Once upon a time, there was a Dutch striker who, like many Dutch strikers before him, dominated the Eredivisie. With a combination of size, athleticism and technique, he seemed destined for stardom, and many waited in eager anticipation for what they believed would be a glittering career.
Bas Dost is good for Wolfsburg, good for Bundesliga, good for everyone
It’s rare we get to watch such a complete player finally come into his own.
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That player was Bas Dost. And sure enough, he earned a move to Wolfsburg after being named the Eredivisie’s top scorer -- in 2012. Yet only now are people reminded of his existence.
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For the last two and a half years, Bas Dost has been more disappointment than success in Germany. He had a decent goalscoring total in his first season with Wolfsburg, but didn’t play effectively on the whole, then spent most of his second season injured. When he was healthy, he was stunningly mediocre, which lead to him being benched for most of the early stretch of the current campaign.
Then something curious happened. With Wolfsburg competing on three fronts -- the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Europa League -- Dieter Hecking gave Dost a few chances. He put himself back on the radar thanks to a goal and a pair of assists in a German Cup match, and while he didn’t score, he generally played well in the Europa League. He then caught eyes when scoring the winner against Hannover and heading in past Köln on the final matchday before the break.
Still, no one likely thought much of it. Wolfsburg were second, yes, but they weren’t particularly compelling, and Bayern were set to run away with the title.
And then the came the Rückrunde. And Bas Dost exploded. Oh, boy, did things get fun.
Dost kicked things off with a brace in Wolfsburg's 4-1 shock win over Bayern Munich, and has gone on to score a stunning eight more goals in five all-competitions matches since then, including four goals in the epic 5-4 throwdown that saw Wolfsburg edge Bayer Leverkusen last weekend.
He’s not just scoring cheapie, poaching goals either. He’s had a few highlight-reel strikes in the mix. Then there are others that came through sheer force of will. There’s still every chance that this is some fluky, temporary run of form, but if it’s not and this is a sign that Dost is finally becoming the player he is capable of becoming, we could very well be in for a treat.
Now, we’re not talking about a late-blooming Messi or Ronaldo. Dost is 25 -- if he was going to be that level of star it would have happened years ago. But he’s always had all the physical and technical tools to be not just a good player, but an exciting one at that. It’s just never come together for him before, but based on this admittedly small sample size, it looks like Dost has finally had that moment where things just “click.”
Which is great for Wolfsburg, who gain another valuable weapon to put in their arsenal, a top-shelf striker capable of helping them chase down Bayern Munich. It’s unlikely they could pull it off this season, but next season, with a full campaign of André Schürrle, the on-fire Kevin De Bruyne and this version of Dost in the squad? Maybe they can make a good run out of it, and have the drama of a real title race in the Bundesliga again will make watching an already-delightful league even more fun.
But it’s great for fans as well. Make no mistake, helping Wolfsburg as a major player is enough of a reason to enjoy Dost (unless you’re a Bayern fan) but to see such a complete player suddenly bloom and prosper is a treat. Dost isn’t just a goalscorer -- he’s a manic presser off the ball, and if he has the ball at his feet and no way to get a shot off, he’s perfectly willing and very able to create chances for teammates. He can be a force on set pieces, and it’s not too terribly unusual to see him come flying back to his own box to help defend.
Such dynamic, exciting players are something we always need more of. When they’re on form, they make every match they’re in infinitely more watchable, and even when they’re not on form they’re capable of producing moments of magic because they’re just that good. When that package comes with someone as plainly passionate as Dost has shown himself to be these last few weeks, that makes the player and his achievements all the more likable.
The end of this story is still being written. Hopefully this fantastic month that Dost is having is just the tip of the iceberg, because seeing him emerge as the player he can be would be absolutely exhilarating. This is a tale that, with a little luck, won’t include the words “the end” for many years yet to come.
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