Gästebereich » money parvenus.When Leipzig played in Darmstadt last

FRANKFURT, Germany -- One quarter into the Bundesliga season, the Champions League slots have a very surprising look.Bayern Munich tops the standings, of course, but the next three slots are taken by a newcomer, a team that barely escaped relegation last season and the unfancied Cologne.Bayern is only two points clear of RB Leipzig, which is making its debut in the Bundesliga and is still undefeated after nine matches, the best starting record for a promoted team.Next is Hoffenheim, which is also still undefeated, after finishing last season one point above the danger zone.Cologne completes the top four, five points behind Bayern.Leipzig and Hoffenheim have similar histories. Hoffenheim was a village team until a local son and software billionaire started pumping money to steer its march through the lower tiers into the Bundesliga. Hoffenheim took the Bundesliga by storm and was leading the table halfway into its rookie season in 2008.Hoffenheim struggled in recent years and appeared headed for relegation last season, until the management took a bold decision and turned to coach Julian Nagelsmann, who was still 28 but guided Hoffenheim to safety.Nagelsmann will have his biggest test on Saturday, when Hoffenheim travels to Munich to play Bayern in what has turned out to be the match of the week.Weve earned it, said Nagelsmann, whose team is riding a five-match winning streak. If we have a good day and Bayern is below its best, then we can get something in Munich.RB Leipzig started out as a rebranded fourth-tier local side bankrolled by an Austrian energy drink maker. It quickly rose through the ranks by signing talented players lured by promises of rapid Bundesliga glory.Leipzig and Hoffenheim are also bound by more than similar histories. Ralf Rangnick, who was coach of Hoffenheim in its early Bundesliga days, is now Leipzigs sporting director. Leipzig plays the high-pressing, quick-transition game that was a hallmark of Hoffenheim in early days that is coming back under Nagelsmann.Leipzig, like Hoffenheim, faces a hostile reception at most away matches because of fans who prefer traditional clubs with long histories over new-money parvenus.When Leipzig played in Darmstadt last weekend, the home side played in retro-looking kits and used a manually operated scoreboard to emphasize its long tradition. It didnt help, as Leipzig won 2-0.Unlike Leipzig and Hoffenheim, Cologne is very long in tradition but also very short in success -- at least in recent decades.Cologne was one of the founding clubs of the Bundesliga in 1963 and its first champion. It won the title again in 1978. It has been without a title since the German Cup in 1983.The club was relegated for the first time in 1998 and kept moving back and forth between the two divisions.Finally, it stabilized under coach Peter Stoeger, who returned the team to the Bundesliga in 2014. It finished 12th and then climbed to ninth at the end of the last season.Now, Cologne is looking at a place in Europe and the main reason for it is Anthony Modeste, the Bundesligas hottest striker.Modeste, a 28-year-old Frenchman, scored a hat trick last weekend against Hamburg -- and missed a penalty -- to bring his total to a league-high 11 goals after nine matches. He also scored the goal that knocked out Hoffenheim, his former club, from the German Cup.Cologne visits Eintracht Frankfurt, another surprise team, on Saturday, while Leipzig hosts Mainz on Sunday. Tigers Jerseys China . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Custom Tigers Jersey China . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. http://www.customtigersjersey.com/ . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Cheap Custom Tigers Jersey . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. Custom Tigers T-shirts . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. The Atlanta Dream ended the Los Angeles Sparks quest to record the best start to a WNBA season the last time the two teams met. The Dream could deliver another blow to the Sparks on Thursday, when they visit Staples Center in a big game for both teams playoff seeding.The Sparks fell off their first-place perch after dropping a low-scoring slugfest with the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday. Los Angeles fell behind early, suffered through a third-quarter scoring drought and couldnt complete a fourth-quarter comeback in a 77-74 loss to the Lynx, who moved into sole possession of first place.The loss snapped the Sparks three-game win streak and continued their uneven performance since returning from the Olympic break. Los Angeles is just 3-3 since the break.The Dream (15-14) are coming off a 91-87 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday. It was a bounce-back win for Atlanta, which lost to the Seattle Storm at home over the weekend.Sometimes it takes a difficult loss, like the last game against Seattle, to turn things around, Atlanta coach Michael Cooper told reporters. Obviously, we want to go out and win every game we play but that game really let us know that we have to keep our focus and come and playy with energy in every single game.ddddddddddddWhen we are able to do that we are one of the best teams in this league.Atlanta has alternated wins and losses and is 2-2 since returning from the Olympic break. With five contests remaining, the Dream sit in fifth place in the league standings, but only three games separate the teams in fourth through eighth.The top eight teams in the league standings, regardless of conference, qualify for the postseason.Los Angeles trails Minnesota by one game in the standings with four to play. The Sparks lost the season series with the Lynx and would need a remarkable finish to regain the top seed in the playoffs.A win over the Dream would be a good start.Atlanta and Los Angeles have split their previous two meetings this season, with each squad winning on its home court.The Dream pounded the Sparks 91-74 on July 17 in Atlanta, thwarting Los Angeles bid to record the best start in WNBA history. The Sparks had won 20 of their first 21 games, but Atlantas Layshia Clarendon and Angel McCoughtry each scored 17 points in the Dreams win. ' ' '