Germany's jewels: Mario Götze and Toni Kroos

Germany's recent past and near-future look everything but grim

It's still some time to go until the next major European football competition next year, but chances for Germany probably never have been higher to end up winning the highest honors at both the European championship and the World Cup. Although their last win dates back to 2006, their achievements of the last decade were truly remarkable: Runners-up in the 2002 World Cup, third-placed in the 2006 and 2010 editions and runners-up in the Euro 2008. What other country can present an equal record over the last ten years? Quite correctly, people attribute this success to a new generation of young football players, completely adapted to the new way of playing the game, leaving behind old German stigmata and attributes, adopting an attitude only found outside the country and increasingly self-confident. The World Cup last year gave evidence to this neo-German play, when England (4-1) and Argentina (4-0) were defeated in a manner that stunned experts and fans alike. This neo-German strength finds also it's demand elsewhere: Never since the winning generation of 1990 has such an amount of Germany internationals played for so many top foreign-league Teams. Klose (Lazio), Khedira, Özil (Real Madrid) and Mertesacker (Arsenal) surely deserve some credit for Germany's success (Michael Ballack is too often forgotten these days). But also domestic-based Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Müller (Bayern München), just to name a few, should not be forgotten here.

The striking news for German football fans who don't look behind but ahead is this a good one: Bundesliga features some more jewels which could very well contribute to the national team playing a significant role in mayor competitions, let alone dominating them for the years to come and even winning them. This series, Germany's jewels, features a couple of them,  and the prospects they have. It kicks off with the two most striking talents of young German football players: Mario Götze and Toni Kroos.

Mario Götze (19, Borussia Dortmund, 9 caps)

Hailed as Germany's "Messi", Mario Götze is probably the most striking young talent of contemporary German football. Fast in running, extremely creative in thinking, dangerous in scoring and gifted with a superb technique hardly ever seen in Germany, and truly comparable with Messi's, this 19-year old has the brightest future prospects of all young German players. Everyone who followed Borussia Dortmund's success story in the 2010/11 campaign knows what I am trying to say. Now, Götze has still a long way to go until ending up anywhere near the likes of Messi, but the has the ability and talent to shape both German and international football of this decade. To be entirely honest, I think he would fit perfectly well into FC Barcelona's style of playing and it wouldn't surprise me if one day he ended up at a club of that category. Of course, this would depend on a whole lot of things. Setbacks are part of every football players career and Götze will eventually have to deal with them as well, and take strength and confidence out of them. He also still has to prove he can handle the increasing attention he is being given from both within and outside Germany. 

Toni Kroos (21, Bayern München, 21 caps)

More experienced than Mario Götze is midfielder Toni Kroos from Bayern München. Kroos first entered the spotlight as skipper of the sub-17 German side that reached the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup, where he was awarded with the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament. Equally gifted as Götze in terms of viewing the game and also very dangerous in front of the goal when it comes to distance attempts, he ranks among the most talented midfielders of this generation. What he lacks though is a certain drive towards the goal which other players, including Götze, possess. He is more effective by giving deadly passes, controlling the game or shoot from the distance and not so effective when it comes to dash into the area. The reason for this is that Kroos is more effective as a creative mind behind passes instead of being the ultimate recipient. Another strength is his immense tactical flexibility. He can play as defensive midfielder, central midfielder or even as left winger, only the right wing, Götze's position, might be an exception. Unluckily, he failed to entirely convince public and respective coaches of his talent, maybe partly due to the invisibility of his game at times, which resembles Barcelona's Xavi in parts. However, now in his 2nd time at Bayern Munich he might prove truly a jewel in the club's campaign this year - if not denied a spot in Bayern's heavily contested midfield. Concerning the national team: watch Germany's 2-0 against Brazil from August this year, where the elderly South American defence was being overrun by a train driven by the masterminds Kroos and Götze. And that's exactly the sort of neo-German play that converts the national side into an opponent to beat for any national team of the world in order become European or World Champions. Oh dear Toni, if you only had scored in the World Cup semifinal last year ...

Götze and Kroos: likely to form part of the national team for years

The midfield of Germany's national team is full of talented players. Nevertheless, both Götze and Kroos are likeliest to star at the next Euro Championship in their respective postitions: Götze covering the right wing (just like in Dortmund), whereas Kroos can play both in central as well as defensive midfield. So irrespectively if Germanly play a 4-1-3-2 or a 4-1-4-1 formation, both players fit in perfectly well.

Germany's 4-2-3-1 midfield.

Germany's 4-1-4-1 midfield. Note that Kroos can both play in central midfield as well as left winger