IN GERMANY, the Bundesliga kicks off this weekend while the 2.Bundesliga got underway last season. The top two leagues in Germany have always been a hotbed for American players in Europe largely due to the fact there are far fewer restrictions on non-EU players than among the other top European Leagues. That is still the case, but when looking at the contingent of players in Europe ahead of 2024/25, it is an uncertain time for both.

Of course, things could always change as there are still a few weeks left in the transfer window for players to come and go, but as of now this is about the rockiest start to a season in recent years for Americans in Germany.

With that said, here is the season preview in Germany for 2024/25

The Bundesliga regulars

Joe Scally (defender, Borussia Monchengladbach): the fullback from Long Island was having a subpar season in 2023/24 up until late March/early April. At that point, he development stalled and it seemed like it could be his last year at the club. But things changed very quickly for Scally, 21, who was very sharp the last month and a half of the season to end on a high note. He then was one of the few American players to perform well at the Copa America.

Looking ahead, Scally should be under some pressure to continue the upswing he showed since April. The M’Gladbach finished 14^th last season and will make a lot of changes if they continue to struggle.

Kevin Paredes (winger, Wolfsburg): The former DC United homegrown made huge strides in his game in 2023/24 as he made 15 Bundesliga starts which was up from just one the season before. He also nearly tripled the minutes he had played for Wolfsburg to date, and he also scored three goals and added two assists. That put him onto the U.S. Olympic team, but a good season in 2024/25 could make him a USMNT regular. The goal should just be to play 2000 minutes and increase his production. He’s on the right path, now it’s just taking bigger steps.

Gio Reyna (attacking mid, Borussia Dortmund): Reyna, 21, will be one of the most watched players in the coming weeks. Will he move on from Borussia Dortmund? He’s played this preseason for BVB but it’s hard to see him sticking around after an ill-fated loan last January to Nottingham Forest. He’s talented, but he has not had a decent run of consistent minutes for any of the last three seasons. He can’t afford a fourth straight season of sub-1000. He will soon turn 22 and isn’t very young anymore according to the standards of this era. He needs to be smart with his career choices right now.

Lennard Maloney (defensive midfield, 1.FC Heidenheim): Two seasons ago, Maloney’s career was sputtering after leaving Borussia Dortmund II on a free deal. But a move to Heidenheim and a positional switch to defensive midfield has seen him take off. In 2022/23 he played a ton and helped Heidenheim earn an unexpected promotion. Then in 2023/24, he helped to not only keep them in the Bundesliga, but also help them achieve an eighth-place finish. Maloney has a limited role at Heidenheim, but he does it well. He rarely gets involved in the attack. He doesn’t pass forward much. But he breaks up plays defensively and wins duels. Heidenheim won’t surprise anyone this year, so it will be harder for Maloney and his team. Success for him this year would be to aim for another top-10 finish and perhaps find a way to add more of an offensive element to his game.

Jordan Pefok (center forward, Union Berlin): Pefok, 28, went on loan to Borussia Monchengladbach in 2023/24 and scored five goals, but he did not do enough to convince M’Gladbach to make the deal permanent. He’s now back at Union Berlin, where he fell out of favor in 2023. But Union Berlin is coming off a poor season and they need to change things. The door might be open for him more than it was when he left. It is an uncertain time for Pefok and he might be on the move in the coming weeks if he’s not in Union’s plans and can find a taker. He’s never completely proven himself as a top-league player, but he’s been excellent in second divisions and first divisions in leagues like Switzerland.

Timmy Chandler (right back, Eintracht Frankfurt): Chandler, 34, rarely plays anymore but he extended his time at Eintracht Frankfurt to be that sub who isn’t going to complain if he doesn’t play and is there if you need him. All teams could use someone like that. This might be the last year of his career.

John Brooks (central defender , unattached): He’s not under contract with any club, but with his resume, Germany should be in the mix for his next landing spot. He has lost a step and fell out of favor at Hoffenheim the second half of last season, but he’s been around the Bundesliga for so long, he probably is a dependable option for some teams. It just depends on his salary demands (which could be high) and is willingness to sign for a club where he’s not an automatic starter.

The 2.Bundesliga regulars

Julian Green (midfielder, Greuther Furth): It’s hard to believe the youngest goal scorer of the 2014 World Cup is now a 29-year-old veteran. Green is a savvy veteran who knows the 2.Bundesliga exceptionally well. Greuther Furth believes it has a chance of promotion and Green is going to be a key player in getting them through a season where there is pressure. His national team days are behind him, but he’s still a very valuable player in a promotional effort.

