Gomez eager to make his mark at last
Reuters - Monday 11 June 2012, 13:07
Germany forward Mario Gomez is
hoping to finally make his mark at a major international
tournament after scoring on his first Euro 2012 appearance
following goal droughts at the last two.
The 26-year-old has long been the butt of jokes in Germany
when it came to his performances on the big stage, having failed
to net in eight successive games at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World
Cup.
But he scored in the 72nd minute in the 1-0 win over
Portugal on Saturday to get his name on a tournament scoresheet
at last.
"It is true that this was my best and most important goal so
far," a visibly relaxed Gomez told reporter, knowing the tables
had finally turned with the German press.
Yet it could have been different with striker Miroslav Klose
waiting on the sidelines to come on for him before he headed in
Germany's first goal of the tournament.
"Football can be strange. I knew that Miro was on the bench
and that he would come on at some point. I saw him waiting but I
thought I could still have time for one chance. Then the ball
landed on my face," he said with a dry smile.
The forward's winner, however, was not enough to silence
every critic back home, including Bayern Munich reserve team
coach Mehmet Scholl who told German television he feared Gomez
would get bedsores after a performance in which he spent a lot
of time lying on the pitch.
"At Bayern we are a big family. I have scored the most
Champions League goals in the past two seasons behind Lionel
Messi. Why should I change the way I do things?," the 2011
Bundesliga's top scorer said in response to a question regarding
Scholl's comments.
Gomez, who scored 26 league goals and added another 12 in
the Champions League this season, also received the backing of
Germany coach Joachim Low, who said the forward had been
steeled by his ups and downs in recent years.
"Mario is strong because he has often gone through the
valley of problems, especially in the national team," said Low.
"He has always managed to bounce back. He knows what he can and
cannot do."
Germany take on Netherlands in Kharkiv on Wednesday.