Daily Schmankerl: James recommends Isco go to Bayern Munich; Frauen win 5-0 in Kazakhstan; Ajax wants Thomas Müller; Jovic “Zidane’s trash”; Davies dazzles as Canada beats the USA

James Rodriguez backs Isco for Bayern Munich (Don Balon)

James Rodriguez is back at his dream club Real Madrid. He still isn’t an undisputed started, but he’s certainly seeing more of the pitch than Luka Jovic (see below...) and much more than Isco. The offensive midfielder of yesteryear has struggled with injury and moreover seems to have fallen out of favor with Zinedine Zidane.

What’s a struggling Galactico to do? Go to Germany, says James! Don Balon claims that James has told Isco to sign with Bayern Munich if he can. Isco and his wife even took a trip to Germany to get a sense of life there:

Isco traveled to Berlin and tried several German meals recommended by the Colombian, who has warned him that Germany is a hard country to live in, but Bayern Munich is a welcoming group and also has players like Thiago Alcantara or Javi Martínez, who can easily help him adapt to the Munich team.

Unless Isco plans to transfer to Hertha, someone should perhaps let him know how radically different Berlin and Munich are.

The Don suggests that Isco would cost €45m, approximately what Bayern would have paid to sign James permanently. But don’t hold your breath. Given a choice between Isco for €45m and Christian Eriksen gratis... well, you get the idea.

...but if Hertha wants to use its new investor money for him, then by all means!

Just Thiago being awesome in Sweden

Bayern Frauen travel 5,000 km to Kazakhstan for Champions League match against BIIK Kazygurt (FCBayern). Score: 5-0 to the Frauen!

The Bayern Frauen traveled over 5,000 km to Shymkent, Kazakhstan, the furthest they have ever traveled for a Champions League match. There they faced BIIK Kazygurt, founded in 2009. Kazygurt won its sixth consecutive domestic double in 2018.

The game took place in the morning in Europe (10:00 am CET) and before dawn on the East Coast of the United States (4:00 am ET).

Bayern Frauen humiliated their women’s Champions League opponents from Kazakhstan by winning with an impressive five goals. This result looks even more impressive given that the Frauen was far away from home and in an unusual environment. Jovana Damnjanovic opened the scoring in the 23 minute shortly before Lina Magull scored a brace to give the Bavarians a 3-0 lead at the break. Goals by Emily Gielnik and Nicole Roser in the 73rd and 80th minute respectively secured a convincing 3 points for Bayern to take them a step closer to reaching the knockout rounds of the competition.

Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars would love to have Müller (Sportbuzzer)

The journalists on hand at Rafael van der Vaart’s farewell match in Hamburg obviously were not deaf to the latest buzz in the Bundesliga. Many of them asked the prestigious Dutch personalities on hand their opinion of Thomas Müller’s situation. Louis van Gaal brushed their questions aside: “I’m retired now. Go ask Kovac!” the 68-year-old said.

Arjen Robben somehow cut left and escaped without giving a statement. Van der Vaart himself said, “I hope that he plays regularly again. Patrick Kluivart added, “Müller is a great player. He’s done a lot for Germany soccer and a lot for Bayern.”

The best comment belonged to Ajax’s sporting director Marc Overmars: “For me, Müller is the DNA of Bayern.” If Müller ever considers transferring, “he can call me,” Overmars said. “He’s always welcome at Ajax.”

“Zidane’s trash is taken out in the Luka Jovic operation” (Don Balon)

What a headline. Ouch. According to Don Balon, Zinedine Zidane never wanted Luka Jovic. Or rather, never wanted him specifically. The Don claims that Zidane approved of the transfer, which brought Eintracht Frankfurt a whopping €40m and €20m for his former club Benfica, only because he wanted a bench-warmer for Karim Benzema who would not challenge the French veteran for minutes. That plan certainly seems to have worked out. Benzema has played more than any other attacker on Real’s roster, 752 minutes with 6 goals to show for it, while Jovic has played just 212 and has yet to score. Zidane supposedly was resigned to this plan when Real Madrid’s ambitious scheme to snatch Kylian Mbappé from PSG went (surprise, surprise) nowhere.

USA loses to Canada for first time since 198[5]

But wait, there’s more! Bayern Munich’s own Alphonso Davies was the first Canadian player to score against the US since 2007! Check out his goal here: