KUALA LUMPUR – A lethal attacker in the making?
Germany’s Florian Sperling has now become the player to watch at the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup after his man-of-the-match performance against South Africa in his team’s opening group match.
Speaking to Scoop, the 21-year-old attacker said that he idolises German footballer Thomas Müller and hopes to be a versatile striker like his compatriot.
“I want to be the Thomas Müller of hockey and I love the way he plays and the way he contributes to the team.
“My goal is simple, I want to be the player who has the capability of scoring for my team in all circumstances.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity given to me by my coach and I hope I can maintain my momentum for the rest of the tournament,” Florian said.
Florian who also plays professionally for his local team Hamburg said he enjoys the atmosphere of the tournament.
He expressed his desire to see his team progress with the aim of clinching the title.
“I love playing in the World Cup and it’s a great feeling for me. I didn’t get the chance to play in the previous edition in India, but this is the time to show the world what I’m made of.
“The weather here is way hotter than the tournament that we had in Johor (Sultan of Johor Cup) but this is not going to be an obstacle for our team.
“We will be going all out to push ourselves to give our maximum in this tournament and nothing is going to stop us from achieving our target,” Florian added.
Germany defeated South Africa 5-3 in the opening game at the National Hockey Stadium today.
In the Group B encounter, Germany took the lead early through Paul Glander’s penalty corner in the fifth minute of the match.
Germany’s other four goals were scored by Florian Sperling (10th), Liam (24th), Matteo Poljaric (41st), and Ben Hasbach (59th).
South Africa’s goals were scored by David Tshebi (24th), Jaydon Brooker (39th), and Hans Neethling (53rd).
The junior Honamas will take on France tomorrow in the second group match to battle for the top spot in Group B. – December 5, 2023