football
When Scholz visits: DFB women 0-0 against Sweden
Germany’s Sophia Kleinherne (M) in a duel with Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfö (r). photo
© Fabian Strauch/dpa
Even with jubilee and EM star Alexandra Popp, the DFB women are harmless on the offensive in the first international match in 2023. In the hometown of the national coach, the goalkeeper is right.
Alexandra Popp’s dirty socks were evidence of a battle of attrition, but the DFB captain and her team with the zero number against strong Swedes could not be satisfied.
“Poppi was the mentality monster again today, she marched ahead there. She was the captain, she showed that we don’t want to lose the game,” praised national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. Your 31-year-old captain from VfL Wolfsburg played her 125th international match 13 years after her debut in the DFB selection at the same place – but she did not score her 62nd goal. “It is brutally difficult for many to find their way into the new system. In the first half we didn’t have such a good intensity forwards and backwards,” said Popp.
This is one of the reasons why the German footballers made a goalless and disappointing start to the World Cup year in front of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The harmless team came to a lucky 0-0 draw against Sweden in Duisburg. “Today it was more of a football fight,” said the national coach and decided: “In the end we really have to be satisfied with 0-0.” The 55-year-old knew who she owed the goalless draw to. “In Merle Frohms we had a very, very good goalkeeper who kept us in the game.” In front of 20,169 spectators, Germany was lucky in the end that it stayed with the zero number.
National coach praises Scholz’s visit: “A strong sign”
“It’s a strong sign,” said Voss-Tecklenburg about the Scholz visit. After a meeting with the coach and DFB President Bernd Neuendorf immediately before kick-off, the Chancellor announced that he would continue to work for equality in football. “If you can keep that in mind, I’ll stay on the ball. I’ll continue to do that,” said the SPD politician on ZDF. Scholz had already argued vehemently at and after the European Championship last year for German national soccer players to receive the same bonuses.
On the way to the hoped-for third World Cup title after 2003 and 2007, Duisburg-born Voss-Tecklenburg and her squad still have a lot of work to do. At the first endurance test this year before the World Cup from July 20th to August 20th in Australia and New Zealand, Sweden showed themselves to be extremely robust opponents. On the other hand, the DFB women sometimes seemed a bit despondent. At the World Cup, Germany meets Morocco, Colombia and South Korea in Group H.
Nüsken instead of sick Oberdorf in the starting XI
The German team had prepared for the duel against their long-term rivals in a short training camp in Marbella. Sweden is third in the FIFA world rankings behind the USA and Germany. Germany defeated Sweden in the 2016 Olympic final, but were eliminated by the Scandinavians in the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals.
With Sjoeke Nüsken replacing Lena Oberdorf, who was ill, in defensive midfield, the Germans took on the EM semi-finalists in 2022.
Frohms keeps the zero
The powerful Swedish team around Barcelona striker Fridolina Rölfo (formerly FC Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg) put the DFB women under constant pressure. The German players didn’t like the offensive pressing at all. After a shot by Kosovare Asllani, Frohms had to use all her flying skills.
Even after the break there were initially some misunderstandings in the German attack, then Popp and Co. came into play better. But the substitute offensive forces Lea Schüller, Laura Freigang and Jule Brand were no longer able to make a decisive move. And in the closing stages Frohms only saved against Blackstenius, shortly afterwards Rytting Kaneryd hit the post.
