DieBruderschaft.com

FRANKFURT, Germany -- If Mats Hummels, Bayern Munichs experienced defender and World Cup winner, is to be believed, Bundesliga newcomer Leipzig could be a title contender.Bayern has won the last four championships and Leipzig is the promoted team playing in its debut Bundesliga season, but after 10 rounds, Leipzig is undefeated, even on points with Bayern and behind only on goal difference. The two teams are four points clear of the nearest competition, and Leipzig has earned more points away from home than Bayern.Leipzig is riding a five-match winning streak going into Fridays match against Bayer Leverkusen.If we drop points, Leipzig will be a candidate for the title, Hummels said recently. Everything Ive seen from Leipzig has been convincing. They play very attacking football, they defend as a team very well and they have the individual class you need.Hummels said Leipzig reminds him of Borussia Dortmund, which won Bundesliga titles under coach Juergen Klopp in 2011 and 2012 when the Germany central defender still played there.Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl doesnt really believe that his team can emulate the Kaiserslauterns run in 1998, when it swept to the title in its promotion season.In football, nothing is impossible, he said recently in a newspaper interview. You saw what happened in England with the championship for Leicester City. But It would be a miracle in Germany. I am not even thinking about it.Hasenhuettl said he still could not really tell where his team stood.Right now, I dont see a limit for us, and I dont know where it should be, he said. We are basically playing with a second-division squad, a team that finished second in the second division last season.Hasenhuettl left Bundesliga rival Ingolstadt before the season to replace Ralf Rangnick, who became the clubs sports director. Rangnick was the architect of Hoffenheims sensational run in 2008, when it led the championship halfway into its rookie season.Incidentally, Hoffenheim is also still undefeated and helped Leipzig pull even with Bayern by holding the champion to a draw before the international break.Leipzig is a project created by the Austrian energy-drink maker Red Bull and its billionaire founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who bought and rebranded a local fifth-tier club in 2009. The booming former East German city had a stadium rebuilt for the World Cup in 2006 but had no team in the major leagues.Rival fans strongly object to Leipzigs links to Red Bull and consider it a test-tube team. The team bus has been stoned and Leipzig players are routinely the subject of derogatory chants, and Earlier this month, a severed bulls head was thrown near the pitch during a match.Hummels is not the only one in Bayern to consider Leipzig a serious rival.Uli Hoeness, who is set to become Bayerns president again after serving a prison term for tax evasion, said in a recent television interview that he found Leipzig very strong.Of course, they have the advantage of being able to lie on the couch during the week while we have to play the Champions League, and if I know Mr. Mateschitz, hell lay out a couple of million more if necessary at Christmas, Hoeness said.Hasenhuettl responded by noting that Bayern was thinking about us.It seems that what weve played so far has been impressive, Hasenhuettl said.The two teams meet on Dec. 21 in the final round before the Christmas break.Leipzig uses a high-pressing style to win the ball and then attacks quickly, often leaving opponents outnumbered in defense.Central midfielder Naby Keita, who arrived from the sister club Red Bull Salzburg, is among Leipzigs key players, as are speedy forwards Timo Werner, Yussuf Poulsen and Emil Forsberg. 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Its one of the most travel-friendly sports since theres minimal gear to pack and you can check out the sights and sounds of a new city while getting in your cardio.But as Ive started running more (and as I enter my thirties), Ive begun to feel fatigue in my arches, calves and knees during and after my run. Ive stretched and massaged but realized it may be time to step up my gear beyond functional and fun sneakers -- its time to upgrade my socks as well.Compression gear functions as a base layer thats extra snug in specific areas. It supposedly helps increase blood flow and reduces lactic acid build-up -- which in turn could diminish my fatigue and speed up my post-run recovery. Ive worn other compression gear like leggings and shorts in the past, so when PRO Compression, a sock-specific company, sent me a few pairs, I was excited and curious to see if it could be the cure to my runners fatigue.The detailsThe socks I tested out were the PRO Compression Marathon Elite socks, the top-of-the-line model which retails for $55. They offer graduated compression, meaning the compression decreases as you move up the leg and closer to your heart. (The idea is that it helps push blood flow back towards the heart -- resulting in better circulation and an easier recovery from exercise.)The socks also have calf support and extra padding in the heel and toe for comfort on long runs. Theyre made of a blend of materials that are meant to wick sweat and smells.The testTo get the best overall impreession of the socks I wore them during runs for a few months throughout the summer -- with shorts, under tights -- and in all kinds of weather.dddddddddddd I wore a size small in the Marathon Elite socks and have a 5 ? shoe size. I also tried them out post-run and on recovery days.I have rather large calves and often have a problem finding socks that stay up, but these fit snugly -- as compression gear should. The material did seem to wick away sweat and the socks didnt slip down my calves no matter how hot it was or how hard I ran.I noticed that my arches felt more supported, which meant that I could wear more minimal running sneakers with less pain. It did seem like the tight fit made my calves feel oddly energized, but Im not sure if some of that was a placebo effect from wearing the socks.I was most impressed, though, with how the socks felt when worn during recovery. If I wore them post run (and shower), my calves felt hugged -- as though they were being massaged. They felt so good after one run that I wore the socks out to dinner because they felt too comfortable to take off.Worth it?At $55, these socks are priced right in the middle for compression running socks. Ive worn my pairs multiple times and theyve stood up to plenty of wear and washes. If you find yourself getting calf and foot fatigue or soreness from running -- or want to ease your recovery -- the PRO Compression socks are a decent, comfortable investment that Im happy to recommend. ' ' '