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Few forwards in the world strike fear into opposing
defences like England's Michael Owen.
Owen exploded on the world stage as an 18-year old
prodigy during the 1998 World Cup in France. He came
off the bench to score a key goal against Romania and
then, against Argentina, scored a goal that many called
the best of the tournament, carrying the ball in from
half, beating two Argentine defenders and then burying
a shot from the penalty area.
He had become England's youngest international of the
century earlier in the year against Chile, earning the
Man-of-the-Match award.
Owen scored a goal in his senior debut with the club
during the 1997-98 season and tallied 30 goals in his
first year in the Premiership.
He scored 28 goals in the 1998-1999 season, despite
missing a month due to hamstring injury. The hamstring
has been Owen's achilles heel, so to speak, causing
him to have missed games every season since.
Now 22, Owen is England's main strike threat at World
Cup 2002. In September he scored a hat trick against
Germany in a performance helped Owen earn the 2001 European
player of the year award.
The important thing for Owen at the moment is to recover
his scoring touch after missing a number of glorious
chances in recent international matches.
Even so, Owen has gained such maturity in the four
years since his splashy World Cup debut that he was
named acting captain when superstar midfielder David
Beckham was sidelined with a broken foot in April. Although
he didn't relish the added pressure of the role, Owen
also feels a good deal more comfortable handling the
expectations that come with a World Cup bid.
"I am four years older," he said. "But
the main thing is the experience factor. When you come
to the scene as an 18-year-old, you are not expected
to do anything. It's a win-win situation.
"It's a different cycle now. Hopefully the pressure
will help me."
Owen's goal-scoring ability derives from his devastating
speed and marksmanship with either foot, coupled with
a maturity rarely seen in other young players and a
knack for coming through in the clutch.
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