Top German Youth Players Season 2002/2003
Like my last youth-list, this list also needs to have explanations:
I took only players from clubs of the 1st & 2nd Bundesliga, rejecting those from the lower leagues and from foreign divisions (most prominent exclusion are Guiseppe Gemiti of Udinese Calcio, Thomas Hitzlsperger of Aston Villa and Simon Cziommer of FC Twente). I've decided to include only those players, who are not older than 22 years of age and who have not experienced A-internationals for Germany. This rule has prevented some inclusions: Christoph Metzelder of Dortmund, who was regularly playing for Germany during their World Cup campaign, seems to be the most prominent exclusion alongside long-term injury target Sebastian Deisler (Bayern Munich). Sticking to this, I have had to exclude Tim Borowski of Werder Bremen due to the fact that he had his debut for Germany.
Looking back on the players of my last youth-list, altogether five of them have debuted for Germany in the time since my last list. Next to the mentioned Tim Borowski, Paul Freier of Bochum, Christian Rahn of Hamburg, Daniel Bierofka of Bayer Leverkusen and Fabian Ernst of Werder Bremen have all found their way into the A-squad of Voller. Some players (Benjamin Auer, Denis Lapaczinski, Christoph Preu?and Michael Zepek) have been removed from this list as a result of form.
To treat everyone fair, I had to put my concentration on how regularly all of them have performed for their clubs. Though someone with regular appearances for his club has clearly had better chances than someone, whose career has just been limited to youth internationals and reserve roles for his club. As there are still players included that have also been in here last year, I've tried to review their last year rather than describing them once again. Nevertheless. Every newcomer to this list will be rated in the way he should.
At the end I prefered not to put up a ranking in favour of a listing of 18 players, because I felt that a ranking holds more personal view and opinion than necessary here. As a result, the players are sorted by surname.
Name: Hanno Balitsch
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Age: 22
Club: Bayer Leverkusen (1st)
Last season: The progress of Hanno Balitsch at Bayer Leverkusen after leaving arch-rivals Cologne this summer is an excellent example of which sort of players are enjoying advantages in the favour of their coaches these days. Hard working Balitsch certainly lacks creativity or scoring power, but his determination to work for the team and his determination in almost every other team aspect has helped him gaining personal profit from the bad form Leverkusen had in the first part of the season. With players like Ballack or Z?Roberto gone, Leverkusen struggled to find their form and new arrival Balitsch took his chance to become something like a regular in their defensive midfield besides German international Carsten Ramelow. Last season at Cologne, who were relegated some way early, he also gained advantage from the bad form of his club. After he overcame some sort of injury problems he won a regular spot in midfield and as much Cologne faded as much Baltisch sparkled. Balitsch will get his debut for Germany soon. He was already on call for the last A-international before the winter break.
Name: Phillip Bonig
Position: Left Back
Age: 22
Club: MSV Duisburg (2nd Bundesliga)
Comment: Bavarian Phillip Bonig is about eighteen months older than his younger brother Sebastian, who joined LR Ahlen this summer, and has made himself a regular within the defence of Ruhr club MSV Duisburg in the 2nd Bundesliga. Raised by Bayern Munich, left-footed Bonig was among various talents not to get any higher than the reserves at Bayern, though he decided to leave for Duisburg. Soon after arriving at the once mighty Zebra's, Bonig has become a regular under the reign of former German World-Cup winner Pierre Littbarski and has been linked with a move to top-flight clubs as the result of his development in the 2nd Bundesliga. Bonig is a very solid crosser of the ball. He has learned to go all the way on the left, if needed, and to look after others as well in some kind of manmarking qualities.
