Schalke defeated Hoffenheim on Saturday to avoid equalling Tasmania Berlin's all-time loss record in Bundesliga.
Schalke snapped its 30-game winless streak thanks to 19-year-old American striker Matthew Hoppe's sterling performance on Saturday.
Schalke took the lead over Hoffenheim in the 41st minute with Hoppe's first top-flight goal. He added a second score 15 minutes later as the ball slid into an open net.
The Royal Blues took a 3–0 lead with another Hoppe goal, making him the first American to score a Bundesliga hat trick.
Schalke defeated Hoffenheim, 4–0, on Saturday to avoid equalling Tasmania Berlin's all-time loss record in Bundesliga. Amine Harit added three assists and a goal in addition to Hoppe's hat trick.
Hoppe is expected to be the next American youngster to take European soccer by storm. He made his Bundesliga debut on Nov. 28, 2020, in Schalke's 4–1 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. Since then, he now has three goals in five Bundesliga appearances for the Royal Blues.
The Los Angeles native first joined the German club from Barcelona's USA Residency Academy in the summer of 2019 following a successful season in the U19s. Hoppe chose Schalke over playing college soccer at San Diego State.