AMSTERDAM – Hertha Berlin defender John Brooks continued to tap into a rich vein of form on Friday night, helping his visiting squad rally late for a 1-1 Bundesliga share at Hannover 96.
The US center back appeared to open the scoring on the quarter hour after stabbing home a rebound at the end of a free kick. However, Sebastian Langenkamp was ruled offside on the initial shot on goal.
Brooks would end up notching a hat trick of game-highs with 10 clearances, five pass interceptions and four tackles, all without committing a single foul. The big defensive night pushed the American back into the league top 10 for both clearances and pass picks.
The Hertha No. 25 shirt also enjoyed a strong outing on the ball against the Reds. Without being charged with a handling turnover all night, Brooks connected on 26 of 31 passes, including eight that moved his team into the final third and three successful long switches.
The result gave Hertha a seven-game unbeaten streak, with but three goals leaked in that span. The capital crew tentatively climbed to eight points clear of the drop zone in 11th place.
One flight below, Alfredo Morales set up the winner to highlight a strong 80-minute shift, as Ingolstadt moved six points clear at the top with a 1-0 victory at Heidenheim.
In the 27th minute, the US midfielder swiped the ball at midfield before releasing Pascal Groß. The winger raced toward the area to fire home, earning Morales his fifth helper of the season, one off the team lead.
Morales also shaved the frame with a long drive just before the break and set up a good chance that deserved a better finish just after it.
