Opinion
A dream for many teenagers is scoring directly from kick off.
With the goalkeeper hovering around the edge of the box and the right amount of power coupled with the swirling winds, this feat seemed possible
It is an extremely difficult task, but players have accomplished it in Australia – who can forget Damien Mori’s strike against Sydney United almost 30 years ago?
A goal from kick-off is extremely impressive, but how about scoring two in consecutive matches? That’s exactly what Matteo Mazzone has done for his club side in Germany.
Both Mazzone’s attempts looped up into the wind and curled over the heads of two helpless, back-peddling goalkeepers.
The up-and-coming Wolfsburg talent is a predominantly right-sided forward, capable of playing on the wing or through the middle. He has the ability to drop his shoulder and beat oppositions defenders as well as a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mentality – constantly seen by his aggressive style of play.
The myth of Mazzone grew even more when he was the under-17s star player in the club’s disappointing 2020-21 season, scoring 12 goals from ten matches. His goalscoring exploits also saw the then 16-year-old move up to the Wolfsburg under-19 side for the second half the of the season.
Mazzone experienced a lull in a much tougher age group, failing to score a goal across his seven matches. He did however play two matches in the most prestigious youth competition in the world, the UEFA Youth League – the teenage equivalent of the UEFA Champions League.
Wolfsburg is currently locked in the race for the under 19s title in season 2022-23, however it has been at the detriment of game time for Mazzone, who has only taken part in three matches this season, playing a grand total of a disappointing 81 minutes.
A form slump is nothing out of the ordinary for a teenager progressing through the different age groups, and past performances suggest this will only be temporary.
Mazzone will need to be patient to work his way into the team as the competition is fierce for spots in Wolfsburg.
He is up against his friends from the under 17 side in Marko Brikic, Melvin Berkemer and Dzenan Pejcinovic – as well as the mercurial talents of the side’s main striker, Joan Pinto.
Mazzone’s task however may be made easier with Pinto attracting interest from rival clubs, and the opportunity for Wolfsburg to cash in on the talented 18-year-old Portuguese may be too good to refuse.
During the World Cup break, Mazzone was called up to Wolfsburg’s under-21 side and took part in a series of friendlies, performing noticeably well against Wolverhampton.
Where this story gets even more interesting, is that Mazzone is eligible to represent Australia.
Although born in Italy and having played for their national team at an underage level, as well as now having German citizenship, Matteo qualifies for the Socceroos through a parent.
It is too early to tell if Mazzone will make it as a professional, but Australia should be doing their homework on any potential player who qualifies to wear the green and gold.
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