Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Soccer Memories-Part 49 – West Germany National Team’s One-Cap Wonders in the 1980s.

 In the decade of 1980s, West Germany were managed by Jupp Derwall and Franz Beckenbauer. They each selected many players with the National Team who had short careers. They were a selected few within the decade that only managed a single appearance.

I look back at West Germany National Team’s One-Cap Wonders in the 1980s.

The aim is to look upon the reason, background, and circumstances why a certain player was selected for a match but never again.

 

Kurt Niedermayer, 1980:

Kurt Niedermayer was selected in a friendly match vs. Holland on October 11th, 1980 (1-1 tie) at Eindhoven.

Kurt Niedermayer started out with Karlsruhe in 1974 before joining Bayern Munich, age 21, in 1977.

Kurt Niedermayer was a defender in the Bayern Munich side led by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Paul Breitner that won the Bundesliga title in 1980 and 1981.

He would later join VfB Stuttgart and win the Bundesliga title in 1984, but would get no further caps.
Prior to his one cap he had played in a number of B Internationals for West Germany.
After Stuttgart, he joined Swiss side FC Locarno in 1985 and then joined SC Pfullendorf in 1987 before retiring at the end of that season (1987/88).
 
 

Photo From: Fußball 1980 Süd

(Kurt Niedermayer)

Manfred Bockenfeld, 1984:

Manfred Bockenfeld made his solitary appearance for his Nation in a friendly vs. Bulgaria on February 15th, 1984, at Varna (3-2 win).

Manfred Bockenfeld started out at FC Bocholt in 1978, before joining Fortuna Dusseldorf in 1981, aged 21.

He was a defender for a Fortuna Dusseldorf aide that was in the top half of the Bundesliga for the 1983/84 season before losing steam in the end.

Bockenfeld was not capped again but he was part of West Germany’s 1984 Olympics side in Los Angeles.

After Dusseldorf, he joined Waldhof Mannheim in 1987.

He would later join Otto Rehhagell’s Werder Bremen side in 1989 and win the Bundesliga title in 1993 and the Cup Winners Cup in 1992.
He stayed with Bremen until 1994, then joined his first club Bocholt to see out his career in 1997.
 
 

Photo From: Das Gesicht der Bundesliga 1987-88

(Manfred Bockenfeld)

Helmut Roleder, 1984:

VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Helmut Roleder replaced Harald Schumacher at halftime in a friendly match on March 28th, 1984, at Hannover vs. the Soviet Union (2-1 win).
He kept a clean sheet in his only half of International Football but was not selected again but was part of West Germany’s 1984 Euros squad.
He spent his entire career at Stuttgart starting in 1972, aged 19, before retiring in 1986.
He was Stuttgart’s goalkeeper for that Bundesliga winning season (1983/84).
He was Jupp Derwall’s final One Cap Wonder.
 
 

Photo From: Panini Fussball 1980/81

(Helmut Roleder)

Christian Schreier, 1984:

Midfielder Christian Schreier was selected by Franz Beckenbauer in his first match in charge of the National Team on September 12th, 1984, at Dusseldorf vs. Argentina (1-3 loss). He replaced Franck Mill in the 73rd minute.
He had joined Bayer Leverkusen that summer from Bochum.
He started out at SV Castrop-Rauxel I 1977, before joining TuS Paderborn-Neuhaus in 1978.
He joined Bochum in 1981, aged 22, before joining Bayer Leverkusen in 1984.
Following Leverkusen, he would join Fortuna Dusseldorf in 1991 and then rejoin TuS Paderborn-Neuhaus in 1992.
After two seasons, he joined Rot-Weiss-Essen in 1994, before joining FC Wegberg-Beeck in 1996, before retiring in 1998.
He would not be selected again after his solitary cap in 1984, but was part of the 1984 and 1988 Olympics squads for West Germany. He would also win the UEFA Cup with Bayer Leverkusen in 1988.
 

Photo From: Das Gesicht der Bundesliga 1987-88

(Christian Schreier)


Thomas Kroth, 1985:

Thomas Kroth made his only appearance in a friendly at Hamburg on January 29th, 1985, vs. Hungary (0-1 loss). He replaced Olaf Thon in the second half.
The former Koln midfielder was playing for Eintracht Frankfurt at the time. 
He started out at Kickers Offenbach in 1977, before joining FC Koln in 1978, aged 19.
He stayed with Koln for four seasons before joining Eintracht Frankfurt in 1982. He then joined SV Hamburg in 1985, staying until 1988.
He would join with Borussia Dortmund in 1988 before retiring (1989/90).
He had made a number of U-21 appearances in the early part of the decade but was not selected again for the senior side.
He won the West German Cup (DfB Pokal) with SV Hamburg 1987 and Dortmund 1989.
 

Photo From: Das Gesicht der Bundesliga 1987-88

(Thomas Kroth)


 Frank Neubarth, 1988:
Frank Neubarth made one appearance in a match as part of the Berlin Easter Tournament at Berlin on April 2nd, 1988, vs. Argentina (1-0 win). He replaced Dieter Eckstein in the 81st minute.
Werder Bremen were League leaders at this point on their way to win the Bundesliga title (1987/88).
West Germany were preparing for the 1988 Euros at home and Eckstein was tried out by Beckenbauer as an option upfront.
Neubarth started out with SC Concordia von 1907 in 1980 before joining Werder Bremen in 1982 aged 20.
Neubarth was a prolific striker in Otto Rehhagel’s Werder Bremen squad along with the likes of Rudi Voeller and Manfred Burgsmuller.
He remained with Werder Bremen until retirement in 1996. Along the way he won two Bundesliga titles (1988, 1993), German Cup (DfB Pokal) (1991, 1994) and the Cup Winners Cup in 1992.

Photo From: Das Gesicht der Bundesliga 1987-88

(Frank Neubarth)



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