Germany’s hockey ladies are aiming for a medal at the World Cup in Spain and the Netherlands. The quarter-finals against New Zealand are on Tuesday (12/07/2022, 5 p.m.). A tactical trick from national coach Valentin Altenburg, which could also be used in other ball sports, should help the German team.
Just before Christmas. World Cup Quarterfinals in Qatar. The German footballers of national coach Hansi Flick are in top form. And offer Antonio Rüdiger and Nico Schlotterbeck as dual leaders up front.
Are you crazy? After all, it sounds totally unrealistic and will under no circumstances happen to the footballers in this form in December. This is exactly what happened with the German women’s national hockey team.
Pulled into attack from defense
Nike Lorenz and Hannah Granitzki have been among the most important defensive heads in the German team for several years. These days at the World Cup tournament in the Netherlands and Spain, however, she offers national hockey coach Valentin Altenburg by storm.
Altenburg is thus pursuing a clear goal: “Hockey has long been characterized by counterattacking. And our front line therefore plays a major role in ensuring that our entire defense is in place.”traitor.
Two defensive specialists as first defenders
That’s why he turned two trained defenders into strikers. Lorenz is the first German to attack the opponent centrally, while Granitzki defends in the front line, mostly on the wings.
“I really don’t care where I play. Setting up a goal or scoring is just as emotional for me as saving a goal in defense”said Granitzki the “Hamburger Abendblatt”.
Only four goals conceded in four World Cup games
For Hamburg’s Granitzki and Cologne’s Nike Lorenz, the change to the new position was of course a huge adjustment. “Something like that doesn’t even work on a world-class level”, also knows the national coach. But his concept works at this World Cup.
In fact, the German team defends extremely well and has only conceded four goals in four games. Granitzki and Lorenz act as preferred interceptors, anticipating the passes of the opposing defenders early on, perhaps also because they know from their own experience which passes defensive forces like to play.
Option also for other ball sports?
But not only the two new strikers had to change. “In the beginning I always looked behind me and looked in vain for Nike”says midfielder Anne Schröder. “Meanwhile, I’m grateful for the defensive work in front of me, because that gives us an incredibly high level of security behind it.”
The German team did not concede a goal in the 1-0 round of 16 win over South Africa as they did in the last group game against Ireland (3-0). And national coach Altenburg believes that his tactical trick could also be transferred to other ball sports.
The risk of penalty corners for the opponent is minimized
“It’s also conceivable in other sports”he says. “However, hockey is special, because here it makes a big difference whether you defend the opponent in front of you or only in your own shooting circle.” After all, there is always the danger of penalty corners in the circle, which lead to a large number of goals in hockey.
It is already certain that the German team will attack again in the quarter-finals against New Zealand with Granitzki and Lorenz. And maybe it won’t just be the defensive work of the two. Penalty corner specialist Lorenz has already scored three tournament goals. Hannah Granitzki wants to follow up: “I would be happy about a cupcake”she says.