... and came on for the second half and set up the 3rd goal in VfB's 5-0 win over Vasco da Gama. A good opportunity to get some game time in front of head coach Schneider.
Edit: Note it was the South African Vasco da Gama, not the Brazilian version. Vasco play in the South African 2nd tier, where they play, amongst others, Blackburn Rovers and Santos (don't get any clever ideas now, FFA / Welnix!).
^ Real Phoenix. (Sounds better than Real Welly).
With the emergence of Maxim and Timo Werner I think rojas is going to struggle for game time this season even more.
... and came on for the second half and set up the 3rd goal in VfB's 5-0 win over Vasco da Gama. A good opportunity to get some game time in front of head coach Schneider.
Edit: Note it was the South African Vasco da Gama, not the Brazilian version. Vasco play in the South African 2nd tier, where they play, amongst others, Blackburn Rovers and Santos (don't get any clever ideas now, FFA / Welnix!).
Marco now back training in Stuttgart after appearing in all three of Stuttgart's friendlies in South Africa: unfortunately he picked up a slight knee injury in South Africa:
"Marco Rojas, who was suffering with a slight knee problem, trained individually....
Aside from the planned training sessions, this Tuesday VfB will play a friendly test game against second division SpVgg Greuther Fürth. For organizational reasons, the match will be played behind closed doors and is not open to the public."
All latest news reports: http://www.vfb.de/en/latest/news/page/10-0-1-.html
SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR:
# Second friendly - 4-1 win v PEC Zwolle (Netherlands) - on as 74 min. sub (Ryan Thomas played the first half for Zwolle):
http://www.vfb.de/en/aktuell/meldungen/news/2014/testspiel-pec-zwolle-vfb/page/2802-1-1-.html?f2
Line-ups:
VfB Stuttgart: Ulreich – Rausch (67‘ Boka), Rüdiger (62‘ Haggui) , Schwaab (62‘ Niedermeier), Sakai (74‘ Baumgartl) – Maxim, Gentner (62’ Kvist), Leitner (62‘ Khedira), Harnik (74‘ Sararer) – Ibisevic (74‘ Cacau), Abdellaoue (74’ Rojas)
PEC Zwolle: Farmer, Poland, Broerse, Van der Werff, Van Hintum, Mokotjo (79 Patricio.), Klich, Nijland, Thomas (46.Achenteh) (Pereira 77). (65 Labylle.) (75 Karagounis.) Fernandez (46.Benson) and Lutz (46.Gravenbeek).
# Third friendly: 65 minutes in 135 minute training game (three 45 minute periods) v Ajax Cape Town 1-2 loss:
http://www.vfb.de/en/aktuell/meldungen/news/2014/testspiel-vfb-ajax-cape-town/page/2810-1-1-.html?f2
The VfB line-up: Ulreich (46’ Kirschbaum, 91’ Vlachodimos) – Rausch (70’ Leibold), Rüdiger (70’ Haggui) , Schwaab (70’ Niedermeier), Sakai (70’ Boka) – Maxim (70’ Rojas), Gentner (46’ Khedira), Leitner (70’ Kvist, 123’ Gruezo), Harnik (74’ Wanitzek) – Ibisevic (70’ Cacau), Abdellaoue (46’ Sararer, 125’ Baumgartl)
Marco not in the squad for the 2-1 home loss v Mainz:
He picked up a slight knee injury in South Africa, although his foot is now fully healed.
With his slight frame, unfortunately Marco seems a bit injury-prone. He was also absent from the friendly last Wednesday morning NZT v lower league SpVgg Greuther Fürth in which nearly all squad players were given a run (ten substitutions).
Stuttgart drop to 12th, only three points from the relegation zone (bottom two clubs in the 18 team league are relegated, third-to-bottom enters a play-off with a second div. side). This was the first loss in the club's history at home to lowly Mainz.
Only five wins from their seventeen games this season. A game in hand on all the other teams - but the catch-up game is v Bayern Munich.
