While Reus for sure was Germany's best player in his team the recent two or three months, he was not during all of the season and not really in the German nationalteam to now. Though he is not a passenger in the big matches he still has not proved that he is a big factor in any big matches. But he did not play many until now and as he usually is very decisive he sure has the potential for it. He was a big hope.
What is a big match for you? A knock out match in the CL? If that is so, then here is a short list for you:
2012/2013
- Malaga (QF 2nd leg)
- Real Madrid (SF 1st leg)
- Bayern Munich (Final)
2013/2014
- Napoli (Group stages 2nd leg/ do-or-die game)
- St. Petersburg (R16 1st leg)
- Real Madrid (QF 2nd leg)
In all these games, he directly contributed to goals for Dortmund, often more than once. You are right he sure as hell is not a passenger, he is a difference maker and one of the key players his team counts on. Truth is, that the only German offensive midfielder with more proof as being a big game player is Thomas Müller. Everyone else has still to proof himself as such.
He was also without a doubt Germany´s best player if we take the whole season into account, which is why he won every meaningful vote as such by a landslide.
Him missing the WC won´t break our offensive, but it will definitively hurt us. We are not going to win any games at Brazil because of our system or tactics. We have to hope for individual brilliance to pull us through. And up to this point Reus could deliver exactly that.