German league Returns to Play
Soccer teams return to play after season was cancelled due to coronavirus.
Soccer fans along with other sports fans have been waiting eagerly for a return of sports. COVID-19 has caused all professional soccer teams to cancel games and practices. There has not been any soccer played professionally for months.
Now soccer fans around the world will not have to wait for the return of soccer anymore. The Bundesliga, the top tier german league, returned to play May 16. The teams played behind closed doors, but were still televised.
The teams that were the first to open the doors to professional soccer starting again were Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04. Dortmund won the game 4-0 with goals by Erling Haland, Raphael Guerreiro, and Thorgan Hazard. There were also games that continued after that, all remaining behind closed doors.
There were many safety precautions taken in order for the game to take place. Some of the precautions taken were the balls being disinfected at half time, the substitutes on the bench had to wear masks and social distance, and players were not allowed to celebrate with each other after scoring a goal. Despite the unusual conditions, these athletes played like it was a normal game.
A huge tradition for Borussia Dortmund players is to applaud the “yellow wall” the stand of fans behind the home team’s net. The team would do this after every home game to show appreciation to their fans. After the game Saturday, all of the dortmund players and staff went to the empty yellow wall and applauded, to still show support for their fans watching at home.
One of the most interesting parts of this game were the celebrations. After the first goal was scored, players were informed to not celebrate with each other, abiding by social distancing rules. After Eerling Haland scored the first goal of the match, he ran to the corner flag by himself, while his teammates stood 6 feet apart and clapped for him.
These set of games are a good sign for soccer fans, while many of the leagues across the world are considering reopening after seeing how the Bundesliga coordinated their teams to play during this pandemic.
