The DFB women just missed out on the European title. Nevertheless, the final participation is a success that hardly anyone would have believed them capable of. Neither does the author of these lines.
The German national team just missed out on winning the European Championship. At Wembley – the home ground of the hosts – England won 2-1 after extra time. And yet, taking part in the final at the European Championships is a success that cannot be rated highly enough. And which came as a surprise even for the DFB. I too have to apologize, wouldn’t have thought such a success possible – and feared dropping out of the preliminary round.
No win at the Arnold Clark Cup
In mid-February, the DFB women disappointed across the board at the Arnold Clark Cup, taking just one point from three games against Spain, Canada and England. Of course, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s team started with a rump squad due to a number of corona cases. But the own expectation before the start of the cup was different – and the results were a big disappointment.
Almost two months later, the next setback. In the World Cup qualifiers, they lost 3-2 to Serbia. The team was unsettled and defensively vulnerable.
When national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg announced that she would only be playing one test (against Switzerland) before the tournament, one could get scared and anxious. With runners-up Denmark and the strong passing Spaniards, a drop out in the preliminary round would not have been a surprise.