Goretzka flicked his head to send the ball to target, and then he celebrated with open arms, looking as if the team had won and he had contributed a goal. Unfortunately, this was just a scene in the Training of the German team, and Instead of pushing the ball into the door, Goretzka pushed the ball into a bucket on the sidelines. But that's still a good sign: Goretzka is in good shape and he's ready for the second round against Portugal.
The 1-0 loss to France, the German midfield lacked impact, and Loew also pointed out that the team could not continue to form a blow at the front of the opponent's penalty area. Goretzka may be the solution, he has the speed and the impact, he can take the place in the box and shoot himself. In 32 games for Germany, Goretzka scored 13 goals.
Before the end of the Bundesliga season, Goretzka suffered a torn muscle fiber and recuperated for six weeks. Loew insisted on taking him to the European Championship, but there was no rush to get him out of the first round. In the second round against Portugal, Goretzka returned to Loew's squad options, saying: "Leon told me that increasing the amount of training made him feel good. He needs two or three more training sessions to be 100% sure of that good feeling and thus help the team. He hasn't played in a long time and I don't know if he can meet the starting standards, but he can be a good option over the course of the game. "It bodes well for Goretzka's chances of coming off the bench.
Loew needed Goretzka, at least in Richter's opinion. As the club's youth director at Bochum, Richter can be said to be The Mentor of Goretzka, and the two have worked together for a long time. In the corridor outside Richter's office, there are many photos of professional players who have walked out of here, including Gundogan, Krostermann and Goretzka, three German internationals who are competing in the European Championships.
In 2008, Richter came to Work in Bochum, at the age of 13. Richter quickly noticed the teenager, the first of which was that Goretzka at the time had an injury to his arm and was tied with bandages. It wasn't long before he saw how brilliant Goretzka was. When Goretzka was promoted to the Bochum U15 junior team, Richter was his head coach.
The first time he trained with Richter, Gritzka discussed his ideas about the training with the coach, and he was right, which impressed Richter. In an interview with German media, he said: "In Goretzka, you can see that his understanding of football is different from that of many other people. He thinks a lot more than about the stadium alone, for example, he thinks about nutrition and strength training. ”
Goretzka has developed a special relationship with the coaching staff. Richter and his team members know that in a small Bundesliga club like Bochum, it is difficult and laborious to develop a good young player and stay in the team. So the club sometimes sent someone to the school to pick up Goretzka for training, and even brought him food.
Richter said: "This is very much in line with the spirit of Bochum. Goretzka also has a close relationship with us because he is a young man in Bochum. Goretzka's family has always been grateful to us for taking care of him. He reciprocated by signing his first professional contract. "Goretzka played in the professional league in Bochum before moving to Schalke and eventually joining Bayern. His connection with Bochum has never been broken, and to this day he still has four numbers on his license plate "1848", which is the year the Bochum Club was built. He also spent his rehabilitation in Bochum during his injuries.
Richter said: "Goretzka has always been special. Even when playing under U17, as long as he speaks in the locker room, others listen. He has earned such respect with his performances and, of course, his personal qualities. ”
Can this personal trait help Germany against Portugal? If Goretzka plays, it is likely that he will be made up for another former disciple of Richter, also from Gundogan of Bochum's youth academy.