Germany’s top flight will feature at least one new American face next season, as Alfredo Morales’ Ingolstadt booked their place in the 2015/16 Bundesliga thanks to Sunday’s 2-1 home win over Terrence Boyd's RB Leipzig.
Morales entered the clinching match in the 39th minute as an early substitution for Robert Bauer in deep midfield, helping Die Schanzer rally from an early deficit to win 2-1 via goals from Stefan Lex and Australian international Mathew Leckie.
The victory assures Ingolstadt – Germany’s youngest professional club, having been founded just 11 years ago – of the 2.Bundesliga championship with a game to spare. For his part, Boyd continues to rehab from a serious knee injury suffered in a December league match vs. Morales & Co. and will seek to contribute to RB Leipzig's promotion push next season.
Conversely, there are US ties among those fighting the desperate battle at the bottom of the Bundesliga to avoid trading places with Ingolstadt and the other two promoted clubs yet to be known.
Hannover 96 and their American assistant coach Steve Cherundolo sit in 15th place, just one point out of the relegation playoff slot heading into the final day of the season.
Meanwhile Hamburger SV – where USMNTer Julian Green is still on the books as Bayern Munich loanee, but has been on the margins for months – are in very real danger of their first-ever Bundesliga relegation as they lie second from bottom. The Bundesliga’s two bottom finishers suffer automatic relegation to the second tier.
