Miroslav Klose - The Header Man - Florian K photo

SPORTS NOTES EXTRA Part 5 - MIROSLAV KLOSE - THE HEADER MAN

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

Miroslav Klose came close to breaking Ronaldo's all-time World Cup scoring record of 15 but illness took its toll causing him to miss his final game. He has 14 World Cup goals but at 32 it is unlikely that he will return in the 2014 World Cup at the age of 36 and break that record - WORLD CUP RECORD NOTES

Tuesday July 13, 2010

THE WORLD CUP'S 2nd BEST SCORER

Now that Spain has won the World Cup title and the only record broken was the 14 yellow flag penalties given out in the Spain, Netherlands final the record that many hoped to see happen never did. That being Germany's Miroslav Klose breaking Brazil's Ronaldo's all-time World Cup scoring record of 15.

Klose came close after scoring four goals in this tournament bringing his total to 14 but was ill for the 3rd place Bronze medal game against Uruguay. Klose toiled the pines (bench) the entire contest.

Ronaldo scored his 15 goals over from 1998 to 2006. Klose's 14 goals tied him with fellow German Gerd Muller who played in the 1970 and 1974 events. Klose has played in the 2002, 2006 and this 2010 tournament.

Klose was the top scorer and thus the Golden Boot winner at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, with five goals. The striker also scored five goals in his debut 2002 World Cup. He is the first German player since the reunification of Germany to finish as the World Cup's top scorer, and the only player to have scored five or more goals in consecutive World Cups.

In the group stage of this tournament he also scored a goal against Australia in their 4-0 thrashing of the Aussies. In the final 16 he scored a goal when the Germans annihilated England 4-1. His shining moment in this tournament was in the quarterfinal game against Argentina when he scored two goals in their 4-0 destruction of the South Americans.

In recent seasons injuries have taken its toll on the 32-year-old striker and it is very doubtful that with this young German national side that he will do a David Beckham and try to return for his fourth World Cup competition at the age of 36 in 2014 in Brazil. He went out ill and sitting on the bench but he will be remembered as one of the best header scorers in the game.

OTHER WORLD CUP RECORD NOTES

France's Just Fontaine, holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup, as all his 13 goals were scored in the 1958 tournament...

Two players share the record for playing in the most World Cups; Mexico's Antonio Carbajal (1950-1966) and Germany's Lothar Matthäus (1982-1998) both played in five tournaments. Matthäus has played the most World Cup matches overall, with 25 appearances. Brazil's Pelé is the only player to have won three World Cup winners' medals (1958, 1962, and 1970), with 20 other players who have won two World Cup medals. Germany's Franz Beckenbauer (1966-74) is the only player to be named to three Finals All-Star Teams, and is also the only player to collect all three types of medals (gold, silver, bronze)...

Brazil's Mário Zagallo and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer are the only people to date to win the World Cup as both player and head coach. Zagallo won in 1958 and 1962 as a player and in 1970 as head coach. Beckenbauer won in 1974 as captain and in 1990 as head coach. Italy's Vittorio Pozzo is the only head coach to ever win two World Cups (1934 and 1938). All World Cup winning head coaches were natives of the country they coached to victory...

Among the national teams, Germany has played the most World Cup matches, with 99, while Brazil has scored the most World Cup goals, with 210. The two teams have played each other only once in the World Cup, in the 2002 final...

Part 4 - SPAIN WINS WORD CUP TITLE

Part 3 - WILL THE NETHERLANDS'S REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL?

Part 2 - GERMANY MISSED (THOMAS) THE FUELER MUELLER

Part 1 - THE LEBRON JAMES GAME IS OVER - THE HEAT IS ON!!!