Kulig homes in on collective goals
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Article summary
Already called up by Germany's national side, great things are expected of Kim Kulig though she is focusing only on team ambition – starting with beating Norway.
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Team ethic
"I quickly learned to adapt and not just focus on myself," said the 18-year-old. "I had to respect others and this helps a lot here as part of a big group." It is an admirable attitude for one on whom such high hopes have been placed. She struck eleven times in qualifying, including two hat-tricks and only Hungary managed to keep her at bay, yet she did not enjoy the spotlight that success threw in her direction. Instead, she prefers to consider the side as a whole, adding: "We performed well as a team in the qualification, our passing game was great and sometimes I just had to tap in the ball."
'Everything's possible'
She did more than tap-in on Sunday as she lofted a ball over the Scotland goalkeeper to register for the first time in the Loire Valley, and help her side to an emphatic 7-0 win. Next up is Norway. "They play similarly to Sweden [who Germany drew with in Group B]," said Kulig. "If we can deal with their long balls and start our own attacking game, then we will have a good chance of winning. Everything's possible." It is something the youngster is fast getting used to. After scoring 25 goals for second-tier VfL Sindelfingen last term, Kulig was snapped up by Hamburger SV, with whom the student says she will start a "new part of my life".
Growth spurt
She is perhaps well on her way having received her first senior international call-up in May ahead of a UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ qualifier against Wales, a mark of her prodigious progress. At 1.75m Kulig is naturally strong in the air but that tallness is the result of a late growth spurt – when she was 13 she was the same height as team-mate Eve Chandraratne, whom she now dwarves – so she has also developed great strength with her feet. It all bodes well, and Kulig admits she already has one eye on the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. "Of course, this is a main target, but for now it's important that I continue improving," she said. "I hope I will learn a lot on and off the pitch." She is certainly learning a lot in France this summer, but keeping her feet firmly on the ground.
