Bundesliga Teams Beat Up Local Competition

Werder Bremen and Hamburg SV were the two teams German soccer fans put their hopes behind to beat out Bayern Munich to the top of the table last season, but the anti-Bayern supporters may need to find new sides after both teams proved they weren't in top form against lower league opponents.

After taking a half-time lead, Bremen were surprised 1-3 by relegated Bundesliga team Kaiserslautern, and Hamburg pulled out a 2-1 win against a tiny local team -- a result trainer Thomas Doll said wasn't as bad as it looked.

"The important thing was that we moved around," he said. "After the tough training, you could see we were tired, but we also put in a lot of new players."

First real tournaments begins Saturday

Doll will have to hope his player, new and old, are able to improve in Saturday's Premiere League Cup match against BSC Berlin, where the competition is sure to be tougher. FC Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen play in Saturday's other game for a chance at the Bundesliga's season's first trophy, which is sponsored by the Premiere private television company.

"It is the first title you can win," Schalke coach Mirko Slomka said. "It can really give a boost to the first Bundesliga games."

Even with their ample supply of World Cup stars still recovering from last month's strenuous tournament, Bayern Munich, left their training camp for a chance to pulverize a local team 14-1, though few believe the game was as taxing as a double training session under Felix Magath.

Many of the Bayern players' thoughts are likely to have been on who would be in the team's starting line-up when the season kicks off. Former Bayern captain Michael Ballack is off to Chelsea and negotiations to get Euro 2004 Dutch star Ruud van Nistelrooy to join his countryman Roy Makaay in a Munich jersey have failed, according to the Spanish press.

Will Bayern do it again?

Even Bayern's manager and German soccer Kaiser, Franz Beckenbauer, said he is nervous about the Bavarians' chances this season.

"At the moment I'm a little doubtful," he said. "Ballack and Ze Roberto are gone -- these holes need to be filled."

Borussia Dortmund, Bayern's first opponent with the top flight season opens on Aug. 11, sent a clear message to Munich by hammering two local teams in 45-minute practice matches, including a 10-goal shutout against Göttingen.

Perennial European competition contenders Stuttgart and BSC Berlin also gained confidence with wins against regional teams. Stuttgart won 3-0 while Berlin put a 4-0 victory into the books with the help of Brazilian playmaker Marcelinho.

Bochum are back in the Bundesliga and turned around a match beat a 10-man Le Mans side 2-1, making an easier time of their Bundesliga preparations than fellow Bundesliga returnee Energie Cottbus.

The former East German team booked their fifth 1-1 draw in a row against Spain's Atletico Madrid, leaving fans wondering if season tickets are really worth the investment.