AMSTERDAM – John Anthony Brooks expertly marshaled the Hertha Berlin backline on Friday night as the visitors notched their second straight shutout in a 0-0 Bundesliga draw at Stuttgart.
The US center back won all seven of his aerial duels on the way to leading all players with 13 clearances, and rang up a game-high six tackles, all without being whistled for a single foul. Brooks did get away with missing a cross midway through the second period when Stuttgart striker Daniel Ginczek somehow fired over from close range.
Stuttgart would bring US Under-23 attacker Jerome Kiesewetter on for his Bundesliga debut with nine minutes left int he contest. Working on right wing, the youngster completed all five of his ground passes, but was unable to connect on a pair of dangerous crosses.
Despite Hertha posting back-to-back clean sheets for the first time in 11 months, they can fall back into the danger zone if two out of Freiburg, Hamburg and Paderborn win this weekend. Cellar dwellers Stuttgart, meanwhile, remained winless in eight.
One level down, Alfredo Morales bagged his first goal since opening day as Ingolstadt tentatively stretched their league lead to seven points with a 3-0 victory at Erzgebirge Aue.
Having already been cruelly denied a first half header, the US defensive midfielder kissed home a restart with 13 minutes left to give the visitors some breathing room. Morales departed just before the Ingolstadt's third arrived in stoppage time.
