Can Werder Bremen help Anthony Ujah into Sunday Oliseh's Nigeria plans?
Anthony Ujah scored a fantastic brace in pre-season as Werder Bremen claimed a 2-1 victory over West Ham United at Upton Park.
Die Werderaner came from behind following Diafra Sakho’s 19th minute strike; Ujah responded swiftly as Hammers shot-stopper Adrian could not handle the 24-year-old’s shot from 25 yards. The goal that proved to be the winner just after the hour mark was a classic as the inspirational Ujah took a touch from James Tomkins and placed the ball past Adrian into the net.
Ujah’s brilliant performance against the Hammers, and his recent goal in the German Cup against Wuerzburger Kickers are nothing more than Werder Bremen deserve.
The River Islanders have become a shadow of themselves in recent times. The four-time Bundesliga champions have finished in the bottom half of the German top flight over the last three seasons.
During the 2012/2013 season, Die Werderaner finished a low 14th in which they spent most of the campaign battling in the relegation zone and they haven’t been involved in any European competition since the 2010-2011 season. This is damaging for a team that won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1992 and made the final of the 2009 UEFA Cup.
One thing that has made Werder a force to be reckoned with over the years has been its strike force. The likes of Ailton, Claudio Pizzaro, Ivan Klasnic, Hugo Almeida, Marcus Rosenberg and, of course, World Cup all-time top scorer Miroslav Klose all come to mind.
The onus of putting the fallen heavyweights back on the map had recently fallen on Premier League misfit Franco Di Santo following his move from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2013. The Argentine forward failed to ignite the fire at the Weserstadion and has subsequently been sold to rivals Schalke 04.
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