USMNT and Borussia Dortmund attacker Christian Pulisic has been named to the shortlist for the 2017 Golden Boy, the award handed to the top under 21 talent playing in Europe. Previous winners of the award include Paul Pogba (2013), Sergio Aguero (2007) and Lionel Messi (2005). This is Pulisic’s first appearance on the shortlist after enjoying a season of more prominent and consistent performances for both club and country.

Cologne is winless in the Bundesliga, bottom of the table and the only team without a point. The Billy Goats were crushed 5-0 by league-leading Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. So of course Cologne is demanding the match be replayed because of a goal awarded by VAR. 

Bibiana Steinhaus was the center referee for a Bundesliga match between Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen on Sunday.

Last week, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski made some pointed comments to Speigel regarding Bayern Munich's transfer business, which he said was not ambitious enough for an elite European giant like Bayern.

Timo Werner is rapid. As demonstrated in RB Leipzig’s 2-0 victory over Hamburg on Friday, the German international is a devastating one-man counter attack. Like Wayne Rooney in his pomp, Werner is unabashedly direct.

Without a goal or an assist in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday, Christian Pulisic mania wasn’t allowed to grip the nation. But a “quiet” week from the 18-year-old also allows us to dissect his performance in a more serious manner. 

What the analysis reveals should obviously already be clear, but let’s just belabor the point: Pulisic isn’t a gimmick. He’s not the fevered creation of a nation starved of a world-class talent. He’s actually just really, really good.

RB Leipzig were already up 3-1 on SC Freiburg in the 80th minute when new boy Bruma did THIS:

 GOLAZO ALERT! 

RB Leipzig's Bruma scores an early contender for goal of the season. #Bundesliga #RBLSCF https://t.co/GnvFmnIaUY

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 27, 2017

Who knows, in another era (last year) or perhaps just another league (most likely La Liga), the referee somehow gets it in his head that Cologne’s Jhon Cordoba has committed a serious foul play here and red cards him. I mean, how else could you explain rugged Hamburg center back Kyriakos Papadopoulos screaming and rolling around like this? Obviously Cordoba has done something unspeakable, so send him off.