Ballack to the Future: The Leon Goretzka Thread

Discussion in 'Germany: National Teams' started by Epitome990, Oct 21, 2017.

  1. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
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  2. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
  3. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Goretzka seems to be ahead of Ballack in terms of scoring for the NT. Ballack is also the highest scoring German midfielder.

    Goretzka= 6 goals in 12 games
    Ballack=6 goals in 21 games

    In terms of Bundesliga
    Goretzka=14 goals in 99 games (Age 22)
    Ballack=14 goals in 96 games (Age 24 if right)
     
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  4. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
    I guess Ballack's career started off slower, similar to Klose on the club level at least. He began with Chemnitzer in the 2nd division and according to Wiki, he even played in the Regionalliga as a 20-21 year old. And then moved to Kaiserslautern for a couple seasons.

    Ballack's major breakthrough looked to be in his second season with Leverkusen where he scored 7 for them. He was around 24-25 years old at that point. And then had his best ever scoring season the one afterwards, where he had 17 goals before making the transfer to Bayern.
     
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  5. Rosebud

    Rosebud Member+

    Aug 5, 2012
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Club:
    Union Berlin
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    If Schalke aren't gunna teach Leon to play in possession, they should just start converting him to a forward already. Cause despite all of his physical gifts and technical skills, the kid is still no better at making quick decisions in tight spaces against a set defense that isn't still scrambling back into shape than he was when he was still a winger for Bochum.
     
  6. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
    Ger90 repped this.
  7. RacMan93

    RacMan93 Member

    Jul 15, 2010
    Montreal
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Was he better then Kai Havertz at the same age?
     
  8. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
    I think it's pretty close and debatable between the two. Havertz made his debut last season as a 17 year old, and already played well on the Bundesliga with Leverkusen. When Goretzka was 17, he was still with Bochum. He had a pretty standout season in the 2BL, and was immediately signed by Schalke afterwards.
     
  9. Rosebud

    Rosebud Member+

    Aug 5, 2012
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Club:
    Union Berlin
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Leon was more impressive with youth teams, but Havertz's 17yo first pro season was more impressive and he's built on it very nicely...whereas LeGo has struggled to take that next step of excelling in possession against organized & deep sitting defenses.
     
  10. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
  11. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
  12. Jordan Khamra

    Jordan Khamra Member

    May 21, 2014
    This is going to be hard to determine based on numbers. Ballack carried an average team for a decade and was the undisputed best NT player by a mile for a long period of those years. Goretzka will/has the luxury of playing with a team full of World class players so wins and goals will be easier to come, assuming he is a starter.
     
  13. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    not as much as Ballack scored a ton and ton of PK and even some free kicks.
    The 2002 team was average save for Klose, Ballack, and Kahn. But 2006, 2008, Germany reached 3rd and 2nd place with a pretty decent team.

    I wouldn't say at the CC17 the team was one of World class players and Goretzka scored 3 goals there. More like players with potential and players playing in their 1st few caps for Germany.
     
  14. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    is there any news on Goretzka? He missed 2 games in a row. First the Cup game and now the game vs Wolf.

    from TM seems like he has muscular problems with unknown comeback time.
     
  15. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
    Seems like he trained with the team during the week, but currently not match fit for today. Out day-to-day right now but shouldn't be too far away from returning.

     
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  16. Rosebud

    Rosebud Member+

    Aug 5, 2012
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Club:
    Union Berlin
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    The white Brazilian & Frings will never get the disrespect they deserve for their roles in the 2002 run just because Kahn put in the most dominant goaltending performance since Yashin. Yeah that team didn't deserve to be in the final without Kahn being inhuman, or the goals that Ballack & Klose scored, but Schneider was a big part of that team and Frings did a great job as Ballack's partner in the middle.
     
  17. nekkibasara

    nekkibasara Member+

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Virginia
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Schneider is a player who will forever perplex me. Imagine how good he could have been if he wasn't a chain smoker.
     
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  18. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    his Bayer and NT teammate Oliver Neuville was also a chain smoker, lol.
     
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  19. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
  20. Epitome990

    Epitome990 Member+

    Jun 27, 2013
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    Nat'l Team:
    Austria
    Ger90 repped this.
  21. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
  22. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
  23. Rosebud

    Rosebud Member+

    Aug 5, 2012
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Club:
    Union Berlin
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    If he's not to be converted into a forward, I hope he follows Pep, Tuchel or Nagelsmann so he can finally learn how to play in possession and become more than just the counter-n-setpiece beast that he is now.
     
  24. Jordan Khamra

    Jordan Khamra Member

    May 21, 2014
    2006 the NT overachieved and was aided by playing at home. Most of us went in with low expectations and were hoping the team could make QF. 2002 made final, however, that team overachieved well. While the NT managed some great finishes in 2002 & 2006, Ballack's prime years were spent playing with an average NT team that was able to overachieve, in some situation due to draw. Also the team that had terrible showings at EC2000 and EC2004.
     
  25. Dage

    Dage Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 4, 2008
    Berlin
    Club:
    Borussia Mönchengladbach
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    2002 Klose was no star player for the NT and he wasn't the technical link-up forward of 2010-2014. From the 2002 squad Hamann, Schneider and Lehmann were the quality players next to Kahn and Ballack.
     

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