“Have great chemistry”
Union Berlin have been the story of the Bundesliga season. The club from the capital beat Wolfsburg 2-0 on Sunday to retain their top spot in the Bundesliga for the second matchday in a row—the longest run at the top of a first division table since the 1966/67 season when Union were first after matchday 1 in the DDR-Oberliga. Two of the biggest reasons for the club’s success has been the Concacaf duo of Sheraldo Becker (27) and Jordan Pefok (26).
Player Comparison
1.FC Union Berlin
1.FC Union Berlin
£6.30m
Market Value
£6.30m
Centre-Forward
Position
Second Striker
Full Player Comparison
Becker and Jordan were fantastic against Wolfsburg. Both scored a goal each, further increasing their lead as the Bundesliga’s most dangerous attacking duo with a combined nine goals (overview).
“They were phenomenal,” Union Berlin head coach Urs Fischer said after the game on Sunday. “They work very hard, work hard running against the lines.”
Jordan & Becker – Signed for a combined €6m
Jordan was signed for just €6m to replace star striker Taiwo Awoniyi. Awoniyi was sold for €20.5m to Nottingham Forest last summer. “Jordan is new and has replaced Taiwo very well,” Fischer said.
“I work very well with Becker,” Jordan said after the game. “We are friends not just on the pitch but off the pitch also. We have had great chemistry from the start. We are both easygoing guys, and that just works for us very well both on and off the pitch. That chemistry has been great, and it will continue to grow in the future.”
Jordan 2nd.: Union Berlin’s most valuable signings
Becker was signed on a free transfer from ADO Den Hag in 2019. The Surinamese forward has since grown with Union Berlin, and this season had an incredible start to the season, scoring six goals and four assists in seven Bundesliga games. When signed, Becker’s market value was just €1.25 million; that price has catapulted to €7 million, with a chance of a further increase in this week’s Bundesliga update.
Fischer: “Still have a lot of work ahead of us”
Despite the progress, Fischer believes that Becker could be even better. “We know Sheraldo’s qualities,” Fischer said. “He needs to look for one-v-one situations and use his speed, be more gutty, and like Jordan, attack the first post more often.”
Jordan, too, believes that Union Berlin, despite being first in the league, have to keep their heads on its shoulder. “Every match is the first match,” Jordan said. The striker also has that attitude when it comes to playing for the US men’s national team at the World Cup. “Of course, when your country qualifies, you want to be there. The Musicians will be paid at the end of the dance.”
That final quote could have also come from Fischer. The Union head coach believes that his side is far from having fulfilled its potential. “We have to keep working on chemistry,” Fischer said. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us.”
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