Name: Markus Daun
Position: Striker
Age: 22
Current club: Werder Bremen (1st)
Owned by: Bayer Leverkusen (1st)
Comment: The existing firepower at his Bayer Leverkusen forced the pacey striker to accept loan deals to gain experience. Before he joined SV Werder Bremen at the start of this season, Daun had a six months spell with Alemannia Aachen of the 2nd Bundesliga, where he showed class. Willing to sign for Werder Bremen the youngster had to learn that Leverkusen was not willing to let him go, so a two-year loan move concerning Daun was finally arranged between Bremen and Leverkusen. At Bremen he has also to fight for a place in the starting XI as Werder had also signed Greek Angelos Charisteas, who forms a good partnership with speedy Brazilian Ailton. Werder's coach Thomas Schaaf has not overlooked hard-working Daun as Daun gets regular appearances either alongside Charisteas (instead of Ailton) or besides Ailton and instead of Charisteas. Daun is best described as a fast and determined striker, probably the ultimative solution for counterattacking situations.
Name: Marco Engelhardt
Position: Left Back, Left Midfielder or Left Defensive Midfielder
Age: 22
Club: Karlsruher SC (2nd Bundesliga)
Comment: It seems impossible to talk about Marco Engelhardt without talking about Clemens Fritz and to mention Fritz and leave Engelhardt untouched is also impossible. Like his mate, Engelhardt began his career in the third division playing for local club Rot-Wei?Erfurt before he and Clemens Fritz moved on to Karlsruhe eighteen months ago. At Karlsruhe both have been included regularly by their coaches and raised attention from other top-division sides. Like Fritz, Engelhardt was also close to join Hanover last summer, before Hanover let him down, thinking they could land higher quality for the same price. Unlike Fritz Engelhardt is still onehundred percent owned by Karlsruhe, although rumours are on that he will also leave the Wildparkstadion at the end of the season. Marco Engelhardt has a good left foot, the ability to work hard for team and team-mates and is quite versatile. Best used on the left side of defensive midfield he is not afraid to play as a left-back or with the advise not to reduce himself to defensive tasks.
Name: Cristian Fiel
Position: Left Winger or Left Attacking Midfielder
Age: 22
Club: VfL Bochum (1st Bundesliga)
Comment: Cristian Fiel started his career two years ago at then relegated 2nd Bundesliga side Stuttgarter Kickers before moving to then promoted 1. FC Union Berlin. Financial difficulties at Union have been the reason why he is now on the books of VfL Bochum, because Bochum stepped in for the youngster due to the disagreement between Union and Fiel about the possible pay-cut Union wanted Fiel to accept. Bochum beat a couple of other clubs for Fiel's signature this winter and want him to put massive pressure on their left attacking midfielder Delron Buckley, whose form was rather poor in the last few months. Originally playing on the left side of midfield, Fiel's agressivity and acceleration helped two of his recent coaches to put him into a kind of wing role on the left, where he scored seven goals for Union last season. A year that has to be described as his breakthrough season, although the next months at his new club will be tough one's for this German with Spanish roots.
Name: Maik Franz
Position: Central Defender
Age: 21
Club: VfL Wolfsburg (1st)
Last season: The chance of an outsider he took last season to become a regular face in the Wolfsburg line-up has turned to an outside challenge for the young East German after veteran team-mate Stefan Schnoor (previously with Derby County) and Danish defender Kim Madsen have been regulars on his position this season. The arrival of Pablo Quattrocchi from Estudiandes this month will put him further down the line and Franz, who is a regular in the German U21 of former Juventus defender J黵gen Kohler, has to wait for another long-term chance. His manmarking quality, his aggressivity, his determination and his pace will help him to stay tuned, but actually the reasons why he remains listed are to be found in the past season.
