It is a sign of appreciation: the German women’s national team will be the first team to use the attractive grass pitches on the DFB campus in Frankfurt, which is currently under construction, in the summer.
The German Football Association (DFB) has now confirmed that the DFB women will use the training area on the former racecourse as premiere guests from June 5th to 9th. The DFB women are to hold their first course for the European Championships in England (July 6th to 31st) on the hybrid lawn directly in front of the huge glass front of the coaches’ offices – only then will the entire complex be officially inaugurated on July 1st.
EM group has pitfalls
The German soccer players in Harsewinkel are currently preparing for the World Cup qualifiers against Portugal in Bielefeld (Saturday 4:10 p.m./live ARD) and three days later in Serbia in order to eliminate any remaining doubts about qualifying for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. At the same time, the games are important tests for the European Championships in England, which start in less than three months.
The management from the National Teams Directorate is convinced that preparation will decide whether the DFB women will find their way back to success after two failed tournaments – elimination in the 2017 European Championship quarter-finals and the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals.
The group with Vice European Champion Denmark, secret favorite Spain and outsider Finland is considered treacherous. At least the semi-finals, that is the requirement of DFB director Oliver Bierhoff, but should still jump out again.
performance difficult to assess
But it is still immensely difficult to assess the performance. Where is an ensemble that flew back from the island with just one point behind England, Spain and Canada at the invitation tournament in England, but does its job very purposefully in the competitive games under Martina Voss-Tecklenburg?
The national coach is also pondering this question. She doesn’t want to whine about the constant failures, “Hopefully we can prepare for the European Championship in such a way that we have all the players with us.”
Almuth Schult has lost her regular place in goal
A regular eleven, let alone a scaffolding, has not yet worked out. It was different before the 2019 World Cup, the first tournament under Voss-Tecklenburg’s responsibility: At the start against China (1-0) in Rennes, France, there was an axis on the lawn of which almost three years later not much is left.
From goalkeeper Almuth Schult to defense chief Marina Hegering, pacesetter Dzsenifer Marozsan to strike leader Alexandra Popp: the team cannot currently orientate themselves on any of these players. Schult, who was the undisputed number one until three years ago, is only number two behind Merle Frohms after a shoulder operation and a baby break after that tournament. It looks very much like the 31-year-old is only traveling to England as a reservist.
In defense, Marina Hegering is a shaky candidate
The central defense is a problem: behind Marina Hegering, who recently fell ill with Corona, there is a long downtime due to persistent knee problems. Nobody knows whether the 31-year-old, who is highly valued by Voss-Tecklenburg, will be fit for the European Championship. Lena Oberdorf is also planned for the central defense, but the 20-year-old usually plays in midfield at VfL Wolfsburg.
But the German team is best there: Lina Magull (FC Bayern), Sara Däbritz (Paris St Germain) and Dzsenifer Marozsan (Olympique Lyon) hold leadership roles at top clubs. And, like Marozsan, they formulate their EM goals with corresponding self-confidence. “We as Germany always have high standards.”
But a grueling trip to the US and a protracted thigh injury have thrown Germany’s best soccer player off track. The almost 30-year-old finds it important “Having experienced players in the team, I’m just as pleased that new, young talents have joined.”
Alexandra Popp is only just back in attack
Alexandra Popp, the captain who made a remarkable comeback before the groundbreaking World Cup qualifiers at VfL Wolfsburg, is a constant source of hope and trepidation.
The 111-time national striker, whose former regular place in attack was taken by Lea Schüller (FC Bayern), who has a good goal quota (24 goals in the 37 international matches).
Popp is currently planned more as an all-rounder who can play anywhere from defensive midfield to the center of attack. “If there was a problem somewhere in rehab, I thought about the EM to get back up and continue.”said the captain on her 31st birthday on Wednesday (06.04.2022) at a digital press conference from the district in Haarsewinkel.
She is not physically ready yet “100 percent, but that’s completely normal”. What is certain is that the national coach would always keep a door open for her – the close connection between the two is guaranteed. “There’s no question that ‘Poppi’ is super important off the field, but just as important on the field. She wants to be one of the tournament’s defining characters. Hopefully she stays healthy.” After this statement, Voss-Tecklenburg knocked on the table in front of her.