Masterful Schweinsteiger stakes his claim for Golden Ball
Published:While Joachim Low masterminds Germany’s progress from the dugout, Bastian Schweinsteiger is proving to be the orchestrator on the pitch.
The architect of Germany’s 4-0 quarter-final thrashing of Argentina, Schweinsteiger is now 6/1 to be named player of the tournament.
An unerringly accurate distributor and a scorer of 21 international goals, the Bayern Munich midfielder is a dazzling amalgamation of quarter-back and old-fashioned playmaker.
Having begun his career as a winger, Schweinsteiger has reinvented himself in recent years as a deep-lying central midfielder, and he now seems the complete player.
Despite amassing a mighty 79 caps, Schweinsteiger is still only 25 years old, and he seems destined to be the heartbeat of this German side for many years to come.
Germany are now 2/1 to win the World Cup, and if Schweinsteiger and his colleagues can maintain their sparkling form, they are destined to lift the Jules Rimet trophy for a fourth time.
Schweinsteiger’s experience has been crucial to the development of his younger fellow midfielders Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller, who all starred in the German side that won last year’s under 21 European championship.
Ozil is a 7/1 contender to be player of the tournament, while Muller is 14/1 to win the Golden Ball.
Spain will be Germany’s semi-final opponents, and the most intriguing battle will be in central midfield, where Schweinsteiger will cross swords with the Barcelona playmaker Xavi.
And if Schweinsteiger can eclipse the Catalan master like he did Lionel Messi, his case to win player of the tournament could prove irresistible.
Who do you think will claim the Golden Ball? Wesley Sneijder is a 4/1 contender. See the full Player of the Tournament market.
