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Goal.com 50: Mario Gomez (31)
Goal.com's countdown of the top 50 players of 2010-11 continues with the German striker, who carried Bayern to a Champions League berth & had a breakthrough at international level
03-Aug-2011 2:30:00 PM
By Clark Whitney
Welcome to the Goal.com 50! In this special series, Goal.com editors worldwide vote for the top 50 players of 2010-11. We count down to the announcement of the winner on August 21 with profiles of each and every player who made it into the top 50...
Since his arrival at Bayern Munich in 2009, Mario Gomez has been an enigma to fans. Most supporters of the Bavarian club have already fallen in and out of love with him multiple times. But throughout the 2010-11 season, sentiments towards the German striker were overwhelmingly positive.
Last year was Gomez’s most prolific season yet as a professional: the 26-year old scored an outstanding 39 goals in 45 appearances. And what’s more, his strikes came in the biggest matches. Indeed, the 26-year old finished joint-second in the Champions League scoring charts, despite Bayern being knocked out in the Round of 16.
In domestic play, the talented frontman carried his team through a challenging season that saw the Bavarian giants nearly miss out on Europe’s grandest tournament. His hat-trick against league runners-up Bayer Leverkusen sparked a brilliant run of form in which the Bayern won 13 out of a possible 15 points, with Gomez scoring nine goals and giving two assists in the final five matches of the season. Indeed, without Gomez’s 28 goals - the most for a German in the Bundesliga in 30 years - Bayern would have had their 2011-12 Champions League quest end before it began.
So irresistible was his form last year that Gomez even managed to discover his scoring touch in a Germany shirt. Since the end of March, he has started four games for the national team, finding the net in each appearance. In the midst of his fine run, he exorcised the demons that had haunted him in recent years, scoring away to Austria into the very same net he famously missed in front of from just yards out at Euro 2008.
Many are quick to point out that Gomez’s goals come from simple finishes, and that he has a reputation for missing clear opportunities. But while it is true that he did fail to convert a number of close-range efforts last year, the Bayern man required fewer shots per goal scored than any of Europe’s elite forwards. He is in fact a very efficient, if one-dimensional, penalty box striker.
That the 26-year-old managed to score so many goals is testament not only to the quality of service he receives, but also to his uncanny instincts. The finishes themselves are often rather basic, but goals require runs and the right positioning, and in these areas Gomez has few peers.
The next 12 months mark a critical period for both Bayern and Germany, and there will be heavy pressure on Gomez to deliver once more. This year he missed out on a lower ranking in our countdown on account of Bayern struggling as a team. But if his team-mates and countrymen can improve in the coming year, there is little doubt that the striker's stock will
continue to rise.
Since his arrival at Bayern Munich in 2009, Mario Gomez has been an enigma to fans. Most supporters of the Bavarian club have already fallen in and out of love with him multiple times. But throughout the 2010-11 season, sentiments towards the German striker were overwhelmingly positive.
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"I want to emphasise that I am happy with the development of Mario Gomez. I am absolutely delighted that he is in great form." - Joachim Low
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Last year was Gomez’s most prolific season yet as a professional: the 26-year old scored an outstanding 39 goals in 45 appearances. And what’s more, his strikes came in the biggest matches. Indeed, the 26-year old finished joint-second in the Champions League scoring charts, despite Bayern being knocked out in the Round of 16.
| MOMENT OF THE SEASON |
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| EURO 2012 QUALIFIER: AUSTRIA 1-2 GERMANY |
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| Gomez scored in the very net he missed at Euro 2008, and kissed the goalpost. He later headed in the winner deep in injury time. |
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So irresistible was his form last year that Gomez even managed to discover his scoring touch in a Germany shirt. Since the end of March, he has started four games for the national team, finding the net in each appearance. In the midst of his fine run, he exorcised the demons that had haunted him in recent years, scoring away to Austria into the very same net he famously missed in front of from just yards out at Euro 2008.
Many are quick to point out that Gomez’s goals come from simple finishes, and that he has a reputation for missing clear opportunities. But while it is true that he did fail to convert a number of close-range efforts last year, the Bayern man required fewer shots per goal scored than any of Europe’s elite forwards. He is in fact a very efficient, if one-dimensional, penalty box striker.
That the 26-year-old managed to score so many goals is testament not only to the quality of service he receives, but also to his uncanny instincts. The finishes themselves are often rather basic, but goals require runs and the right positioning, and in these areas Gomez has few peers.
| "[Gomez] required fewer shots per goal scored than any of Europe’s elite forwards. He is in fact a very efficient, if one-dimensional, penalty box striker." |
The next 12 months mark a critical period for both Bayern and Germany, and there will be heavy pressure on Gomez to deliver once more. This year he missed out on a lower ranking in our countdown on account of Bayern struggling as a team. But if his team-mates and countrymen can improve in the coming year, there is little doubt that the striker's stock will
continue to rise.
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