Claudio Pizarro: Soccer's Best Third-Choice Striker Some things get better with age, but soccer players are generally not among them. Claudio Pizarro may be an exception. Despite only starting nine games in all competitions this season and making most of his appearances off the bench, Pizarro has been a crucial part of Bayern Munich's successful and record-breaking campaign. Pizarro, a 34-year-old striker, was initially brought in on a free transfer from Werder Bremen to provide cover for Mario Gomez and the newly signed Mario Mandzukic. Bayern officials were adamant about bringing him back to the club for a second time; he had already enjoyed a spell in Munich between 2001 and 2007. The hope was that his experience would add much-needed depth and competition to the roster and that it would give Jupp Heynckes with additional options in a congested schedule. Before the start of the season, instead of flying to Peru for an international match, Pizarro decided to stay in Munich to work on his fitness. Bayern's sporting director, Matthias Sammer, said the veteran striker still had a lot of work to do to regain his form. Some were skeptical that a player who was then approaching 34 would be able to help a team with the ambitions of a treble. Heynckes, though, was confident that Pizarro would add a lot to the team and give him an outlet that was lacking. Pizarro worked himself back to full fitness and has improved as the season progressed. His form in the last month has been impressive. Pizarro scored four goals and assisted two in Bayern's 9-2 dismantling of Hamburg in March. He added two more goals and assists in their 6-1 rout of Hannover this weekend. Against Hamburg, he became the first Bundesliga player since 2001 to be directly involved in six goals in one match, and his brace against Hannover was the 31st of his career, a record among active players. Heynckes" belief and trust in Pizarro have been rewarded. "For me he is not only a great goalscorer but an excellent footballer, and he showed that today," he told the German publication Welt earlier this week. He is going to help us a lot, especially in tight games when we need goals. We didn't have an option like that last year in the Champions League final. Although he was brought in to back up Gomez and Mandzukic, Pizarro has turned into a contender to start key games and turned the striker hierarchy into a three-player competition for the sole spot up front. "There is no second choice for me," Heynckes said before this weekend's game against Hannover. All three strikers are my No. 1s. But Pizarro is more than just another body Heynckes can throw up top to get goals. Earlier this season he accommodated Gomez by playing off him and in the "hole" that Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller have occupied over the years. Against Nürnberg, Pizarro started there and assisted a goal in a 4-0 victory. Against Hannover, Pizarro again started as the No. 10 and was directly involved in four of the team's six goals. And his pedigree goes beyond just the Bundesliga. He scored a hat trick earlier in the season against Lille in the Champions League group stages and came in against Juventus in the second leg of the quarterfinals, scoring Bayern's second goal. With Mandzukic suspended for the first leg of the semifinals against Barcelona on Tuesday, Heynckes now has an important decision to make. But the fact that there is even a discussion speaks volumes about Pizarro's ability to compete against younger strikers who have had more consistent playing time. In 2010, Pizarro became the Bundesliga's top foreign goal scorer. He is tied for ninth over all in career goals scored in the league - 166 in 350 appearances. He has overtaken legendary players like Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Rudi Völler and Uwe Seeler. Quality in squad depth has been a key factor in Bayern's ability to maintain a high level of performance and results this season, and Pizarro has been integral to that. Pizarro turns 35 in October and signed a one-year deal last summer. Several clubs around the league have already expressed an interest in signing him, including Hamburg. Bayern officials said they would not make a decision about a contract extension until the end of the year, but another season with Pizarro would not be the worst thing for the club. After all, Pep Guardiola needs options too. Cristian Nyari is a New York City-based soccer writer and analyst and the editor in chief of BundesligaFantatic.com.