analysis
20 years ago, Jürgen Klinsmann unexpectedly nominated the 22-year-old David Odonkor for the 2006 World Cup – and was rewarded with a football moment for eternity. Could there be such a surprise in Nagelsmann’s World Cup squad?
On May 21st, national coach Julian Nagelsmann will nominate his provisional World Cup squad and almost everything has already been decided. The roles are distributed and most of the squad positions are allocated.
There are no longer any major upheavals. There will probably not be a return campaign like in the case of Toni Kroos before the home European Championship in 2024. The only question remains: who will replace the injured Serge Gnabry? And is there a surprise candidate?
David Odonkor out of nowhere
The last big squad surprise came 20 years ago. In 2006, the then national coach Jürgen Klinsmann made the courageous decision to promote the 22-year-old David Odonkor to the senior national team after a mixed season at Borussia Dortmund. His strengths? “Impudence, speed and carefreeness”.
The rest is known: Dortmund, second group game, injury time. Substitute Odonkor sprinted away from the Poles on the right wing and carelessly crossed into the penalty area. Neuville, 1-0. The national players, Jürgen Klinsmann, the Westfalenstadion and the whole of Germany erupted in great cheers. Germany qualified early for the round of 16 and the summer fairy tale was on.
It’s high time for a new Odonkor, the mysterious Mister Then there’s just one question left: Who would have the potential to do that this year?
Tim Lemperle – The Worker
Tim Lemperle moved to TSG Hoffenheim in the summer and has taken another big step in his development after his strong promotion season with 1. FC Köln. He can be used variably on both wings and in the center of the attack, creates gaps in the opposing defense with his deep runs and is instrumental in Hoffenheim’s successful season with eight goals.
What makes him particularly valuable for TSG now is his work against the ball. Lemperle is one of the best pressing strikers in the Bundesliga and received special praise for this from his coach Christian Ilzer in the winter, who praised him for his selfless style of play at kicker “fundamental importance” for the Hoffenheim game idea.
Tim Lemperle is known for his intelligent approach to opposing interior defenders.
Over the years he has become more of a worker, Lemperle told Kicker, “Before, as a winger, I was able to enjoy playing a little more, now I define myself more through running and tackling.”
Nicolo Tresoldi – The one with the nose for goals
Nicolo Tresoldi is only 21 years old, but is already a real nine. In the Champions League this season he scored for Club Brugge against Atlético Madrid and Barcelona, and in the Belgian league he leads the scorers list with 13 goals. He also scores like a charm for the U21 national team. He is therefore a candidate for a position that Nagelsmann has in his Kicker interview one “Construction site that we have to close” called.
Does he already have what it takes for the senior national team? Tresoldi claims balls well, has outstanding technique in the air and wins an exceptional number of one-on-one duels on the ground for his type of player.
Nicolo Tresoldi has so far scored five goals in seven games in the current U21 European Championship qualification.
His greatest strength, however, is his understanding of the game, which means he is often in the right place at the right time – or as his U21 national coach Antonio Di Salvo put it in an interview with transfermarkt.de: “He just has a nose for scoring goals.”
Brajan Gruda – The Creative
A third candidate for a possible squad surprise is Brajan Gruda. The 21-year-old offensive player moved to RB Leipzig on loan in the winter after a disappointing season and a half in Brighton and blossomed again there. At the beginning of February he said in a media round: “I just try to have fun on the field, like I used to on the football field” – and he also shows this fun: In eleven games he has already collected six scorers.
Brajan Gruda has a lot of talent – he hasn’t been able to show his creativity so regularly since moving from Mainz to Brighton (2024).
He could also convince Nagelsmann with his type of player. Along with Leroy Sané and Lennart Karl, Gruda is the only German left-footer who has played on the right wing at a high level in recent years. Lennart Karl could be needed more often in the ten again due to Gnabry’s injury. Does this create a gap for Gruda? The role philosophy of the national coach speaks for this.
At the moment he can’t get past the outstanding Ivorian winger Yan Diamonde in Leipzig – and that’s likely to stay that way for the rest of the season. That speaks against a place in the World Cup squad. Nagelsmann emphasized back in Marchthat he expects more from Gruda: “In the end it’s about getting more goals and assists from him. That’s still not enough for his quality.”
Who will be the new Odonkor?
Football Germany has to be patient until May 21st and can meanwhile passionately discuss who the new Odonkor could be. By the way, according to David Odonkor: Nobody. In 2018 he said in an interview with WAZ: “I came from nowhere. Nobody had me on the bill. There won’t be another Odonkor.”
