Effective Pascal Large Represents the Perfect Fit for Dortmund's Puzzle
At 32, Pascal Groß makes his debut for the German national team, and at 33, he finally joins his childhood dream team. Pascal Groß is a late bloomer, but he could become a significant asset for Borussia Dortmund. He proves this in his very first competitive match.
Pascal Groß secured his first trophy with his beloved club in his debut competitive game. The new midfield conductor of Borussia Dortmund was named "Player of the Match" after the 4-1 victory against 1. FC Phoenix Lübeck in the DFB-Pokal first round in Hamburg. "I try not to get too pumped up about it," he said about the award. "If they think I played well and the coach agrees, that's perfect."
With two assists, one for Waldemar Anton's opening goal (3rd minute) following a corner and another for Julian Brandt's third goal (45+1) with a long pass from midfield, the new playmaker in Dortmund significantly contributed to a successful competitive debut for Nuri Sahin as the new BVB head coach. He also demonstrated his own importance.
"I'm happy I could help," he said in Hamburg's Volksparkstadion, where the game was moved due to a lack of suitable facilities in Lübeck. "But I think there's still room for improvement. This was our first competitive game, we had to win. Now, in the Bundesliga, we're facing completely different opponents," Groß said, looking forward to the league opener against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday (6:30 PM/Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker).
The late bloomer's childhood dream comes true
It took Pascal Groß around 14 years in professional football to finally join the club he used to admire as a child, at the age of 33. He played for Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League for seven years and remained under the radar in Germany for a long time. At 32, he made his debut for the national team and was even in the squad for this summer's European Championship. Now, Borussia Dortmund has also discovered the late bloomer. When the club approached him, Groß had no second thoughts about returning to the Bundesliga.
Despite his late start in training due to his participation in the European Championship, Groß made a strong impression in a short time. He showed that he could be the missing piece that Dortmund needed last season: an initiator in midfield and an organizer in defense - essentially, a leader.
"A player can do that in a short time if he is intelligent, thinks about football, and knows how the game works. And Pascal knows that. That's why we signed him," Sahin said. "He is very important for our game. He dominates, sets the rhythm. That's something we lacked in our game last year."
Groß is excited for "something special"
Coach Sahin already knows the exhilaration of playing with the full intensity of Dortmund's home crowd from his own time as a BVB player. Groß got a taste of this energy away from home in Hamburg, where the second division team HSV's home crowd was predominantly black and yellow, with boisterous support.
"It was incredible. From the warm-up on, it was something very special for me. My first competitive game," he said. Even the pre-season friendly against Aston Villa in Dortmund in front of over 80,000 spectators was madness. "Next Saturday, it's my first Bundesliga home game. It's coming fast, and it's something special for me," Groß said. "I try to play well. Then I can enjoy the rest even more."
After joining Borussia Dortmund, Pascal Groß expressed his excitement about playing in front of the German club's passionate home crowd, stating, "It's coming fast, and it's something special for me." Given his impressive performance in his debut competitive match, it's clear that soccer fans in Dortmund will be eager to see the late bloomer in action, potentially contributing to more victories for the team.
