Time flies when you're having fun. With a short but exciting visit to Los Angeles now over, the coaching staff and players bade each other farewell on Wednesday evening American time as they prepared to go on holiday.

"They were nice days and it was fun to get to know everything here," said Marcel Schmelzer, adding: "We're already looking forward to coming back in July!" But before those pre-season preparations that will bring them stateside again this summer, they will be afforded a break to recharge their batteries following a difficult season. Many BVB players made the most of the opportunity and stayed behind in the States, while the others will return to Dortmund via Munich.

International duty for Pulisic

Only Christian Pulisic cannot switch off just yet. The US youngster, who has been welcomed with open arms by his compatriots and has granted all selfie and autograph requests that have come his way, bade his Borussia Dortmund colleagues farewell in the morning as he prepared to link up with his national team. The USA team, who missed out on World Cup qualification in dramatic fashion, will now travel to Ireland and France to play two friendly matches.

"Doc" gives verdict

After Pulisic gave a quick demonstration of his basketball skills on Monday in a session with the former NBA all-star Steve Nash, it was Marcel Schmelzer and André Schürrle's turn to show what they could do. Together with BVB ambassador Patrick Owomoyela, they went to meet up with the Los Angeles Clippers and were welcomed into the hall by their beaming coach Doc Rivers. The NBA title-winning coach of 2008 wanted to put the free throw ratio of the two Dortmund first-teamers to the test and was visibly impressed to see Schürrle directly sink his very first throw.

First team visit Fox and Evonik

In the meantime, Julian Weigl and Mahmoud Dahoud accepted an invitation to the renowned Fox TV studios. The broadcaster has just recently presented the mini-series "Phenoms", in which the progress of hopeful German youngsters like the two BVB lads was monitored over a long period. Roman Weidenfeller, who had kept goal for the Black & Yellows for the last time the night before in the 1-1 draw with LAFC, joined Mario Götze in paying a visit to the employees of Evonik.
Jan-Philip Kirschke