MLS: Mario Gotze not world-class or in his prime

Herc Gomez has suggested that an MLS team should sign ‘world-class’ Mario Gotze. However, the German international is neither ‘world-class’ or in his prime.

Michael Owen burst onto the scene by running ragged a brilliant Argentina defence at just 18 years old. Three years later, he won the Ballon d’Or. Another three years after that, his body had failed him and he lost that blistering speed that made him so brilliant in the late ’90s and early ’00s.

He has spoken extensively about the difficult the numerous injuries he suffered from. His time at Liverpool came to an end because he was never fit, he then moved to Newcastle United and hardly featured, before playing out the embers of his career at Stoke City and other clubs.

By his mid-20s, just as many people would be expecting Owen to hit his prime and take off as a world superstar, he was finished. And he himself knew. He knew that his body could no longer perform at the level it had previously.

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Just because someone is 28 does not mean that they are in the prime of their career. There are some players who can play well into the thirties and only improve with age. Jamie Vardy did not flourish until his reached the other side of the dreaded 30-year mark. Others are at their best in their teenage years like Owen or Ronaldo.

Mario Gotze is much more a member of the latter than he is the former.

He is a World Cup winner. A World Cup final goalscorer. The heartbeat of those great Dortmund teams early in the decade as a bright, creative, sharp teenager, Gotze has since suffered injury after injury.

In fact, since he moved to Bayern Munich in 2013, he has missed a total of 78 games. That is almost two full seasons of matches. And in terms of days, Gotze has missed 530, which, curiously, is exactly two years.

He has suffered torn hamstrings, fractured ribs, adductor problems, and suffers from a rare metabolic illness called myopathy, which is a muscle disorder which can cause fatigue and weight gain. He has also ruptured ankle ligaments, suffered from back problems, and even had influenza.

The point is this: Gotze might be turning 28 this summer, which many would consider his prime, but given the number of games he played as a teenager — he totalled 111 appearances in his age-18, 19 and 20 seasons — and the extent of his illness and injury-related problems, he is far from his prime fitness or readiness.

Herc Gomez, however, still seems to believe that Gotze would be an excellent signing for any Major League Soccer team. Speaking on ESPN FC, Gomez, when asked whether teams should consider Gotze this summer as his contract in Dortmund expires, said:

"“Yes, you should be interested. You should be pushing to sign players like this, he’s well within his prime. I know he’s had health issues throughout the years, some on-field, some off-field. But he’s a very good player, he’s a World Cup winner, he scored a World Cup [winning] goal for God’s sake. Certainly, he can play anywhere he wants. But this is a player you must go for. He’s in the vein of a James Rodriguez, he would easily be one of the biggest signings in league history.”"

Gotze might have been a brilliant player before, but at present, he is a far cry from his former self. He has played fewer than 600 minutes in all competitions this season and has only three goals. He might drop down to the MLS and shine, but the investment that any team would have to provide to convince him to leave Europe makes any sort of signing hugely risky.

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Sadly, Gotze is long past his best. And MLS teams have moved on from the ageing European. Owen never rediscovered his best form and it is unlikely that Gotze will either. He is not in his prime and is no longer world-class. MLS would be wise to steer clear.

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