It’s time to brush up on your German, people! Minnesota United will be hosting visitors from across the Atlantic, as the Loons say “nett, sie kennen zu lernen” to SC Paderborn 07 at Allianz Field this Saturday. It’s an international friendly that should be nothing short of wunderbar. It is expected to be competitive, and a great opportunity for the MNUFC to test themselves against a new opponent with a new style of play. With the Loons coming off of international break, and many players returning from their respective national teams, it’s a perfect time for a friendly to get the boys back in the right headspace before they start the remainder of their season. Now, wir stellen Ihnen Paderborn vor…or, in English, let us introduce you to Paderborn.
SC Paderborn 07 is a German soccer club based out of Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia that plays in the second level of Bundesliga. The club, as it is today, began in 1985 when two rival Paderborn clubs (TuS Schloß Neuhaus and FC Paderborn) merged together. In 1983, Neuhaus had been promoted to Bundesliga’s second tier, a professional status club, but was struggling to compete. In order to help boost the team, the clubs merged into TuS Paderborn/Neuhaus. In 1997, they changed their name to SC Paderborn 07 in honor of the 1907 founding of TuS Neuhaus.
The past few years have been a bit of a roller coaster for SC Paderborn 07. The team has played in the top flight of Bundesliga, one of the elite international leagues in the world, competing against the likes of world-class clubs such as FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. They have also played stretches in the second and third divisions of Bundesliga. Currently, the club plays within the second tier of Bundesliga since being relegated from the league’s top tier after the 2019-2020 season.
With Bundesliga seasons running from August to May, SC Paderborn is just getting into their offseason program as they begin preparations for the 2022/2023 season. As they get into the early stages of the offseason, this Saturday’s matchup with Minnesota United should prove to be a solid test for the early going. Additionally, the club has just added ten new players to the roster, all of whom are just getting their feet wet when it comes to taking part in training camp and a few test matches with their new club. SC Paderborn travels to the U.S. this Thursday to begin their 12-day training camp in the States.
Fans can take in the competitive, yet friendly action at Allianz Field, this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. While the game won’t count in the standings, it will no doubt be a celebration of the world's sport, and who wouldn’t want to celebrate that? We hope you can join us for a gorgeous day, and a gorgeous game.
Danke. Auf Wiedersehen.
Minnesota United FC vs. SC Paderborn 07
Allianz Field | Saint Paul, MN
06.11.22 | International Friendly
7:00 p.m. CT (Bally Sports North, The CW-Twin Cities)
