<div id="newsTextpar"><img alt="" src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/NEO~1.MOS/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg"/><br/><a href="javascript:fnOpenExtWindow()"><img id="ImgToShow" alt="" src="http://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/photo/competitions/under19/73/42/35/734235_mediumlandscape.jpg"/></a><br/><p style="FONT-SIZE: 14px;"><img alt="" src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/NEO~1.MOS/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg"/></p><p style="FONT-SIZE: 14px;">Germany's progress to<br/>the UEFA European Under-19 Championship final has been based around<br/>their traditional virtues of pace, power and fitness, and the heart of<br/>their midfield in the Czech Republic also has a familiar look to it.</p><p style="FONT-SIZE: 14px;"><strong>'Just win'</strong><br/>Twins<br/>Lars and Sven Bender have been crucial components in Germany reaching<br/>Saturday's showpiece against Italy in Jablonec, and both are clear on<br/>their remaining objectives are for the tournament. "Just win," Lars<br/>told uefa.com. "The team has to keep doing what we have been, keep our<br/>discipline and shape, stick to our tactics and make sure we take our<br/>chances. What we've done so far is a big step towards where we want to<br/>go." "The immediate goal is to become European champions, and it would<br/>be an absolute dream to do that with my brother," Sven added.</p><p style="FONT-SIZE: 14px;"><strong>Close combination</strong><br/>The<br/>twins have been the heartbeat of Germany's midfield and, while it may<br/>be unusual for observers to see two such similar players, for the<br/>brothers it is nothing new. "We know this feeling from the [2006]<br/>European U17 Championship and from our clubs too, especially [TSV] 1860<br/>München – we've played in the same team since we joined them," Sven<br/>explained. Lars elaborated further, saying: "We've always been in the<br/>same team. There has never been a question of us playing for a<br/>different side, although you can't predict what will happen in the<br/>future."</p><p style="FONT-SIZE: 14px;"><strong>Differing talents</strong><br/>The<br/>pair are virtually identical, and distinguishing them is made harder as<br/>both play in central midfield and have similar styles, although the<br/>twins are keen to highlight that they do possess different talents as<br/>well. "There are only small differences between us as players, which<br/>perhaps aren't obvious to people who watch us," Lars admitted. "We do<br/>have some differences, although we fit together very well. I'm a little<br/>bit more offensive than Sven, who is more defensive – although we are<br/>quite alike. We play in the same position after all."</p><p style="FONT-SIZE: 14px;"><strong>'The Benders'</strong><br/>For<br/>his part, Sven acknowledges that being a twin has left to people<br/>bracketing the pair together rather than assessing them in turn. "We<br/>are not judged as individuals – nobody talks about Lars Bender or Sven<br/>Bender, people only talk about 'the Benders', as in 'the Benders played<br/>well' or 'the Benders played badly'," he said. "In a way this has made<br/>us stronger because we've learned than one of us can help the other<br/>improve and raise his game, although in the future we might have to<br/>[separate] because we play in the same position." "We've developed at<br/>the same rate," Lars added. "We've always made the same progress at the<br/>same time, although one of us may have made big steps and the other<br/>small steps – but again, these are only small differences."</p><p style="FONT-SIZE: 14px;"><strong>Bundesliga target</strong><br/>Not<br/>among those small differences are their career ambitions, with both<br/>eager to reach the very highest level. "I want to play in the<br/>Bundesliga one day, hopefully with 1860 München," Sven said.<br/>"Eventually my goal is to get into the senior national team, play in<br/>the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup with my club and the [FIFA]<br/>World Cup or [UEFA] European Championships at senior level with my<br/>country." The twins might be keen to be thought of as individuals but<br/>they are united by a common goal as Germany seek a first youth title<br/>since the 1992 European U17 Championship, Lars saying: "I've always<br/>enjoyed playing for Germany but to become European champions would be<br/>fantastic."</p></div><!--Element not supported - Type: 8 Name: #comment--><p>©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.<br/> </p>
[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-24 18:17:48编辑过]
|
楼主