Sheer determination

The seconds after the goal are a mix of celebration and relief (photo: nph).
First Team
Monday, 31.08.2015 / 11:25

When Aron Jóhannsson stood in the Gladbach penalty area with outstretched arms in the 40th minute, he was being embraced by his teammates after scoring his first...

When Aron Jóhannsson stood in the Gladbach penalty area with outstretched arms in the 40th minute, he was being embraced by his teammates after scoring his first ever Bundesliga goal. He tucked away the penalty coolly to give Werder the lead. The fact that Jóhannsson was the one taking the penalty was the source of some astonishment at the Weser Stadion.

"We had no designated penalty taker beforehand," explained Viktor Skripnik, before adding, "I told the team that they should decide amongst themselves who takes any penalties based on how feels like it." Skripnik himself had an inkling: "I knew that Aron had already taken penalties at Alkmaar. He had no fear and didn't want to hide. He scored the penalty with real class." The 24-year-old striker made himself a symbol of the Green-Whites' performance - he wanted this goal as much as the whole team wanted this first win of the season.

Aron Johannsson coolly tucked away his first Bundesliga goal from the spot (photo: nph).

"It was good for me to score, but it's more important that we won the game. It was my choice to take the penalty. I've taken a few before in my career. I didn't score them all, but I've got so much confidence in my own ability that I wanted to score," Johannsson told journalists after the game. The striker earned a lot of praise from his teammates for taking responsibility. Jannik Vestergaard, who went on to score the winning goal, was one of those to laud his new teammate. "It was a good sign that he feels comfortable in the side. Aron has got stuck in in training, and he doesn't hide in the dressing room. His goal today was a reward for his great performance."

Chief executive Thomas Eichin also had some kind words for the USA international. "We all know Aron's qualities. He took responsibility by stepping up to take the penalty, and he tucked it away with confidence - he showed that he's a quality striker," praised Eichin. It's no wonder then that Viktor Skripnik predicts a promising future for his new striker. "We can all look forward to him fulfilling his potential. I'm already very happy and I'm looking forward to working with him in the coming weeks."

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