Joey Veerman has settled in immediately at Borussia Dortmund and is sharing his first impressions of the club. The 27-year-old Dutchman, who joined from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, has helped the team to five consecutive wins since his debut in the Supercup against Bayern Munich.
An Easy Start in a Big Game
Veerman describes his first match for Borussia Dortmund in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup as a pleasant introduction. "It was nice to start against Bayern. That's easier than coming on later," the midfielder said. Since that defeat, things have gone perfectly: BVB have won all five subsequent competitive matches and sit second in the Bundesliga table with nine points from three games.
Goosebumps at Signal Iduna Park
Veerman is particularly impressed by the atmosphere in the home stadium. "When you come out for the warm-up and the fans are singing very loud, then you get goosebumps," he described the feeling. This energy seems to help the team. In the 3-2 win over Hoffenheim, for instance, the squad turned the game around after a poor first half. Veerman praises Dortmund's ball-oriented, aggressive style of play with many short passes and through balls.
Guirassy as a "Top Striker"
A key player in this strong start is Serhou Guirassy. Veerman is impressed by the attacker's quality. "He is a top striker," said the Dutchman. "He has impressive quality, always moves towards the ball to connect, and is sharp in front of goal." The numbers back him up: Guirassy is currently the team's top scorer with two goals in three league appearances. His assist in the 3-0 win over Paderborn shows his importance to Borussia's overall play.
Adapting to the Bundesliga
The move from the Netherlands also meant an adjustment in training routines for Veerman. While training under his former coach Peter Bosz, who also once worked at BVB, focused heavily on Rondo and possession games without traditional warm-ups, the intensity is higher in Germany. "The Bundesliga is more intense, with more running and pressing," is Veerman's impression. This adaptation appears to have gone well, as evidenced by the current winning streak.
The Goal: Closing the Gap to Bayern
The big objective for Borussia Dortmund remains closing the gap to record champions Bayern Munich. "To close the gap, we need to win many games," Veerman is convinced. The path there for him also runs through the UEFA Champions League, where he gained experience with PSV and where BVB are now competing again. The next step is the away match at VfB Stuttgart on September 19. The team travels as the second-placed side to face an opponent currently in 14th place. Before the trip, however, coach Edin Terzić will have to do without the injured Filippo Mané, Giannis Konstantelias and Konstantinos Karetsas.
