We have a grandios Goalkeeper
It's a shame that the season that might have been the greatest in the history of Borussia Dortmund had to end at some point. But this team has amazed us with their full throttle football played by young, sympathetic players that identify themselves with the club in an unusual way. We were that impressed that we have declared them all heroes in black'n'yellow. No matter what the future might bring, each of them has earned the status of a legend during this season. Today we start a series of player portraits with our number one: Roman Weidenfeller.
He is one of the few remaining old farts in our squad of young-guns and the fact that he does not fit into the image of mother-in-laws favourite makes him stand out from his team mates as well. But also his performances on the pitch make him one of the main factors for the surprising BVB title win. No doubt Roman Weidenfeller went through a big development in his time at BVB. A development that made him one of the best of his trade.
„We have a grandios Saison gespielt.“ That quote will remain because it symbolizes this championship. Roman Weidenfeller's esperanto-interview with an evenly polyglot Dubai TV reporter has become cult by now. If you haven't seen it search for “grandios saison” on youtube. For the parade of champions fans had painted the slogan on a banner and hung it up on a building on Borsigplatz. When the truck with the players passed, some of them saw the banner and put Roman's attention to it. It was clear to see how delighted Weidenfeller was to see it. He climbed the roof of the truck and pointed his finger towards the banner to demonstrate his approval.
This scene documented the development Weidenfeller has taken over the past year. In his first years at Dortmund he seemed overambitious and stubborn and now he seems to so at ease that he can even laugh about himself. One reason for this is for sure that he is the undisputed number one in Borussia's goal and his qualities are doubted only by a few incorrigible bitchers. He is rather seen as a candidate for Jogi Löw's Mannschaft that does not get a chance only because there are so many talented goalies a few years younger than him in Germany.
If only the performances on the pitch would count there could hardly be an argument against a few caps for Weidenfeller. He has been repeatedly awarded with the “Weiße Weste” (white waistcoat) by German sports television, an award based on fewest goals conceded per game. Because of the flashy attacking football Borussia plays under Jürgen Klopp it is easily overseen that the foundation of the BVB success is the solid defensive game. Only 22 goals Borussia had to give away last season which is an incredible 17 goals less than Mainz, runner-up in that statistic.
Of course defensive work starts with the strikers and the little number of conceded goals is earned by the whole team. And with the young centre defence Hummels, Subotic (Santana) Weidenfeller has a respectable bulwark in front of him. But that should not shorten his merits. Besides the obvious personal development mentioned before, Weidenfeller has reached a new level of goalkeeping as well, even though he missed the all time record held by Oliver Kahn by a goal. As a young glovesman Weidenfeller was rated among the best of the country because of his incredible reflexes on the line. But temporarily the focus was put more on Weidenfeller's weaknesses in ruling the box and opening the game. He was called an old fashioned keeper from the outdated Gerry-Ehrmann-school. But in the meantime he worked hard on those weaknesses with his coach Teddy de Beer.
Where his kick-offs used used to be spread all over the field and more often found an opposite player than a team mate or even went directly over the touchline, he nowadays varies much more and delivers a precise throw-out or low pass. All in all his footy abilities have imroved significantly. When a pass was played back to him the whole stadium used to hold its breath but recently he showed that he can handle even poor back passes masterfully.
He even reigns in the box now. He may never become one of those supposed-to-be-modern goalies that play like an additional defender far out the goal. But his team-mates know that and position themselves accordingly. Weidenfeller seems much more secure when it comes to high crosses than years ago. Now he almost always takes the right decision when it comes to leaving the line or staying on it.
But his biggest input into the championship win Roman might not have delivered by his great performances on the pitch but by being an example of the absolute will to win and a positive madness to his young team mates. Many of our young-guns seem to be very well-behaved and that can stand in the way of success sometimes. The home game against Mainz delivered a good example of this fair attitude turning against them: The unfair Mainzer continued to play and scored the late equalizer even though Neven Subotic, who had caught one in the balls, was lying more or less unconscious in our box. In that situation one wished for a player that can be a dirty bastard when he needs to. Such a player would have stopped Risse by any means before he could get the cross in. The only player of this category in our squad besides the permanently injured skip Kehl is his second-in-command Weidenfeller (Bender might develop this quality in the future if he lets go of his model-pupil attitude).
This special ability of Weidenfeller was maybe shown best after Nuri Sahin scored the overtime winner against Cologne. Weidenfeller started running out of his goal as if stung by an adder and on his way to the centre line he went through a hulk-like metamorphosis. He became bigger and bigger and his face dehumanised more and more towards a grotesque grimace. It is likely that this was the moment, that coach Jürgen Klopp was referring to when he stated in the legendary Arnd Zeigler interview that he had to drink his goalie beautiful from time to time.
But other than in his early days at Borussia Weidenfeller always gives his passion direction so his madness works to the benefit of the team he never crosses the line to destructiveness. In that he is quite similar to his coach. That's why our grandios goalkeeper is rightfully the skip of our grandios team of young-guns and it was no question that the honour to receive the Schale from the hands of DFL and BVB president Rauball.
Thank you for a grandios Saison, Roman!
Web 01.06.2011
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