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Northern City (Qatar) (AFP) – Having largely been just a number in a 26-man squad, Niklas Volkrug emerged from the shadows to preserve Germany’s chances of avoiding a Qatar World Cup first round exit, scoring an equalizer against Spain Sunday at Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
And after having risked ending the season in the first round for the second time in a row, even before reaching the third and final round, Germany once again kept their hopes alive thanks to the goal of the 29-year-old Werder Bremen forward, nicknamed “Fulh “.
With two goals in three games with the colors of “Die Mannschaft”, after the first in a friendly match in preparation for the final against Oman (1-0), Volkrug looked like the player who could give coach Hansi Flick’s team the title of top scorer that the Germans were looking for as the successor to the best scorer in World Cup history Miroslav Klose.
Volkrug came on in the 70th minute of Sunday’s match in the second round the Germans played after a shocking 1-2 defeat against Japan, and managed to score an equalizer 7 minutes before the end of regular time, giving his nation his first point before a fateful closing round on Thursday in the same stadium against Costa Rica, where coach Hansi Flick’s men will need to win, paralleling Spain’s victory over Japan, to secure passage without entering the goal tally.
Modestly, the Werder Bremen striker commented on his goal: “I have a striker job with situations that can make us champions. But there are also defensive situations that have been handled well and these players can be champions too.”
And after his heroic goal against Spain, Flick finds himself in a confusing situation: does Volkrug start the match against Costa Rica or does he keep him on the bench to be a backup weapon when he needs it?
When Flick announced his squad for the World Cup Finals in Qatar on Nov. 10, Volkrug’s teammates in Bremen celebrated his inclusion by chanting “Volkrug is on fire, your defense is terrified,” meaning ” Volkrug is at its best, your defense is terrifying.” On the notes of the famous song of the 90s by the Italian singer Gala “Free From Desire”.
Approaching his 30th year, the striker, who has played more games in division B than in first division (135 against 112), has taken on a whole new dimension since the start of the season with the return of his club Werder Bremen to the “Bundesliga”, scoring 5 goals in the five stages. The first and tenth goals before stopping, in second place in the scorers chart behind the French top scorer from Leipzig, Christopher Nkunku, absent from this World Cup due to injury.
His fiery start to the season wasn’t enough to convince Flick to include him in the squad for September’s European Nations League matches.
However, this did not mean that the coach completely removed it from his calculations, on the contrary.
“Team leader”
Then came the injury Timo Werner sustained earlier this month, opening the door for him to face football’s biggest challenge in a career marred by three serious injuries, one of which was a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at the start of the 2019-2020 season.
Injuries aside, the burly striker (1.88m and 78kg) has remained in the spotlight and quiet, apart from some disputes with his club which were quickly resolved.
In a press conference, assistant coach of the national team, Danny Rohl, described the Bremen striker as a “team leader”, adding: “Even if it is for the first time with the national team, he encourages young people, communicates with them a lot. He’s involved. He benefits the group tremendously and fuels them with energy.”
Rohl, who saw the goal scored against Spain as “a reward for the impressions he has made over the last few days and weeks”, added that the Bremen striker’s behavior “was also one of the reasons why we chose him over the summoned”.
After 17 appearances for the national team with the youth team between 2010 and 2014, alongside the current defensive corner in the first team, Antonio Rudiger, he had to wait almost nine years to be able to wear the “Manshaft” shirt again.
And after all this waiting, can it be said that you deserve to be a starter for your national team?
His colleague Thomas Mueller’s response was diplomatic when he said at a press conference with Volkrug next to him on Tuesday with a smile on his face: “One thing is certain. Whoever wears the number 9 on his back is his ‘full’.”
© 2022 AFP
