Matthew Hoppe became the first American to score a hat-trick at the Bundesliga and helped Schalke stir away from a negative record.
It has been a rough time to be a Schalke 04’s fan. The German club sits in the relegation zone after being severely hit by the Coronavirus pandemic. In fact, Schalke were very close to breaking an unwanted Bundesliga record as they managed to play 30 games without securing a win.
However, there was still hope. Well actually, in this case, there was Matthew Hoppe. The 19-year-old American forward came to the Gelsenkirchen’s side rescue as he scored a hat-trick this Saturday afternoon. Hoppe, on his sixth appearance for the club, achieved a record that not even Pulisic managed to obtain. The Californian became the first USA player to score a hat-trick in the German league.
“I don’t know how to feel. I am excited,” said the player. “I am happy that the team got the win and that I was able to contribute to it. It gives some confidence, it gives some momentum. We have 19 games left and hopefully we can keep the wins coming and we can stay high in the first division.”
Despite this, Hoppe was not the man-of-the-match. The honor belonged to 23-year-old Amine Harit. The midfielder provided Hoppe with three assists and also scored the fourth goal.
Not only did Schalke win a match again, but they also returned to victory in great style, as they trashed Hoffenheim 4-0. The German club is now only four points away from escaping the relegation zone.
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