Euro 2012: Why Mesut Ozil Will Be the Player of the Tournament

This is the summer of Mesut Özil.

Silky in possession, sharp in passing, intelligent, quick and creative, Germany's Özil possesses an impressive skill set that has made him Cristiano Ronaldo's right-hand man at Real Madrid.

This summer, though, we'll witness Özil's star turn in the limelight of Euro 2012.

Özil, a 23-year-old attacking midfielder, has already earned a reputation as a world-class player for both Real Madrid and Germany. Two years ago at the World Cup in South Africa, his contributions helped a young German side storm to the semifinals in stunning fashion.

His performances earned him a move to the Spanish capital, where he has shined while admittedly remaining somewhat in the shadow of his illustrious and world-famous Portuguese teammate.

But while Ronaldo is a game-changer for Portugal, Özil will be a tournament-changer for Germany.

Part of the reason for that, however, has nothing to do with Özil. Unlike Portugal, Germany's squad features top-class options—sometimes two-deep—throughout the midfield and front line.

Whether it's Miroslav Klose or Mario Gomez up top, the Germans will have a proven scorer available. On either flank, players like Thomas Müller—the 2010 World Cup Golden Boot winner—and Lukas Podolski provide constant danger. Meanwhile, in the middle, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira rank among the world's top holding players.

Özil is the key to it all.

Two years ago, Germany relied on a counter-attacking style to beat opponents, sitting back in defense and waiting for a chance for a sudden sucker-punch.

This summer, however, Joachim Löw's more mature, more experienced side will expect to dominate possession and dictate the pace of play.

That's where Özil comes in. Equally dangerous on the counter and in drawn-out possessions, Özil will serve as the conductor of Germany's potent, flowing offense.

As Michael Cox writes at Zonal Marking:

"

He is perfect for this German side—he can orchestrate counter-attacks by directly dribbling with the ball at speed, but he can also unpick deep defences because of his superb spatial awareness. His off-the-ball movement, his overlapping runs and his amazing selflessness in the penalty box make him an ideal central playmaker, and if he performs to his maximum ability, he will have a greater influence than any other player in the tournament.

"

It's an opinion shared by many, including Özil's manager.

"Mesut is a player who fits perfectly with my ideas,” Löw has said. “He plays at a very high level, he can win the ball easily and then produce a telling shot. He is a playmaker and can make some defense-splitting passes."

Löw is right, and if all goes well for Germany this summer, Özil's playmaking and defense-splitting will continue all the way through the final.

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