Name: Clemens Fritz
Position: Striker or Right Winger
Age: 22
Current club: Karlsruher SC (2nd)
Owned by: Bayer Leverkusen (1st)
Last season: Clemens Fritz's good season at Karlsruhe was overshadowed by transfer trouble and the talented forward still struggles due to it, even although he is not too shy or stubborn to play defensive. Emerged to the heights of the German 2nd Bundesliga, Fritz was about to sign for newly promoted top-flight side Hanover 96 last spring and although terms were already agreed, the Hanover staff finally rejected the move because they felt Czech topscorer Jiri Stajner from Slovan Liberec would be the better player to sign in the end. For Fritz and his club this was a complete shock. Karlsruhe, in the middle of a serious financial crises, looked bankrupt then and it took the decision of Bayer Leverkusen to jump into the scene to sign the tricky youngster until Karlsruhe was back in the financial frame as a safe member of this years 2nd Bundesliga. Aware that his chances at Leverkusen were blocked, Leverkusen and Fritz decided to install a one year loan at Karlsruhe for the former Erfurt hotshot. There he still needs to come back to the impressiveness he had during his first year, now in a rather defensive position on the right side of midfield or even as a regular right-back for the relegation-threatened club.
Name: Andreas Hinkel
Position: Right Back or Right Wing Back
Age: 20
Club: VfB Stuttgart (1st)
Last season: A promised future German international, Andreas Hinkel had to overcome a serious shoulder injury at the end of last season. But this injury, which put Hinkel aside for a few months and some Bundesliga matches, couldn't stop the uncapped player to establish himself in the backline of the club's defence. The club tries to tie him down for longer than his current deal, but the player has not yet agreed to this. He will, probably sooner than later, and he will also have a bright future if he goes on like he did in the first parts of his young career.
Name: Peer Kluge
Position: Central Midfielder
Age: 22
Club: Borussia Moenchengladbach (1st)
Comment: Rated by youth international appearances this young midfielder would not be included here after just playing a few times for the German U17 years ago, but due to his performances in the 1st Bundesliga he needs to be included here. After his hometown club Chemnitzer FC was relegated back to the third division, Peer Kluge moved to Moenchengladbach. An injury to their key midfielder Peter Nielsen late last season pushed the youngster straight into the first team and Kluge took his chance. He became a proven regular with his cool way of playing, helping his club to overcome the departure of Nielsen. A persistant shin injury, picked up in September, has been the reason why Kluge has yet to return from the injury-list, but in those nine matches Moenchengladbach had to deal without Kluge before the winter break, the importance of the fragile midfielder for the club was visible. Defensive mind, good view, an impressive working rate and a solid passing creativity certify that he deserves to be praised for his recent steps.
Name: Kevin Kuranyi
Position: Centre Forward
Age: 20
Club: VfB Stuttgart (1st Bundesliga)
Comment: The son of latino parents, already regularly picked for the German U21, has stormed right into Bundesliga focus this season after he won a place in the centre of the Stuttgart attack. In previous years Kuranyi was unable to hold on to good form, but this year he looks different and certainly above someone like Benjamin Auer of Mainz, who still has to adapt to senior professional football. Fast and pacey Kuranyi looks solid in the air, but strong enough to play centre forward throughout his career. Technically gifted and packed with flair he offers a decent amount of excitement apart from his scoring sense, although he is not the cream of creativity. A future international if he can constantly keep the level and the progress he has recently been on.
Name: Benjamin Lauth
Position: Striker or Right Winger
Age: 21
Club: TSV Munich 1860 (1st)
Comment: It took time for the youngster to debut for Munich 1860 due to the non-risky coaching of long-term coach Werner Lorant. Lorant was not willing to give any significant youngster a real chance in the first-team, though some youth-internationals from the club sooner or later tried their luck elsewhere. Already playing youth-internationals for Germany, Benjamin Lauth was limited to reserve-team football for a long time. When the club and Lorant went separate ways, reserve-team coach Peter Pacult was appointed Lorant's successor, but it took until the new season for Lauth to show his talent. Played as a substitute, Lauth took his chance against Hanover away from home, where he was on target for Munich. Afterwards he was given more regularly a chance and two goals versus Schalke and two strikes versus Bielefeld, both at home, helped him to rise in the pecking order to the expense of experienced Martin Max (Bundesliga's joint top-scorer of 2001/2002). Lauth is a fast right-foot, packed with determination. Next to playing in the front row he can also be selected on the right wing as his anticipation looks well developed. Finishing situations and to dribble past his markers are the other features he has already shown on his way to stardom.