Two Stuttgart games live on Sommet Sports this week: (against the first and second teams on the table)
8 am Friday: v Bayern Munich at home
3.30 am Sunday: v Leverkusen away
Very little hope of picking up any points in those games!!!
Lets hope Marco regains some fitness and at least comes on as a sub in a game soon...
The expert on the VFB forum says that Marco is super fast and had some good runs, positioning, into spaces. And the thought he is very good dribbler without being headless, he compares Marcos one on one skills to some other guy. He thinks that he will play as joker in the upcoming rounds, maybe as a starter later in the season.
Unfortunately Marco isn't in the squad for the home game v Bayern this morning:
"In preparing for the game, VfB trained on Monday and will continue their pre-match programme on Tuesday and Wednesday. The personnel situation remains unchanged. With the exceptions of Daniel Didavi and Marco Rojas, who are undertaking individual training programmes, the rest of the squad were involved in the full team programme. "
Bayern are on a 42 match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga - Stuttgart have won only five of their 17 games this season.
Stuttgart lead Bayern 1-0 until late in the second half when Bayern scored. Stuttgart then conceded very late and lost 1-2. Bayern are a class side so Stuttgart did well for 70 minutes. No Rojas.....get that boy on the field!!!!!
Opportunities may come for Marco when he's fit with midfielder and captain Christian Gentner now injured and Danish midfielder William Kvist off-loaded to Fulham on loan (with an option to buy).
On the other hand, highly-rated 18 year-old midfielder Carlos Gruezo from Ecuador has been signed and given the number eleven shirt in the first team squad (looks a lot stronger than Marco)..
Rani Khedira, 19 years (brother of Real Madrid's Sami Khedira) is back to fitness and also vying for a midfield birth in the first eleven.
No further word on Marco's state of fitness yet....
Opportunities may come for Marco when he's fit with midfielder and captain Christian Gentner now injured and Danish midfielder William Kvist off-loaded to Fulham on loan (with an option to buy).
On the other hand, highly-rated 18 year-old midfielder Carlos Gruezo from Ecuador has been signed and given the number eleven shirt in the first team squad (looks a lot stronger than Marco)..
Rani Khedira, 19 years (brother of Real Madrid's Sami Khedira) is back to fitness and also vying for a midfield birth in the first eleven.
No further word on Marco's state of fitness yet....
meh- narrow losses to two top teams in Bayern and Leverkusen, doesn't necessarily mean there's a spot opening up.
has Marco played in any competitive game since joining the club (i.e. not friendlies)?
Horrible run of injuries has not helped.
Recent Aussie radio interview with Marco from two weeks ago (14 minutes):
http://www.crocmedia.com.au/2014/01/23/vfb-stuttgart-former-melbourne-victory-star-marco-rojas-ana/
Latest reports from Stuttgart have Marco absent from training this week:
"Having been through a busy past week, on Tuesday, the VfB players began with their preparations for this coming Sunday’s clash with FC Augsburg at the Mercedes-Benz Arena (3:30pm). The schedule on Tuesday included passing and match formations, whilst goalkeeper trainer Andreas Menger got the club’s keepers working up a sweat before they rejoined their team mates to complete the session.
Daniel Didavi worked individually with fitness and rehabilitation trainer Dr. Christos Papadopoulos. Midfielder Martin Harnik was forced to end his participation prematurely, having twisted an ankle. Further absentees on Tuesday included Rani Khedira (muscular problems), Marco Rojas (knee problem), Tim Leibold (adductor injury) and captain Christian Gentner (thigh strain)."
Stuttgart are moving closer each week to te relegation placings with three straight losses since the winter break. Now just two points off third-to-last:
http://www.vfb.de/en/season/vfb/season-2013-2014/bundesliga/table/page/2351-5-1-.html
|
12
|
19
|
5
|
5
|
9
|
23
|
40
|
-17
|
20
|
|
|
13
|
19
|
5
|
4
|
10
|
32
|
37
|
-5
|
19
|
|
|
14
|
19
|
4
|
6
|
9
|
21
|
34
|
-13
|
18
|
|
|
15
|
19
|
2
|
11
|
6
|
24
|
34
|
-10
|
17
|
|
|
16
|
19
|
4
|
5
|
10
|
19
|
35
|
-16
|
17
|
|
|
17
|
19
|
4
|
4
|
11
|
33
|
44
|
-11
|
16
|
|
|
18
|
19
|
3
|
3
|
13
|
11
|
34
|
-23
|
12
|
stuttgart got spanked again.
