Mueller looks to crown breakout season
Source: Agencies |
July 10, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
GERMANY striker Thomas Mueller could crown an "unbelievable" first season in top flight football with the World Cup's young player of the tournament award after he was picked as one of three candidates.
"I was just told on the way here and it is a great honour to be selected as one of the nominees," the 20-year-old Bayern Munich striker told reporters yesterday. "It is a wonderful recognition of your work."
The other two are Ghana's Dede Ayew and Mexico's Giovani Dos Santos.
Mueller has scored four goals in his first World Cup, grabbing a starting spot for Germany throughout the tournament after winning his first cap as recently as March.
He could add to this goal tally on Saturday after missing the semifinal defeat to Spain through suspension.
Only 15 months ago Mueller was playing third division football with the Bayern reserves.
But in his first full season with Bayern, Mueller was instrumental in helping it win the domestic league and Cup double as well as play in its losing Champions League final against Inter Milan.
Franz Beckenbauer in 1966 and Lukas Podolski in 2006 are the only other two German players to have won this award, the German soccer federation said.
"It is quite unbelievable because a lot has happened in the past season. But to be honest I would have preferred winning the World Cup than win this award," Mueller said.
Meanwhile, leading scorers Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands and David Villa of Spain headline the list of FIFA's 10 nominees for the Golden Ball award. FIFA announced the list yesterday which was selected by its technical study group.
Sneijder and Villa have each scored five goals and will go head-to-head in tomorrow's final in Johannesburg.
Also nominated were Diego Forlan of Uruguay, Asamoah Gyan of Ghana, Andres Iniesta of Spain, Lionel Messi of Argentina, Mesut Oezil of Germany, Arjen Robben of the Netherlands, Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany and Xavi Hernandez of Spain.
Media members will vote to determine the tournament's best player after the final, with silver and bronze balls also to be handed out.
"I was just told on the way here and it is a great honour to be selected as one of the nominees," the 20-year-old Bayern Munich striker told reporters yesterday. "It is a wonderful recognition of your work."
The other two are Ghana's Dede Ayew and Mexico's Giovani Dos Santos.
Mueller has scored four goals in his first World Cup, grabbing a starting spot for Germany throughout the tournament after winning his first cap as recently as March.
He could add to this goal tally on Saturday after missing the semifinal defeat to Spain through suspension.
Only 15 months ago Mueller was playing third division football with the Bayern reserves.
But in his first full season with Bayern, Mueller was instrumental in helping it win the domestic league and Cup double as well as play in its losing Champions League final against Inter Milan.
Franz Beckenbauer in 1966 and Lukas Podolski in 2006 are the only other two German players to have won this award, the German soccer federation said.
"It is quite unbelievable because a lot has happened in the past season. But to be honest I would have preferred winning the World Cup than win this award," Mueller said.
Meanwhile, leading scorers Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands and David Villa of Spain headline the list of FIFA's 10 nominees for the Golden Ball award. FIFA announced the list yesterday which was selected by its technical study group.
Sneijder and Villa have each scored five goals and will go head-to-head in tomorrow's final in Johannesburg.
Also nominated were Diego Forlan of Uruguay, Asamoah Gyan of Ghana, Andres Iniesta of Spain, Lionel Messi of Argentina, Mesut Oezil of Germany, Arjen Robben of the Netherlands, Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany and Xavi Hernandez of Spain.
Media members will vote to determine the tournament's best player after the final, with silver and bronze balls also to be handed out.
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