DFB young talent - World Cup winter fairytale for the U17s ahead of a golden moment
Goal hero Paris Brunner, one of the faces of this exciting U17 national team, proclaimed what soccer Germany wanted to hear ahead of the big World Cup final against France.
"I know we can do even better. We'll show that in the final. We definitely want to win the title," explained the young Dortmund star ahead of Saturday's showdown (1.00 pm/Sky Sport News and RTL) against the sheer inexhaustible reservoir of talent from the Grande Nation.
On the way to the rematch of the European Championship final won by Germany, the DFB team in Indonesia also demonstrated impressively why their coach likes to emphasize that his boys can actually "only beat themselves". No defeat at the European Championships in the summer, undefeated at the World Cup now - especially in the knockout duels, the youngsters swept away the fans in their winter home over 11,000 kilometers away in the style of a tournament team.
Germany has soccer talent
"I already said it after the European Championship title: we have talent in Germany," said coach Christian Wück, even in sweltering Southeast Asia. Captain Noah Darvich from FC Barcelona, Unterhaching penalty expert Konstantin Heide and top scorer at the European Championships Brunner are just three of many examples. Wück left it open as to whether Heide will also stand in for regular goalkeeper Max Schmitt (FC Bayern Munich), who fell ill in the semi-final, in the final. They will wait for the final training session and only make a decision on match day.
"Paris is the kind of individualist on the pitch that every team needs. But he has to put himself at the service of the team even more in many situations," said Wück about Brunner, who is particularly in the public eye. "The boys grow through mistakes and moments of success." This is especially true for Brunner, who was awarded the Fritz Walter Gold Medal for the best young player of 2006.
Brunner's maturing process continues
The path of the past few weeks alone has not been easy for him. In October, he was temporarily suspended by Borussia Dortmund for an unspecified "incident". The offensive player's reaction is said to have been good. It seems that Brunner was able to learn important lessons for his further maturation process. "If the club had said that it wouldn't have helped Paris' learning process, I wouldn't have nominated him. I always think about what's best for his development and he's learned from it - that's why he's there," said Wück in an interview with Bild.
The teenager with Congolese roots would have liked to have been spared the racist hostility that Brunner and three teammates faced after a selfie on social media during the World Cup. A few days later, after reaching the final, Brunner demonstratively tapped the eagle on his jersey and held the heraldic animal up to the camera.
Back in scoring form in time for the final
Brunner's footballing skills are outstanding - coupled with the self-image of a leading player, they are often decisive in games. In the quarter-final against Spain, the 17-year-old converted a penalty he was awarded to make the final score 1:0. In the semi-final against Argentina, he scored a brace, put the team behind at the break - and then ended the penalty shoot-out with the final attempt.
"We're happy that Paris has found his form again in the last few games and that he's scoring goals, because of course he defines himself through goals," said Wück. Brunner, who is said to be a good piano player, performed with such virtuosity at the European Championship in Hungary that he was named the best player of the tournament. At the World Cup, he is also among those who can hope to win the Golden Ball.
A career like Kroos?
History shows that this award for the best player at an U17 World Cup does not always automatically pave the way for a great career. Ghanaian Nii Lamptey played two seasons for SpVgg Greuther Fürth years later, while his compatriot Daniel Addo earned his money at Karlsruher SC and Fortuna Düsseldorf. Mohamed Amor Al Kathri (Oman) and James Will (Scotland) did not have illustrious careers either. It was a different story for Spain's Cesc Fàbregas, England's Phil Foden and Toni Kroos. The current Real Madrid star was honored as the best player of the tournament in 2007 and celebrated perhaps the most successful German soccer career ever.
Brunner, Darvich & Co. can currently only dream of that. "The road to the senior national team is very long. The next step is in the clubs. If you perform well in the Bundesliga or Bundesliga 2, you can start thinking about an international career," said Wück when asked by the German Press Agency.
The "Panthers" show German virtues
At least now, however, his boys have already impressed. Even if the comparison is a bit of a stretch: The talents are convincing in the dreary days of the senior national team, whose own World Cup glory is long gone, with determination and single-mindedness. They also embody traditional German soccer virtues.
"I'm lucky that we can combine mentality and individual quality," said Wück. "I believe that Germany is now very proud of the team." Especially if the self-proclaimed "Panthers" win their first title in the second German final in this tournament's history after 1985. The then U20 team - which included Dortmund's future sporting director Michael Zorc - won the World Cup in Australia in 1981.
Lesen Sie auch:
Source: www.stern.de
