Been digging through German football history since Euro 9 and World Cup 2002, and I can't help wondering if Oliver Neuville will be the next rising star of Germany. A last-gasp goal
from this German substitute player to Poland last night reminded me of Oliver Bierhoff's
golden goal in Euro 96, even though many people thought it was from an offside position, still brought the trophy to Germany and instant fame for Bierhoff, who was then 28 years old.
And then I thought of Miroslav Klose, who became an instant hit with the German fans when he scored a last-gasp winner against Albania on his international debut in the World Cup qualifying campaign. Even the Germans didn't get it. They were meant to have a bad team with a worse attack, and they were suddenly in a World Cup semi-final, courtesy of a young Pole who still drove an Audi A3 and until then was still working as a carpenter. Klose exploded onto the world stage as if from nowhere at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. The rookie striker bagged a hat-trick as Germany ran out 8-0 winners over Saudi Arabia, gaining instant worldwide fame. The then 24-year-old went on to become one of the shooting stars of the tournament, finishing as Germany’s top scorer with five goals and second only to Brazil’s Ronaldo in the final standings.
I also wondered if he (Klose) felt a bit guilty to play against Poland, the nation where his Mom came from, and where he was born.
Anyway, my big question now is, will Neuville be a late bloomer (33 yrs old) who turns to a supersub and hero for his nation? Still early to say that, but it's exciting to wait and see as the ball continues rolling.
ps. the second paragraph was not fully my writing as I copied and paste from several sources.
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