Last Saturday, after 90 minutes and a strong team effort, VFL Wolfsburg claimed the Cup for the first time in their history. The 3-1 victory over Dortmund was yet another piece of proof that Wolfsburg is ready for more.
Coming off an impressive Bundesliga season, VFL Wolfsburg was able to finish second, only behind record champions Bayern Munich. It was not only the second position that made Wolfsburg’s season so good, but also the fact that the team played a consistent season, never dropping in form.
Last Saturday, Wolfsburg crowned their spectacular year with their first-ever German Cup victory. And it also came as predicted by the Wolfsburg fans, with a great pre-game choreography under the banner “The Time is Right."
Da ist sie: die #Bierdusche für den Trainer. #POKALHELDEN pic.twitter.com/6JTWZr28i8
— VfL_Wolfsburg (@VfL_Wolfsburg) May 30, 2015What's next for the hungry Wolfpack?
With strong financial backing from car producer Volkswagen, VFL Wolfsburg is destined for more. Added to this, sports director Klaus Allofs and head coach Dieter Hecking are working great together since taking over the club in December 2012. And this trend is expected to continue.
After the surprising German league victory in 2009, Wolfsburg failed to live up to new, high expectations. With bad transfers and head coaches who did not fit the Wolfsburg concept, ‘die Wölfe’ were more of a mid-table team in Germany.
Six years later Wolfsburg was able to fight off Gladbach, Leverkusen, Dortmund, Schalke in order to finish second in the league.
After finishing second this season, Wolfsburg will certainly fortify this position and also aim to challenge reigning Champions Bayern Munich. After the impressive 4-1 victory over Bayern in January, Wolfsburg showed just how strong and ambitious they are.
The heart of the team is without a doubt Kevin de Bruyne. Finishing his season with a strong performance in the German Cup final, De Bruyne scored 10 goals all season, assisting with another 20, a new German League record.
His impressive season tally stands at 51 appearances in league, cup, and Europa League, scoring 16 goals and assisting in 27. He will be a key factor for future success, assuming that he stays in Wolfsburg. De Bruyne is being linked to top clubs including Manchester City, Chelsea, Bayern Munich. If he decides to stay, Wolfsburg will definitely have a fighting chance.
What plays for Wolfsburg is the perfect mix between experience and talent. With young players like Arnold, Knoche, and Rodriguez, Wolfsburg has huge future potential. With Diego Benaglio, Wolfsburg has a world class goalkeeper, showing his talent during the German Cup final on various occasions.
The defense is built around Naldo, a central defender known for his danger in front of the goal and excellent defending skills. With seven goals this season, Naldo is a pillar in Wolfsburg’s team. He is joined by Luiz Gustavo, former Bayern player and Brazil international, who brings in lots of experience in Champions League and elsewhere.
And then there are the likes of André Schürrle, Ivan Perisic, or even Daniel Caligiuri, who is about to make his first appearance for Italy against Croatia.
Wolfsburg seems nearly set up to compete with Bayern next season, and definitely has the advantage over other competitors for a Champions League spot. With a couple of great transfer and team building, die Wolfe can achieve much more than just winning the German Cup.
After Saturday’s performance, we all could see how winning the German Cup was only a first step towards higher goals.
