB by storm over the last nine months. He has shown the potential to develop into a world class talent and has already made significant impacts in the Champions League and Bundesliga. As the CONCACAF operates on a different schedule for qualifying, the USA will be playing friendlies this week. Expect Pulisic to get significant playing time, with starts in both a definite possibility.