Bayern's Unsung Heroes

I saw the Bayern-Dortmund DFB Pokal quarter final on Wednesday and I couldn’t help but marvel at the performance of some of Bayern’s unsung heroes.

Being a match between the top two clubs in Germany – and two of the best in all of Europe – the preponderance of top talent was hardly surprising. Bayern could boast the accomplished duo of Bastien Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben, alongside Thomas Muller; Jurgen Klopp’s side were led by the younger trio of Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus and Mario Gotze.

Those six certainly played their part in a thrilling affair – Robben scoring a spectacular winner - yet it was some of the lesser acclaimed guys that caught my eye.

For Dortmund, goalkeeper Roman Wiedenfeller pulled off some impressive saves to ward off the Bavarians; Brazilian Felipe Santana impressively filled in for the missing Mats Hummels in central defence; Ilkay Gundogan further enhanced his growing reputation in midfield; and substitute Julien Scheiber carried a real goal threat aftr replacing Reus in the second half.

But it is three Bayern players that really stood out for me. Let’s start with the superb Austrian left back David Alaba. When we talk of the best left backs in the game today, it’s easy for names like Ashley Cole, Marcelo and, of late, Leighton Baines to pop up. Yet, this 20-year-old son of a Nigerian father can’t be too far behind. In fact, considering the age of the others, it can’t be too long before Alaba claims the mantle for himself. Quick, defensively sound and a real threat on the offensive end, Alaba, in his second year as Bayern first choice, is on his way to big things.

His defensive teammate, the Brazilian centre back Dante was another stand out against Dortmund. Strong in the tackle and majestic in the air, his positional play helped neutralize the threat of Lewandowski and Reus. At 29, the much-travelled Brazilian is no spring chicken and he only arrived in Munich – from Borussia Monchengladbach - in the summer. But he’s certainly settled in quickly, playing regularly all season, and his performance against Dortmund further underlined why Felipe Scolari recently handed him a first international cap.

In midfield, 23-year old Toni Kroos again showed why there’s little doubt that he will ultimately take over Schweinsteiger’s pivotal role in the German national team. Of course, having already earned 35 caps and featured at both the 2010 World Cup and last year’s Euros, Kroos’ talent is no secret. And if it were, his stunning Champions League strike against Arsenal at the Emirates last week should have put paid to that. His poised, controlled passing, set piece ability and excellent shooting with either foot are clear signs of a blossoming talent that first came to light at the U-17 World Cup in 2007.