European Championship
Because they know what they are doing: praise for DFB women after 4-0
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (2nd from left) high fives after the 4-0 win with Giulia Gwinn. Photo: Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
After their brilliant start to the European Championship, the German soccer players suddenly found themselves at the top of many German media portals. The 4-0 win against Denmark also wowed TV viewers.
The “La Ola” has already swept through the Brentford Community Stadium for the soccer players around captain Svenja Huth – now the wave of enthusiasm should also come to Germany.
In the middle of the summer break in the men’s Bundesliga, the DFB women made a statement for their sport with their remarkable 4-0 win against Denmark at the start of the European Championships in England. Against title favorite Spain on Tuesday (9 p.m. / ARD and DAZN) also in West London it is probably already about the group victory.
«Of course it is now a nice sign in Europe, also to Germany. I hope that the euphoria has taken over a bit,” said midfielder and goalscorer Lina Magull, who was able to take the trophy as the best player of the game.
At their gala performance, the DFB women were already the favorites of the TV audience. 5.95 million people watched the first group game on ZDF and, according to the broadcaster, accounted for a market share of 25.9 percent. The live broadcast was the most successful television show of the day.
High praise from Chatzialexiou
Joti Chatzialexiou, head of national teams at the German Football Association, expressly praised the women. “It was actually the best game I’ve seen from our team in my sporting responsibility so far,” said the 46-year-old at a press conference in London. Chatzialexiou has been responsible for the two selection teams at the association since January 1, 2018.
“We actually implemented our match plan very, very well. We fought great duels, had great moments of transition, played football very dominantly and finally also very confidently, »explained Chatzialexiou. The latter was not always the case in the past due to some failures and new constellations.
The Danes also paid tribute to their opponent. “They have a lot of power and are very convinced of what they do,” said their star Pernille Harder, two-time “Soccer Player of the Year in Europe” and a former Wolfsburg resident.
Voss-Tecklenburg: “You have to beat us first”
The newspaper “Jyllands-Posten” wrote: “Superior Germany gives the Danish women’s national team a football lesson.” Shortly before, Spain had already won 4-1 against Finland – and that without world footballer Alexia Putellas (torn cruciate ligament).
When Voss-Tecklenburg gathered the beaming faces in a circle after the final whistle, the national coach probably said what her players thought: “First of all, someone has to beat us.” Within 90 minutes, the DFB women dispelled all doubts that had accumulated over the past three years after the World Cup quarter-finals in France.
In front of 15,746 spectators, the DFB team exuded a strong mentality, enthusiasm and tactical maturity in the first group game – and scored wonderful goals. Magull (21st minute) and Lea Schüller (57th) from FC Bayern Munich as well as the two Wolfsburg women Lena Lattwein (78th) and Alexandra Popp (86th) scored against the European Championship runners-up in 2017. “We got into a frenzy played. Our attack pressing worked very well,” said Schüller. For once, Voss-Tecklenburg had “nothing to complain about”, as she said herself.
Popp scores after being substituted on
“We played an outstanding game. We were incredibly dominant, aggressive. The relief is of course great. It’s a good basis, a great starting position, but nothing has been won yet,” said the 54-year-old. She spoke of a “great gift”.
Your real captain, Alexandra Popp, only came on for Schüller in the 61st minute – and will probably have to continue to accept the role of joker. This was indicated by Voss-Tecklenburg. “We tried to find a way to make her believe that we need her in this tournament in all her ways – if not in the first 90-minute game, maybe not in the second or third,” said the coach .
Popp only made her comeback in the national team in April after a serious knee injury, and she was set back again in preparation by a corona disease. As a substitute, she made it 4-0 with a diving header. The Olympic champion from VfL Wolfsburg played her first European Championship appearance in her 115th international match, as she had missed the two previous tournaments due to injury.
“I can only say that it’s just beautiful,” said Voss-Tecklenburg. “Poppi didn’t have an easy way.” The striker was “very busy, very upset” about the question of fitness. The 31-year-old herself said: “Of course I want to play from the start, that’s clear.”
But she also praised her Bayern competitor Schüller: “Lea did well before I was substituted on. That’s why it’s a great added value to have such two strikers in the ranks,” she explained, adding with a laugh: “And if in the end Lea plays all tired, and then I come in and can execute – then I’m completely fine with it.”