Goal hero Paris Brunner announced what German football wanted to hear before the big U-17 World Cup final against France. “I know we can do better. We will show that in the finale. We definitely want to win the title,” explained the young Dortmund star before the showdown on Saturday (1 p.m. on Sky Sport News and RTL) against the almost inexhaustible reservoir of talent from the Grande Nation.
The DFB team once again impressively demonstrated in Indonesia 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. Particularly in the knockout duels, the young team thrills fans in their homeland, which is over 11,000 kilometers away.
“I already said it after the European Championship title: We have talent in Germany,” said coach Christian Wück in Southeast Asia. Captain Noah Darvich from FC Barcelona, the Unterhaching penalty expert Konstantin Heide or the European Championship top scorer Brunner are just three of many examples. Wück left it open on Friday whether Heide would also represent regular goalkeeper Max Schmitt (FC Bayern Munich), who fell ill in the semi-finals, in the final. We will wait for the final training and will not make a decision until the day of the game.
Brunner’s maturation process continues
“The boys grow through mistakes and moments of success,” said Wück. This is particularly true for Brunner, who was awarded the Fritz Walter Gold Medal for the best young player of the 2006 class. “Paris is an individual on the pitch, which every team needs. But in many situations he has to put himself even more at the service of the team,” said his coach about the U17 player, who is particularly in the public eye.
The journey of the past few weeks has not been easy for him. In October he was temporarily suspended from Borussia Dortmund for an unspecified “incident”. The offensive player’s reaction is said to have been good. It seems as if Brunner was able to take important lessons with him for his further maturation process. “If the club had said it wouldn’t have been conducive to 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 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 into the camera.
Back in goal form in time for the final
Brunner’s football skills are outstanding and, coupled with his self-image as a leader, are often decisive in the game. In the quarter-finals against Spain, the 17-year-old converted a penalty given to him to make the final score 1-0. In the semi-final against Argentina he shone with a brace, made up the half-time deficit – and then ended the penalty shootout with the final try.
“We are happy that Paris has found his form again in the last few games and is scoring goals, because of course he defines himself by goals,” said Wück. Brunner, who is said to be a good piano player, performed so virtuosically at the European Championships in Hungary that he was named the best player of the tournament. At the World Cup, too, he is among those who have hopes of winning the Golden Ball.
A career like Kroos?
History shows that this award for the best player at a U17 World Cup does not always automatically pave the way to a great career. Years later, the Ghanaian Nii Lamptey played for SpVgg Greuther Fürth for two seasons, while his compatriot Daniel Addo earned his money at Karlsruher SC or Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Mohamed Amor Al Kathri (Oman) and James Will (Scotland) did not have distinguished careers either. It was different with the Spaniard Cesc Fàbregas, the Englishman Phil Foden and Toni Kroos. Today’s Real Madrid star was honored as the best player of the tournament in 2007 and celebrated perhaps the most successful German football career ever.
Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 19 A comment from Christopher Meltzer Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 20 Published/Updated:
Brunner, Darvich and their teammates can only dream of that at the moment. “The road to the senior national team is very long. The next step is in the clubs. If good performances are shown in the Bundesliga or second Bundesliga, you can slowly start thinking about an international career,” said Wück.
In dreary days for the senior national team
At least now his boys are already enthusiastic. Even if the comparison is flawed: the talents impress with their determination and determination in dreary days for the senior national team, whose own World Cup glory was a long time ago.
“I’m lucky that we can bring mentality and individual quality together,” said Wück. “I think that Germany is now very proud of the team.” Especially when the self-proclaimed “Panthers” win their first title in the second German final participation in this tournament history after 1985. The then U20 – including the later Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc – achieved the World Cup triumph in Australia in 1981.
