Richard Buxton: Reus to the occasion
Dortmund forward has been one of few bright sparks for Germany
Germany's most unconvincing crop of World Cup contenders are indebted to an unlikely man.
Thus far, the holders' title defence has been both chaotic and disjointed. Tonight against South Korea, it could conceivably lie in tatters.
Victory by a two-goal margin removes all potential permutations. Anything else will leave them at the mercy of other results in a largely dismal Group F campaign which could see them become the third successive holders to exit at the group stage.
| SOUTH KOREA | GERMANY |
But Marco Reus' ability to make up for lost time may prove to be Germany's salvation.
Toni Kroos may have stolen the headlines in last Saturday's 2-1 win over Sweden, and will undoubtedly go down in history as one of his country's greatest midfielders, yet it is the Borussia Dortmund attacker who embodied everything about the smash-and-grab affair.
Injury cruelly denied Reus a place for Germany at both the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.
It threatened to derail him again during the first half of last season, only for a return of seven goals in his final 15 games to help steer Dortmund to Champions League qualification.
That form is only likely to be improved by a reunion with Lucien Favre when his former Borussia Moenchengladbach boss takes the reins at Signal Iduna Park next term.
His first World Cup start at the age of 29 was similarly more than worth the wait. In Sochi, he became the heartbeat when Joachim Loew's side showed no signs of a pulse.
Sweden's counter-attacking had sucker-punched them into apparent submission.
Reus, however, knows more than a thing or two about overcoming adversity.
Beyond his personal struggles, standing out in a campaign of upheaval for Dortmund has been no mean feat. Dragging Die Mannschaft over the line felt minor in comparison.
He lived up to his Woody Woodpecker nickname by poking holes in a stubborn defence after his international teammates appeared out of ideas.
More than just an ability to breach backlines makes Reus an asset for Germany this summer.
His versatility in all attacking positions and expertise from set-pieces make him a cut above the likes of Mesut Oezil, whose eight-year run of successive starts he helped end.
The only surprise was that he did not assume a greater responsibility than a simple roll of the ball to Kroos to set up his country's potential watershed moment.
Loew had previously turned to Reus in a futile attempt to stem the tide of their opening-day defeat by Mexico. Once again, his prominence managed to slip under the radar, due to the headlines on the Germans' loss.
Having missed out on two major tournaments, Reus seems hellbent on making a statement in Russia. It is up to Germany to determine how far he is allowed to take them.
EQUATIONS
- Mexico need just a point against Sweden to qualify and top the group. They will also make the Round of 16 regardless of their result should Germany fail to win.
- Sweden will qualify if they win or better Germany’s result. If they beat Mexico and Germany fail to win, Sweden will top the group.
- Germany must win by two or more goals or better Sweden’s result to guarantee qualification.
- South Korea will only qualify with a win against Germany combined with Sweden losing to Mexico. Should those results play out, South Korea still need the scores to work out such that they have a better goal difference than Germany and Sweden.
PREDICTIONS
Germany to win 2-1, Mexico 2-0
“Germany are more experienced and have more quality than South Korea. “Mexico are a more compete team than Sweden... and should win.”
– Former Lions striker Noh Alam Shah
Germany to win 2-0, Mexico 1-0
“Germany will build on their win and South Korea won’t be able to stop them. Mexico have the edge over Sweden. ”
– Ex-Thailand midfielder Therdsak Chaiman
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