This article is part of a series called "The feuillets de mon album" — The sheets of my album —, by Jean Eskenazi, published in 1937 & 1938. These series are a collection of footballers and some quick interesting comments of Eskenazi abut every single one of them. You can see the whole episodes by clicking here.

Attack leaders & goal-scorers
Jean Eskenazi | 05/11/1937


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Bakhuys

Like Piola for the Italian team, Bakhuys often saved the day for the Dutch team.

He is above all a shooter.

Favored by a high stature, he can go boldly into a fight... and you should not let bullets hang out within 18 meters with him.

A shooter, a ruthless shooter who will do damage when he plays with Metz, although he is no longer in that extraordinary form he knew four years ago.


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Sárosi

Is he really a centre-forward?

We applauded him as an insider, admired as a centre-half.

No. He is simply Sárosi. The class made ball player.

He is loath to force, to power: influence of his character!

He prefers finesse and scored without looking like anything goals on goals.

He is not the attack leader, he is the pater familia of his team.

Because he is not content with scoring goals... he is unequivocally talkative in his passes... and also knows how to help his centre-half if the latter starts to falter.


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Lángara

The man with the cannonball.

You have to look far to meet a center forward with such a powerful shot.

He is not a preparer. He is only a terminator.

When his Spain team mates threw him into the hole, they knew what they were doing.

Too bad he can no longer exercise his talents in an official way.


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Sindelar

He is the living enigma of football.

One wonders how, at 35, this man with a large bony body who seems tortured by the disease of the century can still be Austria's best centre-forward.

He is the triumph of intelligence.

He has only lightning left ... but his lightning is enough to make him irreplaceable in the Austrian team ... and, if he does not score as much as before, he still says he can benefit either comrade Jerusalem. some good opportunities.


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Drake

If Sindelar embodies finesse, he, Drake, is personal strength, he is the real bull who rushes straight to the goal without bothering with subtleties.

He is made in the image of British football.

Lace does not exist for him; what matters is going for it, always going for it and scoring, still scoring.

Others can amuse the gallery; Drake is aiming for the result.

All English football.


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Nicolas

Capricious as a pretty woman, he has his days.

But in his days, he equals the greats.

Thanks to his disconcerting dribbling speed and his volleying attempts, he then took the best defenses on the wrong foot and single-handedly beat the England team.

This year, he is showing consistency. He wrestles and as his weight and size are respectable... other backs than Caldenhove will still fall into their seats.


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Courtois

In terms of size, nature has not spoiled him.

He has all the more merit of having imposed himself as he did.

He resembles Hugh Gallacher and, like the Scot, he excels in triumphantly bringing the ball out at the feet of a pack of opponents after a victorious dribbling.

But either master trump, it's the start and when he is said trained, he arrives alone in front of the goalkeepers before we have had time to wonder how he did it.


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Piola

He is a Piedmontese trained in Pro Vercelli, a great breeding ground for transalpine football. He is very young — barely 23 — and the best player in Italy today.

He is also the best centre-forward on the Continent. He has it all: size and an exact understanding of his role.

With his legs, very large, he excels at deflecting balls and securing his partners.

And within 18 meters, he does not forgive. He shoots... and scores.

A British centre-forward... an incomparable centre-forward because he is always looking for only one thing: the goal.


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Rohr

He is an artist.

But an artist who doubles as an efficient player.

Handling the extraordinary ball, powerful shot, Rohr, playing across the Rhine, would still be the centre-forward of the German team.

He achieves the feat of coming to the head of the goal scorers while he is not framed by superstars.

Finally, he calmed down. He understood that a player of his class did not need those little things that so often ignite the dust.