Ter Stegen wants to be regular in FIFA World Cup
When people talk about the FC Barcelona and its achievements like being undefeated this season, they always say things about the magic that surrounds Leo Messi, about Suarez’ goals or about the noticeable strategies of Ernesto Valverde, but they never say anything about the domineering presence of Ter Stegen, undoubtedly the most impenetrable goalkeeper in all Europe.
The German player has been fundamental for the excellent results of the Catalonian team both in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, tournaments in which he has allowed only 15 goals in 36 games. In total, Ter Stegen had 23 clean sheets and his numbers in the season look only slightly tarnished by the fact that he allowed the Real Madrid to score 5 times in two games of the Spanish Super Cup. But the former player of the Borussia Mönchengladbach has grown along the season and has become a leader for his team, with saves that have not been so talked about but that have allowed the Barcelona to remain in the privileged position that it is in.
Ter Stegen has impressive reflects. Both with his hands and his feet, the German keeper rejects the attacks of his rivals, sometimes appalled by his almost feline reaction capacity. He signed with the Catalonian team in July, 2014 and his good work has put him in a consolidated position within the team. He is only 25 years old, and it is not hard to predict that he will be the keeper for the Barcelona for many years still and they will not let go of him very easily. However, he has not yet established himself as regular in his national selection, the champions nowadays. His first game with the German team was May 26, 2012 versus Switzerland in a friendly game, mostly the kind of game in which he participates (he has done it for 9 times now) because for the most important games Germany has always used the star from the Bayern München, Manuel Neuer.
However, the situation has changed in recent times. Ter Stegen was regular in the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia and also in several of the last games that sealed Germany’s classification for the FIFA World Cup. The main reason for this change has been mostly Neuer’s injury, who suffered from a fissure in the metatarsus of his left foot. He was surgically treated but this problem has meant that the star from the Bayern could not play for many months in 2017. He still has not returned to play but there are doubts about his recovery and about the fact that he might not be at the same level shown by Ter Stegen during the last months. The debate about who is going to be keeper for the Germans in the FIFA World Cup is one that we foresee.
