On the biggest stage in the sport of
soccer there is one man who leads the pack in goals. Germany’s 36 year old striker Miroslav Klose
went ahead of Brazil’s Ronaldo when he scored Germany’s second goal against the
host nation Brazil. Klose, who plays his
club soccer for Italian outfit Lazio, has a total of 16 goals in the
tournament. Along with the goal record
he is also one of three players to ever score a goal in 4 World Cups along with
Pele and Uwe Seeler.
The striker born in Poland has had
over 140 caps with his country and over 70 goals. Miroslav is known for his close range shots
and overpowering headers. When you think
of all of Germany’s records and feats, Klose has to be involved in all of the
conversation. What amazes me is his goal
scoring ability and his longevity.
I never thought Klose would start
another World Cup game. I thought he’d
just be the player who comes on late in the game to eat some time. When he was substituted in for the Ghana game
I felt the magic of previous World Cups and knew he’d get the last word. That late equalizer also tied him with
Ronaldo and game the Germans a boost of energy that they took to the round of
16 and 8.
The final four teams were all
perennial powerhouses. The first match
of the final four placed the host nation Brazil against Germany. When the starting eleven was posted, I was
surprised to see the name Miroslav Klose at the top. I also felt it was a great idea because
Thiago Silva was out due to yellow card accumulation. After Thomas Muller scored the first goal and
rattled the Brazilian defense, I knew there would be chances for Klose and the
rest of the German attack to dig in.
As Germany pushed forward the
defense of Brazil began to open up. A
few passes through to Kroos and then came Klose. His first attempt was blocked by Brazilian
Keeper Cesar but the rebound deflected back towards Klose and he drove it
home. The goal was an absolute dagger to
the heart of Brazilian fans. After a
celebratory knee slide and fist pump the Germans could now say that their
striker was atop the all-time list.
Being an American that is a Germany
fan, I often get flack about who I cheer for.
When I was younger is was players like Klinsmann, Bierhoff, and Oliver
Kahn, that I’d root for. That era was
followed by Michael Ballack, Torsten Frings, and Miroslav Klose. Along with Klose came Lukas Podolski and
Bastian Schweinsteiger. And ever since
then being a Germany fan has been great.
The Germans are a persistent team that has updated with the times. The old school style was come from the sides
of the pitch and cross the ball in for headers, and now the passing game of the
new generation is of one of a sharpshooter.
-Justin Zydor
No comments:
Post a Comment