kingpin - n (noun) 1. a main or large bolt in a central position. 2. a person or thing that is essential to the success of an organization or operation.

If there was a player in German football that summarised the word, it would no doubt be 24 year old Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos. The playmaker is to many the "main or large bolt in a central position." Often accompanied by Real Madrid's box-to-box midfielder Sami Khedira, the high energy duo also look set to be playing together next season at the Santiago Bernabeú, with Kroos reportedly set to join Los Blancos for a fee of €25 million after the World Cup.

Kroos has been in fine form for die Mannschaft at the tournament, with only Argentina standing between his German side and glory. He has earned the nickname "Garcon" (The Waiter) by Brazilian journalists due to his ability to put chances on a plate (excuse the pun) for his team mates. Said the man himself "If you're talking about the term 'Garcon' in the sense of setting up my teammates with good passes, that's alright," after 76 of his 79 passes were on target in the 4-0 win over Portugal in their opening Group G match.

So far, he has set the tournament alight. 2 goals, both coming in the semi-final thumping of Brazil, as well as 3 assists which came against Portugal and Ghana. With an average pass accuracy of 92% and earning praise from the likes of writer Jonathan Wilson, "perhaps the archetype of the modern attacking midfielder" former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, "a top-class central midfielder" and former Netherlands captain Johan Cruyff "He’s doing everything right: the pace in his passes is great and he sees everything. It’s nearly perfect." it's clear that Kroos has been crucial in Germany's success so far.

Regardless of his form, the young man is not getting ahead of himself. After die Mannschaft's 7-1 trashing of Brazil, he said "We are here to become world champions but no one becomes world champions in the semi-final and there is still and extremely difficult step - this was the feeling in a dressing room. "Sure, when do you win a World Cup semi-final 7-1... but we still have one more match to go. "We have to deliver another absolutely top performance otherwise we will lose the final - and I am convinced we will win."

Gifted with both feet, (see below video) the man who now tops the Castrol Index as the best player at the World Cup is just one game from footballing immortality, and returning the Copa Mundial to German soil for the first time in 24 years. It remains to be seen whether Kroos will step up to the plate, but for the garcon, his stature as the kingpin leads one to believe that he can serve us up a special on Sunday evening.

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About the author
Sean Tansley
Budding sports journalist and unbiased Liverpool fan.