Germany rely on versatile Mueller
Lanky forward has 10 goals in World Cup finals so far
Though not an out-and-out striker, Thomas Mueller is one of the outstanding forwards coming out from Germany. His scoring record speaks volumes of his ability. What sets him apart from other strikers, who also possess the pace and explosive skill needed to accelerate and score, is his gift of exploiting spaces.
His unorthodox style of play saw him being termed ‘Raumdeuter’ — the one who takes up seemingly harmless positions out wide, waiting for the opportune moment to burst through the defensive line for that telling shot or cross.
Muller’s intelligence, flair to read the opposition and his immense capabilities to bury chances that come his way, has made him an integral part of the German set-up.
As the Germans gear up to defend their title in Russia, they will be hoping that Mueller is once again at his peak. He offers versatility upfront as he can play in support of the striker, as a centre-forward by himself or on the right of an attacking trio.
The Bayern Munich forward has already scored 10 goals at the World Cup — five each in the last two editions. He has won the Golden Boot in 2010 and the Silver Boot in 2014. And more importantly, he is just six goals away from compatriot Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals in World Cups.
Major challenge
Speaking about his ability, Mueller had once said: “I’m a player that makes many runs off the ball, hurting the opponent’s defence. Football is always a mix between pass play and run play, you’ve got to make intelligent runs without getting impatient and, of course, always work on the finish during practice.”
Germany won all 10 of their qualifying games, putting seven past San Marino, beating Norway 6-1 and recording a 5-1 win over Azerbaijan to comfortably progress to their 19th World Cup. Last summer in Russia, German coach Joachim Loew won the Confederations Cup, with a mix of young and experienced players, beating Chile 1-0 in the final.
The major challenge that lay in front of Loew is selecting that perfect starting XI from the rich pool of players to blend with the likes of experienced players like Mueller.
Thomas always scored goals, in training and in games. He wasn’t ready to play consistently well over 90 minutes, but he provided goals! And that’s the most important thing in football.”
Hermann Gerland | Youth coach and who recommended Muller to Juergen Klinsmann
Muller is a natural talent. He has played brilliantly since 2010. He has both feet on the ground and can deal with praise or criticism, success or failure, better than almost anyone. I’ve never doubted him, and of course he has a nose for goals.”
Joachim Loew | Germany coach