After equaling Ronaldo’s 15 goals at the World Cup, all eyes are now for a new record.
If any sports analyst was to pick a player at the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament likely to make headline news, it would certainly not have been German veteran striker Miroslav Klose. At 36 years, the Lazio striker who scored only seven goals through out the season has equaled Brazilian legend, Ronaldo’s record of 15 goals at the final phase of the FIFA World Cup. The fifteen goals were scored after participating in
The striker celebrated his landmark goal by performing an uninhibited somersault at the edge of the penalty area. “I don’t know how long it’s been since I did a somersault,” he told pressmen after coming from the bench to score his first goal of the tournament against Ghana that has paved his way into the hall of fame. He was congratulated by the Brazilian legend Ronaldo through twitter.
Klose who arrived in Germany from Poland with his family as an eight-year-old in 1986, speaking only two words in Germany, has so far played 133 matches for the German national team and scored 70 goals.
His first World Cup appearance was in 2002, where he scored a hat-trick in an 8-0 win over Saudi Arabia. He netted again in Germany’s group game that ended 1-1 against the Republic of Ireland, before scoring the second in a 2- 0 victory over Cameroon.
In 2006, the forward found the net five times. Twice, in their opening 4-1 victory over Costa Rica, and twice in the final group game against Ecuador. The fifth goal was against Argentina in the quarter finals. The goal was not only vital as it permitted Germany to move to the semi-finals after penalties, but gave him the Golden Boot trophy.
In 2010, he scored four goals, one in the opening 4- 0 win over Australia, once in their 4-1 demolition of England in the last 16 and twice in their 4-1 destruction of Argentina in the quarter-finals.
With the 2014 World visibly the last for him, most of his fans are hoping that he should at least score a goal again that will make him all-time record holder.
He puts his longevity in the game down to an aesthetic lifestyle of strict diet, no drinking and plenty of sleep.