Name: Thorben Marx
Position: Right Midfielder
Age: 21
Club: Hertha BSC Berlin (1st Bundesliga)
Comment: Other young players at Hertha BSC Berlin were tipped higher than Berlin-born Thorben Marx last season, but Marx is the one that has already found his way into the Bundesliga team after enjoying his debut moments under caretaker Falko Gotz. Marx was promoted by Gotz, who bridged the remainder of the time between sacked Jurgen Ruer and new coach Huub Stevens, and the youngster did not show any fear within his first phase alongside the experienced senior squad. The arrival of Stevens was said to be the end of Marx's way into the first-team, but this scenario did not appear after the Dutchman took control. Marx is a defensive teamworking solution on the right side of the Hertha midfield that seems utterly focused on his chance. He tends to get overloaded with work, while this among his stamina and his aggressivity has certainly helped him getting that far already.
Name: Tobias Rau
Position: Left Back or Left Wing Back
Age: 21
Club: VfL Wolfsburg (1st)
Last season: Just a slight knock prevented Tobias Rau from getting his debut for Germany in the first half of the season. The shortage of solutions on the left with Spurs player Christian Ziege injured made coach Voller think about the left-sided youngster before picking a rather unspectacular squad for the matches versus Bosnia and the Faroe-Islands. At his club, Wolfsburg, he looks like the winner of a tough contest on the left. Former Rennes and Cologne player Patrick Weiser seems beaten in the pecking order of the Wolfsburg coach, who recently praised Rau alongside Maik Franz as his future hopes in a squad filled with veteran playmaker Stefan Effenberg at the start of the season. Rau will move to Bayern Munich at the end of the season after the Bavarian club was able to secure his services on a long-term contract. He will debut for Germany soon.
Name: Sascha Riether
Position: Right Back or Central Defensive Midfielder
Age: 19
Club: SC Freiburg (2nd Bundesliga)
Comment: Has been a real hotshot for last years UEFA-Cup participants Freiburg in their shock season in the 2nd Bundesliga. Riether was given his first professional contract by Freiburg in the summer after he impressed for their reserves in the way he does now in the 2nd Bundesliga, already included sixteen times for Freiburg in their attempt to go straight back to the top-league of German Bundesliga. The 19-year-old has only missed one match for them this season, because he was on duty for Germany, and seems to mature with every single match. Originally a defensive midfielder that learned a sweeper role during his early years in the youth of the team from the Black Forest, Riether is actually convincing everyone with his right-back role in the Freiburg line-up. The agile starlet holds a good sort of technique, is a tenacious runner with a high work-rate and has the ability to be a key leader for his team in the future. If he keeps the tempo of his developement, he won't have to be too patient to see himself being a valuable member of in a top division squad.
Name: Selim TeberPosition: Attacking Midfielder or Striker
Age: 21
Current club: 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1st Bundesliga)
Comment: The son of Turkish parents has found his way into the Kaiserslautern line-up six months after his move from 2nd Bundesliga side SV Waldhof Mannheim. A shiny regular for Mannheim last season, Teber has gain his personal profit from the current situation at Kaiserslautern and the fact that former PSV-coach Erik Gerets has replaced Andreas Brehme. Second from bottom in the top-flight Kaiserslautern fights a tough fight to secure their status, but Teber could be playing on a quite regular level for the club in the future. After he opted to play for Germany rather than for the country of his parents, Teber has been regularly playing on youth-international level. Technically gifted, Teber's flair and ball-control as an attacking midfielder has to be praised as well as the amount of ideas he can produce there. Off-Ball quality, his work-rate and his physique are features he needs to improve.
