The World Cup could come to a happy end for Mesut Özil and Tim Wiese. While the keeper Wiese could see his first action in the game for third place, Özil could be honoured as the...
The World Cup could come to a happy end for Mesut Özil and Tim Wiese. While the keeper Wiese could see his first action in the game for third place, Özil could be honoured as the...
The World Cup could come to a happy end for Mesut Özil and Tim Wiese. While the keeper Wiese could see his first action in the game for third place, Özil could be honoured as the best player in the World Cup.
FIFA on Friday announced the short list of 10 players who would fight it out for the Golden Ball as the best player of the World Cup. Werder midfielder Mesut Özil was nominated by the FIFA Technical Study Group along with German team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger, Andreas Iniesta, Xavi (both Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay) and reigning World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi among others. "Mesut for me is the best player from the World Cup," Werder manager Klaus Allofs has said a number of times. Now it remains to be seen if the vote of the eligible media representatives at the World Cup final agree.
Mesut Özil will likely get to show off his skills a final time in the game against Uruguay on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. After a break due to muscular problems, Özil returned to the training pitch on Friday. But team-mate Wiese had to watch from afar. Werder's top keeper is dealing with inflammation in his right knee, which has come at the most inopportune time. "I would like to thank the players for their unbelievable desire because I know that it was not always easy for them," said German national team coach Joachim Löw about the players who have not played at the World Cup yet. The coaching staff is considering thanking Wiese by allowing him to stand between the posts for the third place game.
"But we don't want to risk anything," said team general manager Oliver Bierhoff. "Tim has really worked his way tremendously into the team. It was an issue beforehand how we would take not being number one. But he has helped the team a lot and always gave his all in training," praised Bierhoff the Werder keeper.