Maximillian Dietz (defender/midfielder, Greuther Furth): The hybrid defensive midfielder/central defender played 2308 minutes last season in the 2.Bundesliga for Furth in 2023/24. This comes after he played just 97 first-team minutes in his career before that. That season put Dietz, 22, onto the U.S. Olympic team. But now he has to avoid a sophomore slump, and show he is ready to be a key figure in a promotional effort.

Damion Downs (center forward, FC.Koln): In 2023/24, Damion Downs made his Bundesliga debut and scored two goals for Koln in a season where they were relegated. Unfortunately for Downs, a concussion forced him off the field for a long stretch and it prevented him from gaining traction with the U.S. U-23 Olympic team. Downs, 19, will now be able to play a lot in the 2.Bundesliga for Koln (which is now coached by former New York Red Bull boss Gehard Struber). He has an upside but he’s still raw. He can finish, but getting touches and getting opportunities is still hard for him. One thing to watch for him is his involvement in games and not disappearing. If he can get involved, he could turn out to be an effective young player. There will be pressure on all of Koln to be in a promotional race this year.

Johan Gomez (center forward, Eintracht Braunschweig): Gomez, 23, had three goals and two assists for Eintracht Braunschweig last season as the club managed to avoid relegation. Another relegation battle is expected for Braunschweig and Gomez has a starting job. That is good. But he’s going to need to be more productive if his club wants to stay in the 2.Bundesliga. If they come up short, he’ll have some career choices to make.

Promising Young Yanks

In terms of young American players who are mostly on the youth teams of German clubs, there are a few who are progressing through the ranks nicely and are pushing for first-team minutes.

Joel Imasuen (center forward, Werder Bremen): Imasuen, 19, scored goals in droves for Werder Bremen II which was playing in the very low level of the Bremen-Liga in the Oberliga. His numbers were impressive (41 goals in 27 games) but he wasn’t even the leading scorer on that team. Fortunately, he helped them earn promotion to the Regionalliga, which is a more respectable league for a Bundesliga reserve team. But Imasuen is knocking on the door with the first team and he made his Bundesliga debut in a late cameo during a loss in March. He was then on the bench two more times. It’s hard to gauge him as a player given his lack of minutes at even a decent level (by reserve standards). But Werder Bremen seems to have some faith in him.

Cole Campbell (winger, Borussia Dortmund): The BVB winger is one of the best American teenage prospects at the youth levels in Europe right now.  He’s a very promising prospect within their organization and came on late for the first team this week in a preseason friendly against Valencia. Dortmund refused to release Campbell to play in the recent U-20 World Cup qualifiers because they wanted him for their preseason. Given the willingness of BVB to give minutes to top young players, Campbell is one to watch.

Noahkai Banks (defender, FC Augsburg): The German-born Banks, 17. has been training with the first team at Augsburg and appears rated within that organization. He recently signed a professional contract with the club after nearly 10 years in their youth ranks dating back the U-10 level. He also should be in the mix for the U.S. U-20 team this cycle after having played with the U.S. U-17 and U-19 teams in the past.

Aiden Harangi (defender, Eintracht Frankfurt): The fullback from Virginia played for Eintracht Frankfurt’s U-19 team last year in the U-19 Bundesliga SW. He has a contract through this season with Eintracht Frankfurt’s second team and the coming months will tell a lot about his future there but a professional contract would not be surprising. Harangi has played for the youth teams of the U.S and Hungary but his recent involvement with the U.S. U-20 World Cup qualifying team likely keeps him in the U.S. set-up for awhile as leaving would require a binding switch.

The Coaches

There are two American head coaches in Germany’s top two levels this season, both of whom were born and raised in the United States before moving to Germany after college.

Pellegrino Matarazzo (Hoffenheim): Matarazzo is one of the top American coaches in the game. A Julian Nagelsmann protégé, Matarazzo has a reputation for turning around clubs. First it was with Stuttgart, now it is with Hoffenheim. In 2022/23, he was hired midseason at Hoffenheim and guided them to safety in a relegation battle. Then in 2023/24 in his first full season, he took Hoffenheim into seventh place and a spot in the Conference League. Now the question for Matarazzo, is to build on that success. Can they go higher? Can they make a Conference League run? Either way, he continues to do nice jobs with his clubs and it’s easy to see why U.S. Soccer was interested in him for the USMNT.

Joe Enochs (Jahn Regensburg): The Sacramento native has been in Germany since graduating from Sacramento State. He had a long career with VfL Osnabruck where he is still one of their most beloved players. After coaching for three teams in the 3.Liga, he will have an opportunity to start a season in the 2.Bundesliga with Jahn Regensburg after he led them to promotion in 2023/24. But there are questions about this team to start the season. Jahn Regensburg was coasting for promotion last year but collapsed in the final two months – only to barely hold on at the end of the season. The challenge for Enochs is to keep this team in the 2.Bundesliga. Many are predicting a relegation battle ahead.