7 April 2001 - Enough Cards For A Round Of Poker

On 7 April 2001, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich battled to a 1-1 league draw that included a total of fourteen yellow cards and three ejections.

The match was part of a tight title race--Bayern were in first, just one point clear of second-place Dortmund, who would claim the top spot with a win in front of their home supporters.

The visitors started strongly, with forward Roque Santa Cruz putting them ahead with a 6th-minute strike. Shortly afterward, the contest degenerated into a brutish display that held little resemblance to a football match. Bayern were the main culprits, accumulating a total of six yellow cards before the break, including two for left back Bixente Lizarazu, who was ejected in the 35th minute.

With Bayern a man down, Dortmund equalized in the 52nd minute with a goal from striker Fredi Bobic. Just three minutes later, Bayern went down to nine men as midfielder and captain Stefan Effenberg (pictured, from a different match) received a straight red, but the hosts could not capitalize on their numerical advantage and the game ended 1-1. By that time, Dortmund had a player of their own sent off, with right back Evanilson receiving a straight red in the 90th minute. In all, the referee showed ten yellows and two reds to Bayern, and two yellows and a red to Dortmund, for a league single-match record total of 15 cards.

Bayern went on to win the league that year, while Dortmund finished in third.

19 December 1909 - Pubs, Beer, And Football, Who Could Ask For More?

On 19 December 1909, Ballspiel-Verein Borussia 1909 e. V. Dortmund was founded in a pub in the city of Dortmund, located in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. They would go on to become one of Germany's most decorated clubs, with multiple league and cup titles, as well as Germany's first European trophy.

The founding members were unhappy with their former club, Trinity Youth, which was run by a strict authoritarian local priest. Reportedly, he tried to prevent the formation of the new club, but was blocked at the door of the pub where the meeting was held. As perhaps a further sign of rebellion from the church side, the club took the name "Borussia" from a nearby brewery.

Dortmund reached a peak in the late 1950s, winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles in the 1955-56 and 1956-57 seasons. They repeated that feat in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons and currently have six league titles. In 1966, they defeated Liverpool 3-2 at the end of extra time to claim the Cup Winners' Cup, the first international honor for a German club.

The club plays in Germany's top flight, finishing in 6th position for the 2008-09 season.

24 August 1963 - A Quick Start For A New League

On 24 August 1963, Borussia Dortmund striker Friedhelm "Tino" Konietzka (pictured) scored the Bundesliga's first goal when he found the net in the first minute of Dortmund's season-opening match against Werder Bremen.

The 1963-64 season was the first season of the Bundesliga, which had been established the previous summer. Dortmund qualified for the new 16-team league as one of five clubs from the previous regional Oberliga West, while Werder qualified as one of three teams from the Oberliga Nord.

In that opening match, Konietzka added a second goal in the 90th minute, but Werder scored three in the interim to claim a 3-2 win. Dortmund were more successful on the season, however, finishing in fourth place while Werder ended up in the 10th position.

30 March 1973 - That's 6'7" For You Non-Metric Types

On 30 March 1973, striker Jan Koller was born in the town of Smetanova Lhota, in what was then Czechoslovakia (and is now the Czech Republic). Koller is the all-time leading goalscorer for the Czech national team with 55 goals in 90 appearances. He retired from international football in 2008.

During his time with the national team, the Czechs made only one World Cup appearance, in 2006. Koller scored the first-ever World Cup goal for the Czech side when he netted in the 5th minute of their opening match against the United States, leading the way to a 3-0 victory. Those were the Czech side's only goals of the tournament, however, and they were eliminated in the group stage after losses to Ghana (0-2) and Italy (0-2).

Koller has a well-traveled career, having played club football in the Czech Republic (with Sparta Prague), Belgium (with Lokeren and Anderlecht), Germany (with Borussia Dortmund and Nuremberg), France (with Monaco), and Russia, where he currently plays for Krylia Sovetov Samara.

His longest club tenure to date was with Borussia Dortmund, where he played from 2001 to 2006, making 137 appearances and scoring 59 goals. He helped them claim the Bundesliga title in the 2001-2002 season.

An imposing physical presence at 2.02 meters, Koller has earned a number of honors throughout his career, including Belgian League top scorer in 1999 and Belgian League Player of the Year in 2000.