The UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2017 came to an end this week with a blistering finale that saw Germany stun the favourites Spain. The star-studded Spanish side, which included prominent names like Saul Niguez, Hector Bellerin, Gerard Deulofeu and Marco Asensio, dominated the whole tournament until the final where they were outwitted by German coach Stefan Kuntz’s side.
The German squad was devoid of players like Goretzka, Sule, Brandt and Werner among others, who were eligible to play in the tournament but were instead selected to play in FIFA Confederations Cup.
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But even in their absence, as always is the case with any German side, the team functioned like a well-oiled machine, where each player was able to reach his full potential.
While there wasn’t any name who singlehandedly took the Germans to victory, the audience and critics were especially impressed by some of the youngsters. These players could be groomed as future first team prospects so that they could emulate the same feat with the senior team as well. In no particular order, here are five such names from Die Mannschaft.
#5 Julian Pollersbeck
In a tournament which saw prominent names like Jordan Pickford and Gianluigi Donnarumma start in front of goal, hardly would anyone have chosen a goalkeeper playing for Germany’s second division as their favourite.
But much like his counterpart from the senior team, Julian Pollersbeck easily turned out to be the best player at his position in the tournament.
Pollersbeck, who stands 6’5” tall, kept three clean sheets, including one in finals against Spain, and let the ball get past him on only three occasions throughout the tournament. His best performance came in the semi-finals against England where Germany won via penalties.
Borrowing a leaf from the book of German legend Jens Lehmann, Pollersbeck would pull a note out of his sock as English players stepped up to take their penalties.This turned out to be a master-stroke as Pollersbeck saved two of those penalties and carried Germany to the finals.
#4 Yannick Gerhardt
Like a few of his U-21 teammates, Gerhardt had already represented Germany at the senior level before entering the tournament, making his debut against Italy in a friendly. A midfielder for Wolfsburg at club level, his versatility allows him to play as a defender equally well if not better.
A recipient of Fritz Walter Medal at U-19 level, Gerhardt played most of the tournament as the left wing-back. He developed a brilliant understanding with the like of Serge Gnabry and Max Meyer, making long runs down the left flank in order to support the attack without compromising with the defence.
In the finals, Gerhardt epitomised the German style of play, supporting Meyer in the first half when the Germans were high pressing. In the second half, when Spain were attacking, Gerhardt stood firm as ever, successfully keeping the likes of Bellerin, Saul and Asensio at bay.
#3 Jeremy Toljan
When Philipp Lahm retired from international football in 2014, the German national team had a massive hole to fill at the right-back position. Fortunately for them, they found reliable candidates like Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rudiger and Benjamin Henrichs. But after the Euro U-21s, one more name is ready to challenge for this spot, Hoffenheim’s Jeremy Toljan.
Toljan first came to limelight as the part of Germany’s promising Rio Olympics side that won the silver. Operating as a right wing-back in the Euros, Toljan had the highest number of assists to his name in the tournament.
His incredible speed and inch-perfect crosses are one of the reasons why English giants Chelsea and Tottenham are intensely engaged in pursuing him.
Making a total of three assists in the tournament, Toljan even won the Man of the Match award for his performance against Denmark. And not to forget, it was he who dodged past two defenders and assisted the winning goal in the final.
#2 Maximilian Arnold
Any person who watched Germany ’s matches in the tournament will agree to the fact that, like a true leader, Max Arnold led his team by example. Every single minute that he played in the tournament, Arnold followed the ideology ‘team above self’, something that has always been associated with German football.
A versatile midfielder who plies his trade with Wolfsburg, Arnold was the ‘heart’ of Germany’s team, orchestrating the team’s play in a very calm and composed manner. Like a classic number 8, Arnold was splitting the opposition defence with his passing, creating chances for his teammates to pounce upon.
He showed maturity beyond his years when he decided to step first in the penalty shootout against England. Often cited weak in defending, Arnold worked on his game and showcased his progress against Spain, making crucial interventions before the Spaniards could pose any serious threat to the goal.
#1 Max Meyer
Unlike most people’s belief, Der Klassiker that takes place between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund isn’t the fiercest rivalry in German football. This tag rather goes to the Ruhr Derby between Dortmund and Schalke.
Keeping this in mind, it says something about you if the manager of one of these teams tries to sign you, who play for their arch rivals. The manager and player we are talking about here are Jurgen Klopp and Max Meyer respectively.
A gifted attacking midfielder, Meyer’s subtlety and precision in the final third have drawn him comparisons with Andre Iniesta and Mesut Ozil. The expectations from him were high, considering the fact that he was one of the most experienced players in the team, and to say that he surpassed them would be an understatement.
If Maximilian Arnold was the ‘heart’ of the German team, Meyer was its ‘brain’. His creativity and passing were key to loads of chances created by Germany in opponent’s half. On paper, his contribution includes a goal against the Czech Republic and an assist from a corner, but in reality, he was some way or the other involved in each and every move that lead Germany to the European victory.
