Eight years after his decisive goal in the 2014 final and difficult phases, Mario Götze is back at a World Cup. He still only plays a supporting role, against Costa Rica an Götze moment could be necessary.
There are only five other footballers like him in Germany. It should be an honor to read his name in this series. For Mario Götze, he has made it clear for years, it is also a burden. He sees the danger of being reduced to this one moment, this one goal.
On Tuesday (November 29th, 2022) Thomas Müller recalled the “Götze moment” in a prominent place during the press conference of the German national team. Substituted with the request of then national coach Joachim Löw to show the world that he was better than Lionel Messi, he showed the world that he is better than Messi that evening. Maracanã, he should do it, he will do it, 1-0 in the 113th minute, Germany is world champion. There can’t be a greater sporting moment.
Mario Götze (left) and Müller celebrate their goal in the 2014 World Cup final
In line with Morlock, Rahn, Müller and Brehme
Max Morlock and twice Helmut Rahn in 1954, Paul Breitner and Gerd Müller in 1974, Andreas Brehme in 1990: These are the five others who shot a star on the German jersey. Some of their biographies tell how difficult it can be to live as a hero.
Mario Götze’s biography shows breaks, it reads differently than was to be expected in 2010. As a youth at Borussia Dortmund, he was recognized as having exceptional talent. So extraordinary that some said they had never seen someone like Götze.
After one of the first professional games for BVB, Franz Beckenbauer was asked if Götze could be as good as Messi. He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either, and because Beckenbauer’s words still seemed like a decree from the Kaiser at the time, it was only a matter of time before Germany had a world star, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and the big and rich ensnare from England.
According to information from the sports show, Götze once had a negotiated contract with Liverpool FC. Jürgen Klopp wanted his former player at Bayern after successful but also difficult years. But Götze chose BVB, which he was even more familiar with.
Return to stable form in Eindhoven
The only foreign station in Mario Götze’s career is PSV Eindhoven. The club from the second-rate Dutch Eredivisie brought him from Dortmund because things had only progressed moderately there. There were also good periods with special moments, and before the 2018 World Cup there were serious discussions whether Götze will get a place in the squad for the tournament in Russia.
He didn’t get it. His 63rd international match in November 2017 was his last so far. In Eindhoven, largely thanks to the German coach Roger Schmidt, Götze found his way back to stable form from 2020, largely away from the German public.
Eintracht Frankfurt grabbed it in the summer of 2022. At a bargain price of less than five million euros, as it turned out. Götze played in all 15 Bundesliga games and played through ten times. Only three players in the league have run more kilometers than the 30-year-old Götze, and he is even ahead in the intensive runs.
Exceptional ball accelerator
Götze has never been a sprinter and will never be again. But hardly anyone accelerates the ball like he does. Götze sets the pace of his teammates in motion, directing it into dangerous areas.
That too could be in demand against Costa Rica, in addition to the dribbling skills of Jamal Musiala, who, thanks to his speed, can sometimes pass opponents with the ball. The last group opponent of the German team is expected to play very defensively on Thursday (December 1st, 2022). Germany are huge favorites, especially since Costa Rica, despite beating Japan, performed at a comparatively modest level.
But the example of the game against South Korea at the 2018 World Cup, when not even a goal was scored, the game was lost 2-0 and Germany were eliminated, shows that even a favorite can fail tremendously.
Thomas Muller said an Götze moment against Costa Rica might be needed, and then more later in the tournament. If necessary, Götze could take care of it himself.