Tiktukno: summary of today's events in sports, 28.11 (Sport1)
A year and a half ago, when he somehow recovered from a fourth operation on his troublesome knees and returned to the pitch, Niklas Polkrug experienced a very painful relegation with Werder Bremen, his boyhood club.
He was then mostly a bench player, had trouble getting into shape, and was expected to disappear into the depths without realizing the potential he once had.
If someone had told him then, in May 2021, that he would be a revered player throughout Germany, star in the World Cup and score an important goal for Spain, he would not have believed it.
But there you have it - scenarios we dare not even dream of may sometimes, in rather exceptional cases, become reality.
Polkrug, who came on as a substitute yesterday and blasted a fine late equalizer into Unai Simon's net to give the Germans their first point at the 2022 World Cup, is the new national hero at almost 30. And he deserves it.
And how it comes!
Timing is a matter of timing, and Polkrog's timing was for a perfect change.
Paradoxically, the historic decline of Berman helped him a lot, because in the second division he regained the self-confidence he had so lacked after the many surgeries.
He scored 19 goals last year, was very dominant in the return of the greens to their natural place, and started the current season with exceptional scoring ability in the Bundesliga as well.
As of the start of the World Cup break, he already had 10 goals - second place in the entire league after Christopher Ankonko from Leipzig.
And with each goal that was added to the list, the voices grew to call him to the squad for the World Cup - simply because coach Hanzi Flick did not have strikers of his type.
Flick realized that he also needed a striker of the "old" type.
Polkrog with the coach yesterday (Photo: GettyImages, Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)
Polkrug is the most classic and old-fashioned No. 9 imaginable.
He is a tall guy with a wide body, a huge physical presence in the box, a good head game and a willingness to fight for every inch of space.
He could be compared to Miroslav Klose or maybe Mario Gomez, but that would not be accurate at all.
The best comparison would be to Horst Hrubes, the Hamburg thug who was an anchor in the corner of West Germany in Euro 80, scored a brace in the final against Belgium, and continued to star in the 82 World Cup.
He was not technical to say the least, but he knew how to use his excellent senses in the box, and he saw these skills in Polkrug when he coached him in the youth teams.
In fact, Harobesh was a very important figure in the development of the striker, and now - when doubts began about his possible call-up, and Bremen fans sang songs about it every week - he went out with a firm determination.
"It is clear that Niklas should be taken. He is a player that the national team lacks, and he can be useful when a central striker is needed. He is strong, fast, makes the right movement in the square. He only gets better and better over the years. He should be there," declared the coach - and he really isn't was the only one.
Luther Matthews announced at the beginning of October: "If Polkrog continues to play like this, he must be in the team. Flick is not blind. He knows exactly what needs to be done."
Even Toni Kroos, who retired from the national uniform after Euro 2020 and could afford to be an outside commentator, claimed in his podcast: "Hanzi knows what kind of strikers we have, and which ones we don't. We don't have someone like Polkrog, and he should be. These are players who can help a lot in certain situations I have no doubt that Flick will summon Polkrog."
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Experienced quite a few difficult moments.
Polkrog (Photo: GettyImages, Lars Baron)
The pioneer himself tried his best not to develop illusions.
While everyone around him campaigned for him, he knew how great the disappointment could be.
Fame came to him unexpectedly, after suffering from bad luck for too many years, and he feared that fate would not allow him to enjoy the fruits of the investment.
After all, if something bad can happen to Polkrog, it usually does.
When he played in the youth of Bremen, for example, he collided with his teammate so that his tooth was stuck in his forehead.
Both were rushed to the hospital, and Polkrog underwent prolonged treatments to disinfect the wound to prevent infection.
This amusing incident is dwarfed by the knee injuries and muscle strains he endured, usually when he started to develop some momentum.
Coaches generally liked him, but the tortuous career went nowhere, and quite a few commentators saw him as a limited striker.
Nevertheless, in modern football not everyone likes somewhat clumsy strikers who remind the Rubesh.
However, the thing is that Germany actually missed them.
Without Klose, the task of scoring goals became more complex, and the young strikers did not prove themselves.
Timo Werner was supposed to be the scorer around whom Germany's new wing would be built, and it didn't exactly go according to plan.
At one point, Germany gambled on a simulated nine formation, and Kai Habertz was usually chosen for the task.
Unfortunately, this is really not the optimal role for the Chelsea star, who is much more effective in a relatively free role in the attacking midfield.
Karim Adeyemi is a versatile scorer, but not a wide striker.
Bottom line, the bet on Polkrog was highly requested.
And since this is a humble man who is known for his high work ethic, the whole country is happy for him.
These are Cinderella stories that are easy to fall in love with.
Popularity at its peak.
Polkrug with Werder Bremen fans (Photo: GettyImages, Lars Baron)
"I'm very excited," Polkrog said after celebrating the call-up with his friends to Barman in the locker room, and was unable to answer all the thousands of messages that flooded his phone, "now my goal is to help the team. Sometimes in tournaments things develop in a surprising way, and everyone has a role to play To fill in. As a striker, I don't necessarily have to start in the lineup. I might play as a substitute when the coach needs a player like me. We'll live and see."
After he scored in his first friendly match, even if it was only against Oman, the understanding that he really has an essential role was reinforced.
Indeed, things developed in this World Cup in a surprising way, and Germany lost to Japan in the opening game, despite having to defeat the opponent even before the comeback.
Polkrug, who then entered the final minutes, could not prevent the sensation, but yesterday he was again called to the flag when Germany fell behind against Spain.
This time it worked.
The Spaniards did not know how to adapt to the new weapon that appeared in front of them, and in the 83rd minute Polkrog sent a missile to the far corner.
Germany got a precious point that brought them closer to qualifying for the round of 16, and now must beat Costa Rica in the last round to qualify for the round of 16 (provided Japan does not beat the Spanish).
There is a reasonable basis to assume that against this specific opponent, Polkrug may already start in the lineup.
And if everything goes according to plan, he may even end it as an unexpected candidate for the World Cup top scorer title.
It's not a far-fetched idea.
FIFA World Cup
Tags
Niklas Polkrug
German national team