Name: Christian Tiffert
Position: Left Midfielder, Right Midfielder or Striker
Age: 19
Current club: VfB Stuttgart (1st)
Last season: It could have been easier for Tiffert at his club and with the German U21, but it wasn't and though the amount of appearances for his club has been a reduced one in the second part of those months I'm reviewing here. He's versatile and this has helped him to get his games even though he wasn't that regularly included in the Stuttgart line-up. Recently played as a defensive midfielder for the U21 of Germany, Tiffert's chances to get more regularly involved for Stuttgart on a suitable position have been boosted by the news that Stuttgart will have to deal without regular left midfielder Jochen Seitz (on a Bosman move in the summer) in the future. Gaining experience in the top-two Bundesliga's since almost three years, the 19-year-old is quite experienced.
Name: Christian Weber
Position: Sweeper, Right Back, Central Defender or Defensive Midfielder
Age: 19
Current club: SpVgg Greuther Furth (2nd Bundesliga)
Comment: One of the youngest inclusions here, Christian Weber has been quite impressive during his short career. A sweeper on youth level, Weber debuted for Saarbruken before he turned 18 years of age and although Saarbruken's last season ended disasterous and relegated, Weber was nearly free to choose his next step in professional football when many clubs tabled a bid for his Bosman signature. After nineteen appearances for Saarbruken last season he has already made fifteen for Greuther Furth this season, won himself a well respected regular spot in their line-up and getting praised for his talent by Furth's coach. A combative midfielder with a reliable right-foot, the youngster fascinates with his incredible view for situations and his defensive mind that also enables him to play on right-back or in a key role in the center of a defensive formation.
Name: Tim Wiese
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 21
Current club: 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1st Bundesliga)
Comment: Some say Roman Weidenfeller of Borussia Dortmund is the most gifted keeper of this age, but if he is, he still has to underline talent with good regular performances for his club. Tim Wiese, his successor as second-choice keeper behind Georg Koch at Kaiserslautern, may not be praised as much as Weidenfeller has been praised, but he has already underlined his qualities more than once when playing in the spotlight of the Bundesliga. According to coach Gerets, he has even relegated Koch to a permanent bench role now. Wiese is equal to Stuttgart's Timo Hildebrand or Rangers keeper Stefan Klos in size, though he need his jumping qualities to cover the whole size of a goal. Wiese is also very aggressive and commands much within a match. His increasing self-confidence has already pushed him into verbal attacks, calling Hanover coach Ralf Rangnick a nutcase for not making a final decision to sign when he was on trial there twice before opting for Kaiserslautern. He will gain massive profit from the fact that Gerald Ehrmann, long-time Kaiserslautern keeper and actually part of the coaching staff at the club, was the same sort of goalkeeper during his career.
NOTE: The players are listed by surname. All data (age etc.) was last updated January 2003.
German Youth List XI 2002/2003
Asked to point a first XI out of my youth-list, I had to make my mind about how to prefer in the centre of the defence. I've finally decided to choose Christian Weber alongside Maik Franz because Weber has already helped out on such a position this season when his club was struggling to find any more suitable player there. With Tim Wiese being the only goalkeeper of my list, it's a natural decision to put him between the sticks. Tobias Rau and Andreas Hinkel had to be on their side of the vacant full-back spots in this team as both have been the most outstanding youngsters on these positions in the last two years of German football. Up-front the decision was very easy, Kevin Kuranyi and Benjamin Lauth were too impressive to be dropped. As much as the defensive midfield with Hanno Balitsch a bit more defensive than Peer Kluge was a tough clear-out it was hard to prefer Clemens Fritz instead Christian Tiffert, but Fritz seems a bit ahead of Tiffert. At least for me. With eight goals in 48 games in the last 18 months it was easy decision to put Cristian Fiel onto the last vacant spot.
Kevin Kuranyi Benjamin Lauth
Cristian Fiel Peer Kluge Clemens Fritz
Hanno Balitsch
Tobias Rau Maik Franz Christian Weber Andreas Hinkel
Tim Wiese
[此贴子已经被作者于2003-11-13 9:26:12编辑过]
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