Status: 07/28/2022 11:54 am
Germany once again deserved a win with great team spirit – and with a 2-1 win against France they made it into the dream final of this European Championship against England. The team was tactically well adjusted again, could rely on captain Alexandra Popp and can even hope for Klara Bühl again for the final.
Suddenly Klara Bühl was also on the lawn in Milton Keynes. Her friend had called the 21-year-old, who had stayed in London because of her corona infection, via Facetime and passed the smartphone onto the field after the 2-1 win against France. “Klara played a big part in the fact that we got this far in the tournament,” explained Linda Dallmann. “So we wanted to give her something back.”
This gesture was another sign that the 23 players have grown into a real unit. That was also underlined by captain Alexandra Popp, who actually had good reason to be properly celebrated after her two goals: “I’ve been in the national team for ten years now. And I have to say: I’ve never experienced such a team spirit.”
In order to understand the scope of her words, you have to know that one of the greatest successes of all in German football falls during her career: The 31-year-old was part of the German selection that won Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
The fifth match plan at the EM also works
And now it doesn’t take that much imagination to say that Germany can become European champions again this year for the first time in nine years, when Popp missed her first European Championship injured.
On the one hand, shortly after the final whistle, the players were again full of anticipation for the final against England on Sunday (31.07.2022/6 p.m. CEST, live in the first and at Sportschau.de). “We can’t wait and we’re glad it’s only a three-day break this time,” said Dallmann. And Sydney Lohmann added: “Germany versus England is the dream final. And it doesn’t matter at all whether the 90,000 spectators on Sunday are for or against us.”
On the other hand, the team has once again impressively demonstrated the tactical flexibility it is capable of. Hardly anything was to be seen of the rightly highly praised fast French wingers. “A lot of what we had planned has worked out,” said national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg.
Brand is also convincing in her EM starting eleven debut
Like worker bees, the German players had repeatedly pounced on the French player who had the ball. Svenja Huth, who switched to the left flank and was on the move an incredible amount, rushed to the rescue of full-back Felicitas Rauch via the left flank in almost every attack by France. And on the other side, too, where Giulia Gwinn superstar Delphine Cascarino completely unsubscribed, right winger Jule Brand was no way too far.
In general, the only 19-year-old earned special praise from the start on her first appearance at the European Championships. With great tactical maturity and tireless legs, the Neu-Wolfsburg player, valued for her offensive spirit, shone especially defensively.
Voss-Tecklenburg praised her team’s performance as a “collective and great team success. From the small wheel to the big wheel, everything just worked.” The mix in the team fits “extremely well”.
Will Bühl be fit again in time for the final?
The team was even able to cope with the fact that playmaker Lina Magull never really found her way into the game against France. “We all ran for each other,” said clearer Lena Oberdorf. “If one was played, the other was there.”
And after replacing Sara Däbritz and Magull, Lohmann and Dallmann were there. “I just had the energy and the mood,” said Lohmann, who brought a breath of fresh air into the game. Here a clever game shift, there a strong defensive action with header, sprint and blocked shot. With this unconditional will, the joker also had her share of the success.
Voss-Tecklenburg is counting on the fact that her team’s development process isn’t over yet – and of course she’s looking forward to her first title as national coach. Klara Bühl, whose jersey Lohmann wore across the pitch after the game in Milton Keynes, could possibly help again. “If Klara is negative again by Sunday and continues to be symptom-free, let’s see what happens,” MVT said.
Source: sportschau.de