Getting into the tournament easily? There is no time for Germany’s soccer players against European runners-up Denmark on Friday (July 8th, 2022). It’s the key game – and it may decide whether the team coached by Martina Voss-Tecklenburg survives the group phase.
The DFB selection has caught by far the most difficult group. In Denmark and Spain, two other football heavyweights are fighting with the record European champions for one of the top two places. In addition, there is Finland, which is a blatant outsider on paper, but at least left Portugal and Scotland behind in qualifying for the European Championship. A defeat at the start against the Danes would put Germany under enormous pressure.
“We know what we can do and we want to carry out our plan. Denmark have a good and strong team structure, where everyone is ready to go after every ball. It will be a big task for us. But we will put all our energy and will into the game bring,” said Voss-Tecklenburg.
Denmark’s coach Lars Söndergaard was also optimistic before the opening game. “Anything is possible. Of course, we also dream of being able to surprise. But everyone who is part of the European Championship dreams of something special,” the 63-year-old told the “Austria Press Agency”.
Left-back Rauch: “Focus and tension are high”
Either way, both teams would do well to concentrate fully on the direct duel that Voss-Tecklenburg himself had long identified as the “key game”. “The focus and the tension are high,” assures left-back Felicitas Rauch. DFB “chick” Jule Brand spoke of increasing nervousness and tension. “It’s also a nice feeling,” said the 19-year-old.
In the last competitive game before the European Championship there was an unexpected 2:3 setback in Serbia. The following 7:0 in the dress rehearsal against Switzerland, which is also in England, was all the more convincing. All players praise the preparation time. The team continued to grow together.
“It was a bit tingling on the way to the airport,” reports Lena Oberdorf, who is happy that things are about to start. “The tournament has been talked about for a long time, now the first game is finally coming up.”
Expert Künzer: “My feeling is getting better and better”
Sports show expert Nia Künzer believes in the team. “My feeling is getting better and better,” explained the 2003 world champion. “You can see the quality and the players know what they can do.” But success stands and falls with resilience. “How strong is the self-confidence already? How does the team react to difficult phases in the game and how do they deal with setbacks?” asks Künzer, who hopes that alongside the captains Alexandra Popp and Svenja Huth, with whom she will end her career in Frankfurt, find more leaders.
“Terrible event” dampens anticipation – Denmark with black ribbon
The Danes came to the European Championship without any additional tailwind. Despite being ahead in the first minute, they lost their dress rehearsal against Norway 1-2. Recently, however, the team around star attacker Pernille Harder had completely different concerns.
After the attack in a shopping center in Copenhagen that killed three people last Sunday, the association canceled all media events at the beginning of the week. The “terrible event” “moved the whole team very much”, said national coach Söndergaard. To commemorate the victims, the team will wear black ribbons against Germany. “The shooting at Field’s was terrible and everyone in the team is touched by it,” said captain Harder, according to a statement from the Danish Football Association. Nevertheless, she and her colleagues must succeed in turning the lever.
Däbritz fit in time
On the German side, Sara Däbritz recently complained about muscular problems, but returned to team training in good time. “Everyone is fit, everyone can be used,” said Voss-Tecklenburg on Thursday. The absence of another experienced player after Dzsenifer Marozsán (torn cruciate ligament) and Melanie Leupolz (pregnancy) would be inconvenient, especially since Popp after a long injury break and corona infection is only enough for the joker role. At the same time, Voss-Tecklenburg probably has the greatest quality in midfield in their ranks.
The DFB women will need them against the well-rehearsed Danes. Because even if it should be difficult enough to reach the quarter-finals, this time it should go further than at the EM 2017 and the World Cup 2019, when it was already over in the round of the last eight.
“That may be a phrase, but I think we’re really a tournament team right now. The first game is very, very important for us to get in well,” said assistant coach Britta Carlson, adding: “Then we will continue to take the next steps. And it’s our aim anyway to get into the finals and the final.”
Possible lineups
Germany: Frohms – Gwinn, Hendrich, Hegering, Rauch – Oberdorf – Däbritz, Magull – Huth, Schüller, Bühl
Denmark: Christensen – Veje, Ballisager, Sevecke – Thomsen, Pedersen, Troelsgaard, Svava – Madsen, Bruun – Harder