Same old Rojas, always injured.
It's not a good look for him. If he keeps this up I can see him moving somewhere quickly
It's not a good look for him. If he keeps this up I can see him moving somewhere quickly
Only if somewhere else wants to buy into the risk.
It's not a good look for him. If he keeps this up I can see him moving somewhere quickly
hindsight is wonderful but he may have been better doing another season in the A League to get games mature more and build strength physically and mentally
It's not a good look for him. If he keeps this up I can see him moving somewhere quickly
Why exactly?
His injuries aren't strength related though are they?
Also the A League is pretty physical. Certainly more so than some european leagues so should it be an issue??
Players get injured.
Nelson is a strong as an ox - he got injured... Reid did himself in training, he's a strong athlete also.
Cause since he arrived at the club he has always been injured. Clubs don't want to pay players that never play
hindsight is wonderful but he may have been better doing another season in the A League to get games mature more and build strength physically and mentally
I don't really agree with that, even in hindsight. He had proven himself in the HAL and it was an unfortunate injury in a pre season game that set him back, it could have happened in the HAL and then any proposed move to Europe would have been even further down the track.
Hasn't Marco said the training in Germany is much more intense than in the A-League? Maybe he isn't up to the intensity?
The club gave him a number which suggests he did enough in pre season to suggest he was in the mix.
If not they would have looked to loan him and I imagine there would have been plenty of clubs happy to take him.
Understandably sounds pretty down in this radio interview two weeks ago. Says he only talked to the Stuttgart manager once before the South Africa trip and once at the end. Must be Stuttgart see him as unlikely to play this season. Still, maybe they still see him as a long-term project. How long is his contract for?
http://www.crocmedia.com.au/2014/01/23/vfb-stuttgart-former-melbourne-victory-star-marco-rojas-ana/
Understandably sounds pretty down in this radio interview two weeks ago. Says he only talked to the Stuttgart manager once before the South Africa trip and once at the end. Must be Stuttgart see him as unlikely to play this season. Still, maybe they still see him as a long-term project. How long is his contract for?
http://www.crocmedia.com.au/2014/01/23/vfb-stuttgart-former-melbourne-victory-star-marco-rojas-ana/
well, it is going to be a little worrying if marco cant get any game time this season especially with how shit stuttgart are playing.
Stuttgart coach got fired. Huub Stevens is coming. Looks like a rough first season for Marco.
Still listed as injured (knee problem) and did not take part in Huub Stevens' first training session. It will be interesting to observe what happens at VfB over next few weeks - a pity Marco (at this stage) does not present as an option.
Stuttgart in real danger of relegation now with no wins since last year:
Automatic relegation for 17th and 18th places, play-off between 16th-placed side and second tier side.
| 13 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 25 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 28 | 44 | -16 | 26 |
| 14 | Hamburger SV | 25 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 41 | 54 | -13 | 23 |
| 15 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 25 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 28 | 44 | -16 | 23 |
| 16 | SC Freiburg | 25 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 26 | 46 | -20 | 22 |
| 17 | VfB Stuttgart | 25 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 39 | 52 | -13 | 21 |
| 18 | Eintracht Braunschweig | 25 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 20 | 45 | -25 | 18 |
Latest progress:
Must be our most high-profile player internationally after Winston Reid even though he hasn't played an official match yet for Stuttgart.
Very specific fantasy Big Pete
Lol love it Tyler.
Marco finally set to make his comeback. Has been included in VfBII squad for their 3. Bundesliga game on Friday night. (VfB's 2nd team play in the 3rd tier).
Marco finally set to make his comeback. Has been included in VfBII squad for their 3. Bundesliga game on Friday night. (VfB's 2nd team play in the 3rd tier).
