#5 Daniel van Buyten

[BlackNess]

Originally Posted by __-SNAKE-__

You mean for Lucio.

No, Micho ..... but basically he is a replacement for both Micho and Lucio ...

[__-SNAKE-__]

Oh well. I think Klinsmann would have trouble selecting 2 out of these 3 top class defenders. They are all great.

[Vargas_4]

I prefer a Micho - VBuyten partnership than a Lucio - VBuyten partnership.

[Trim]

^ Yeah, me too. Lucio - van Buyten didn't work.

[Trim]

Aerial power
Match-winner Van Buyten: I’m feeling really good

After 15 minutes of Bayern’s Champions League opener in Bucharest, Bastian Schweinsteiger swung over a beautifully flighted free-kick to the head of a tall, long-haired team-mate, who glanced a nifty header beyond the keeper and into the far corner. Up the other end, Michael Rensing was absolutely certain the goalscorer must be Luca Toni.

Indeed, the Italian has opened the scoring for Bayern no fewer than 18 times so far, most recently last weekend in Cologne, when he duly headed home a Schweinsteiger set-piece from a not dissimilar position. However, the scorer in the Romanian capital was not Toni, but Daniel van Buyten. “I simply didn’t know that,” Rensing admitted afterwards, “I thought it was Luca’s goal.“ Oliver Kahn’s successor only discovered the match-winner’s true identity back in the dressing room.

Van Buyten will be supremely unconcerned by the case of mistaken identity after sealing Bayern’s successful return to Champions League action. “Three points is always a good start, and we’re top of the group – I think I can be a little proud about scoring,” the Belgian commented after Bayern’s 1-0 victory over Steaua Bucharest.

Van Buyten is Bayern’s first Champions League scorer this season – and he was also their last. On 3 April 2007 he scored both goals in a 2-2 away draw with AC Milan at the quarter-final stage. The Italians went on to win the return in Munich 2-0. Daniel’s most recent match-winning goal came in a 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Energie Cottbus, another header from a Schweinsteiger free-kick.

“Van Buyten is a very big man. Heading is his real strength, both in attack and defence,” FCB President Franz Beckenbauer said in praise of the 1.96 metre (6 ft 5 in) colossus, who switched to Munich from Hamburger SV in summer 2006. “We’re delighted he nodded it in, and he deserved it too,” declared Jürgen Klinsmann, highlighting another aspect to the defender’s game: “He has an unbelievable shot on him too. I wouldn’t want to be in goal when he lets fly from 20 or 25 yards.“

Van Buyten has benefited this term from Klinsmann’s decision to field a three-man rearguard, with the Belgian operating alongside Martin Demichelis and Lucio. Van Buyten spent most of last season in the role of stand-in when one of the South Americans was unable to appear.

Daniel never uttered a word of complaint, but set about applying pressure to Lucio and Demichelis with plenty of hard work in training. “The coach has rewarded me for that now. I’m feeling really good at the moment, especially because of the new system,” said the 30-year-old, an ever-present so far this term. “He’s having a great season,” said chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “Over the last six months, Daniel’s performances have always been decent to very good,” added general manager Uli Hoeneß.

“Daniel’s expression and body language tell you he’s really going to attack the ball,“ commented Klinsmann, and Van Buyten has certainly emerged as a real set-piece weapon for his club. The coach feels Lucio and Demichelis are also players who, at free-kicks or corners, “are hungry for the ball.“ Obviously, that list includes the name Luca Toni, even though the centre-forward failed to score in midweek. “It was Luca Toni in Cologne, but it was my turn today,” grinned Van Buyten, a picture of delight and satisfaction.

FC Bayern

He's a legend in my books.

[Vargas_4]

I'll always remember him for his brace in Milan.

[__-SNAKE-__]

Bench Time.