Final form check in Franconia: The dress rehearsal against Zambia should give the DFB women momentum for the title mission at the World Cup and warm the German fan soul.
Padel tennis, board games and pizza, plus a visit from the injured duo Giulia Gwinn and Linda Dallmann: With a special team evening on the “Homeground” in Herzogenaurach, the German soccer players swore in to their World Cup mission before the dress rehearsal. A successful form check against Zambia should really heat up hopes for the title – also among the fans.
“We want to soak up a good feeling,” said national player Klara Bühl to SID before the final World Cup test on Friday evening in Fürth(8.30 p.m./live on ARDin the stream and in the live audio report): “The game is extremely important because we can get used to it and it shows us what we can still work on.” Because national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg can muster her World Cup starting eleven, unlike in the arduous 2-1 win against Vietnam two weeks earlier.
“Offensive” Zambia demands DFB-Elf
17 days before the start of the tournament against Morocco, the international match premiere against the World Cup newcomer at the end of the preparations in Herzogenaurach serves as a foretaste of the finals in Australia and New Zealand (July 20th to August 20th). Voss-Tecklenburg expects an “offensive opponent” who wants to “gamble”, plus the latest findings for the World Cup casting, “because not all decisions have been made yet”.
A passionate performance in front of more than 10,300 fans should also “take people along again” – it would be the perfect initial spark for the magical “flow” that carried the DFB team to the European Championship final in Wembley last summer.
Crisis in Flick-Elf and U21: “Kiss football fans awake”
Such positive headlines can German Football Association in view of the deep crisis of Hansi Flick’s selection and the recent U21 European Championship debacle. “Of course I would also be happy if our women could kiss the German football fans awake again this summer,” said sporting director Joti Chatzialexiou.
Even if it was bumpy for women this year and the circle of favorites is growing – the third star is the goal of the two-time world champion. “Of course we have our claim when we go into a tournament that we want to play for the title,” was the requirement of the DFB official.
Voss-Tecklenburg will reveal which 23 players are tackling this mission on Saturday after final individual discussions. The encounter in the Ronhof sports park is the last chance for the shaky candidates, so you can see “a certain crackling in the air”, revealed left-back Felicitas Rauch about the tension. Four outfield players and one goalkeeper will be eliminated.
28 becomes 23: World Cup squad revealed on Saturday
She has not yet revealed whether “MVT” will take one or even two backup players to Australia in case of injury – but she does make sure that she stirs up her protégés in the “Wizard Extreme” card game from time to time: “Then the national coach also wants to win .”
The adventure Down Under begins next Tuesday with the flight from Frankfurt via Dubai to Sydney. At the base camp in Wyong, around 90 km north of the metropolis, there is enough time to get over the jet lag and get used to the autumnal climate.
Easy group – top opponents in the round of 16?
In Group H, the DFB selection is the clear favorite with the other opponents Colombia (July 30th / Sydney) and South Korea (August 3rd / Brisbane). But in the knockout round, a hammer opponent could be waiting: In the round of 16, the title candidates Brazil or France threaten.
World Cup test against Zambia: This is how Germany could play
Frohms – Kleinherne, Hendrich, Hegering, Rauch – Däbritz, Oberdorf, Magull – Huth, Popp, Bühl
With information from SID
Source: BR24Sport 06.07.2023 – 6:55 p.m
