Why Thomas Muller is Germany's most important player

He’s the perfect forward for a German team that doesn’t employ a striker.

Thomas Muller isn’t easily defined. He’s excellent in the air and strong on his feet. He has the vision to patrol the centre of the pitch, sharing space with midfielders readily described as more creative, but they can’t do what he does. Muller brings his potent finishing efficiency in tight spaces to the German national team . 

List off the players Joachim Loew has at his disposal and it starts to sound like a cruel joke. Kroos, Khedira, Lahm, Ozil, Götze, the list goes on. While those players are exceptional, and rightfully deemed world class, they do not posses Muller’s finishing instincts.

Calling them “instincts” might be underselling it. The reigning World Cup golden boot winner scored three times in Germany’s 4-0 win over Portugal in Salvador. The 24-year-old recorded eight goals in seven World Cup games. His teammate, Miroslav Klose, sits one goal behind Ronaldo (15) for the all-time tournament goals record. Muller, with the pace he’s on, could break the record himself in Brazil.

Muller is a household name in the way that produce is always located at the front of a supermarket. It’s there, you know what we’re going to get and you don’t leave without it, even though it’s not as intriguing as the fall off the bone ribs in the “Hot N’ Ready” section.

Germany sits in excellent position after their first game in Group G. Portugal, the prohibitive “second favorite” in the group is in meltdown mode following Pepe’s red card and injuries to Fabio Coentrao and Hugo Almeida. This is now Germany’s group to lose.

Muller is in the clubhouse lead for The Golden Boot, and more importantly, the key to a historic World Cup run for Die Mannschaft.