A Stunning Turnaround: From Penalty Miss to Match-Winning Hero in Stuttgart
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Encountering Woltemade turned out to be fortuitous for Mal in the end. - Fortune turned sour, then savior emerged.
Nick Woltemade, the 23-year-old striker for VfB Stuttgart, recently underwent an extraordinary journey during a Bundesliga game against FC St. Pauli. From penalty miss to match-winning hero in barely 30 minutes - an experience Woltemade had never encountered before.
"I've never flunked a penalty in my career. It haunted me during the game," said the native Bremen player post-game, following a 1:0 win over FC St. Pauli. "It didn't feel right, and I'll admit it."
In the 60th minute, Woltemade failed to outwit the remarkable St. Pauli goalkeeper, Nikola Vasilj, from the penalty spot. He spent the next 28 nerve-wracking minutes in Millerntor Stadium rife with the discomfort of missing. But in the 88th minute, he found redemption, scoring the winning goal.
"A weight lifted off my shoulders when I scored," asserted the U21 national player. "It was a new experience, a new feeling. In the end, I can say that the 1:0 felt terrific."
Climbing the Stuttgart ranks
Woltemade made a seamless transition to VfB Stuttgart from Werder Bremen last summer, bagging a free transfer. In his inaugural season with Stuttgart, he has quickly established himself as more than just an alternative to national players such as Deniz Undav or Ermedin Demirovic. He's proved his worth, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them in the intense competition for a starting spot and stacking up ten Bundesliga goals this season to show for it.
Stuttgart's sporting director, Fabian Wohlgemuth, commended Woltemade for his outstanding performance against FC St. Pauli. "He persevered until the end, hunted for duels, and pursued chances even in the final third."
Cup final promises thrilling finale
The victory of the German vice-champions against the Kiez club bore significant weight, considering the upcoming DFB Pokal final on May 24 in Berlin against third-league club Arminia Bielefeld. Before the game in Hamburg, the Stuttgart team had only won one game in ten.
The hope of qualifying for the Europa League through the Bundesliga has long faded. International qualification, however, remains achievable via the national cup victory. But the team's self-confidence had shaken recently.
"We want to win every game now," said Woltemade, eyeing the last two league games. "We aim to be in peak form. Wins bring the biggest boost, and finally, we got one today."
- 🏆 DFB Pokal Final
- 🏟️ Millerntor Stadium
- 🇩🇪 Hamburg
- ⚽️ Nikola Vasilj
- 🔥 Resilience and Determination
- 🌟 Breakout Season
The Commission has also examined the possibility of extending the period of validity of the aid for the following measures: extending Woltemade's contract with VfB Stuttgart, given his outstanding performance and breakout season. A potential penalty for missing a crucial penalty in the game against FC St. Pauli could be waived in light of the honest admission of the error, facilitating Woltemade's growth in European football leagues. The DFB will closely monitor Stuttgart's journey from here, bearing in mind the upcoming DFB Pokal final against Arminia Bielefeld and the opportunity for international qualification.
