It was an incredible performance from Schalke striker Matthew Hoppe on Matchday 15 of the Bundesliga season. The 19-year-old American striker produced a hat-trick which helped guide Schalke to a much-needed three points in the fight to avoid relegation.
This was an unexpected display of high-quality scoring ability from a player who scored his first goal in the German top flight in the same match he registered his first hat trick.
Matthew Hoppe is the Unlikely Hero Schalke Needs
A Massive Performance
The outlook on the 2020/21 season has been looking bleak for some time for Schalke. Entering Matchday 15 of the Bundesliga season, they had yet to record a victory. As a result, they found themselves bottom of the league and seven points from safety.
A victory before the halfway point of the season was much-needed to at least keep them within a reasonable distance of the clubs above the relegation zone.
Hoppe delivered that victory Schalke needed so desperately with his hat-trick performance against Hoffenheim. Having yet to score a goal in the German top-flight it was an incredible display by the 19-year-old. He only scored two goals during his time with Schalke’s U19 side and only featured in the starting line-up two times this season before his appearance against Hoffenheim.
It was certainly an unlikely performance from Hoppe but it’s one that Schalke should be very excited about. They now sit in 17th place in the table entering Matchday 16 and are six points behind 15th place Arminia Bielefeld.
Schalke Needed This Performance From Hoppe
Entering the match against Hoffenheim, Schalke had scored just seven goals in 14 Bundesliga matches. They were struggling to find the back of the net and Hoppe was the hero Schalke needed to revitalize their attacking unit.
In just one match, he has become the top scorer in the Bundesliga for Schalke. For a club struggling to score goals, Hoppe offers a solution moving forward this season. If he can continue to produce goals then their chances of avoiding relegation will go up.
One of America’s Top Strikers
It was a historic day for the United States when Hoppe registered his hat-trick. The young American striker became just the first American international to score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga. Incredibly, he has yet to make an appearance for the international side. on either the youth or senior international teams. However, that should change if he can continue to produce goals for Schalke.
Hoppe is a player who can come out of nowhere and become a striker for the U.S. Men’s National Team. At the moment, the striker position is not one of the stronger positions the U.S. have on their squad.
Werder Bremen striker Josh Sargent is among those who are vying for the starting role as World Cup qualifying looms. However, Sargent has scored just one goal in 14 appearances so far in the Bundesliga this season. Other strikers in the USMNT player pool include Norwich City’s Sebastian Soto, who is on loan at Telstar, and the Columbus Crew’s Gyasi Zardes.
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup still over 20 months away, there’s a possibility Hoppe can make his way onto the squad for the U.S. if he continues to perform well at Schalke. The manager of the U.S. National Team, Gregg Berhalter, will certainly be monitoring the striker for the remainder of Hoppe’s season in Germany.
More goals from Hoppe could signal that the U.S. have found a possible solution to their striking problems. He’s going to be an exciting player to track this season as he continues to develop at Schalke.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
