Daily Schmankerl: Jonas Hector opts to stay home from Die Mannschaft; Niklas Süle and Jerome Boateng celebrate birthdays; and MORE!

The international break has begun (@DFB_Team_EN)

There are many interesting stories tied to Die Mannschaft in its first action after “The Great World Cup Debacle of 2018” and one of the central figures is Leroy Sané. Sané is a dynamic winger, who has shown breathtaking skill at times. Joachim Löw, however, saw something in June that drove the veteran coach to leave Sané off the team. Some speculate that it was Sané’s attitude, while Löw himself cited Sané’s inability to perform for the national team. Of late, Sané has found himself struggling to consistently stay in Pep Guardiola’s lineup at Manchester City.

Regardless, let’s hope for a fresh start for Sané and the rest of the squad as it hopes to wipe clean the slate from Russia. With an intriguing mix of veterans and youth, Löw may finally be figuring out how to best balance the squad.

But...

Jonas Hector will stay home for Germany (Sport1)

Not quite feeling 100%, FC Koln outside back Jonas Hector has elected not to join Die Mannschaft for this international break. Hector and Löw discussed the situation at length and determined the best course of action according to Löw:

I discussed the situation in detail with Jonas Hector in advance, and for the next two major international matches we need players who are fit and ready to give their all, and Jonas has told me that he does not feel at the top of the game right now

Hoffenheim’s Nico Schulz could be the recipient of more playing time as a result of Hectror’s absense, but this really does beg the question: What about FC Augsburg’s Philipp Max?

Niklas Süle and Jerome Boateng are birthday boys (@FCBayern_EN)

Niklas Süle turned 23 today and Jerome Boateng has reached 30. If you are looking to invest in a jersey for either player, now is your time to do it. Free printing for either player is ebing offered via FCBayern.com.

Leon Goretzka names Match Day 2 Top Midfielder (@Bundesliga_EN)

After a scorching effort against VfB Stuttgart, Leon Goretzka was named Top Midfielder for Match Day 2 by the Bundesliga. Hoffenheim’s Adam Szalai (Top Forward), Augsburg’s Philipp Max ((Top Defender), and Hertha Berlin’s Rune Jarstein (Top Goalkeeper) were also honored.

Miss the Bundesliga action from the weekend? We’ve got you covered (Bavarian Football Works)

BFW has some observations on the Bundesliga as a whole here, along with our normal Bayern post game pieces (observations and awards). If you are looking for a capsule-style breakdown on each game, I’ve got that for you as well.

A call for fan groups (BavarianFootballWorks.com)

We are trying something here at the Daily Schmankerl and need YOUR help. If you read my man Tommy Adams’ piece about his experience with the FCBNYC Fan Club (if you haven’t, SHAME ON YOU!), you could see how great the event was. So we want to highlight some of these wonderful groups that are out there globally and this is what we need from you:

• Name of the group
• Location
• Year founded
• Leadership (if you have people are kind of running the show)
• Meeting place
• Social media handles
• Pictures

We have 7 clubs on board so far. I’d LOVE to be able to feature a different fan group every week this season. Maybe we can do it, maybe not...but only YOU can help decide the fate of this idea. Send your info to: barrelsportsblog@gmail.com.