The first half was over, a good time for a few changes, Christian Wück thought and followed his plan. For his first four games as national coach, the 51-year-old has planned to be flexible; he wants to try out a lot, test a lot of footballers and give the younger ones in particular a chance. For this game against Switzerland, he opted for a mix of three different experience levels. Wrapped in a thick black jacket, Wück watched as his players prepared to be substituted: Laura Freigang with the routine from 32 international matches, Cora Zicai with the nervousness before the premiere and Pia-Sophie Wolter with the joy of being able to recommend herself in her sixth appearance can. It should be the perfect choice.
Five minutes later, Wück threw both arms in the air. Wolter had crossed in front of the goal, Freigang skillfully took the ball directly and it was 2-0. Sjoeke Nüsken made it 1-0 shortly before halftime. In the 56th minute it was Zicai who crossed into the penalty area, Lea Schüller easily headed the ball over the line to make it 3-0. In the 64th minute, Wolter passed the ball into the middle from the baseline, and Freigang used it again directly. However, the scenes before the fourth goal in the 73rd minute provided unmistakable proof: Wolter played into the path of Freigang, who in turn saw Zicai in the six-yard box. And what better story could this evening have delivered than that the SC Freiburg offensive player also scored herself on her debut on her 20th birthday after providing an assist?
:Please make mistakes
Lots of new faces: In the last international matches of this year, the generational change in the women’s national soccer team became clear. One thing is particularly important to national coach Christian Wück: that his players dare to do something.
How she felt about it could be seen from the way she beamed while cheering. Zicai later said: “It’s an indescribable feeling to score in my first international match. That was… wow!” Wück’s good instinct for substitutions was also evident in Schüller’s 6-0 win in stoppage time: the goal was prepared by Lisanne Gräwe and Vivien Endemann, both of whom had come off the bench. The six changes that Wück made did not upset the stability of the team, on the contrary. In the first half, the Germans had a hard time against the low-lying, but overall weak and overwhelmed Swiss team. Freigang, Zicai and Wolter created a dynamic that led to more creativity and determination on offense.
And so this evening in Zurich’s Letzigrund not only provided stories of good personnel decisions by the coaching team and new talents as part of a generational change – goalkeeper Sophia Winkler, 21, and Alara Sehitler, 18, also impressed in their debuts. But also the story of Laura Freigang’s successful return. A player who has never really been away and yet has to prove herself again. The 26-year-old hadn’t scored for the DFB Women in more than two years. Before the game against Switzerland, she scored the last of her twelve goals in September 2022 in the 8-0 World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria, with a hat-trick.
“I would like to play a bigger role,” says Laura Freigang
Neither national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg nor interim coach Horst Hrubesch had really found a place for release. Hrubesch acknowledged that she was a capable striker and important to the team. But he identified one shortcoming: “She doesn’t score enough goals.” Freigang was always there, but the number of minutes she played faltered. And when she got the chance, she sometimes seemed inhibited at crucial moments. After her good initial phase in the national team, her development stagnated. “In all these years I have always tried to push myself to the limit,” Freigang said these days, opening the door to her inner life a crack: “I wasn’t happy with every decision and situation.”
She didn’t make it into the starting eleven at the 2022 European Championships in England, nor did she make it into the starting eleven at the 2023 World Cup in Australia. Others also shaped the offensive at the Olympic Games in the summer, especially long-time captain Alexandra Popp, now a retired national player. The fact that Freigang was moved to the second row was not only due to the competitive situation on the offensive, but also to the preferred tactical orientation. Something has happened here.
Before Wück, Freigang’s tenth position was hardly planned, but that could now change. And he classifies the Frankfurt woman as the strongest playmaker. As with Eintracht, she should distribute the balls into the zone where Schüller will usually be lurking in the future – and of course also score herself. “The classic ten roll suits me best. I see it as very positive that Christian sees me there,” said Freigang. There are still seven months until the European Championships, her goal is clear: “I would like to play a bigger role.”
Even with Wück as boss, Freigang has to take advantage of his opportunities; the Franconian is no less strict when it comes to the selection when filling his limited squad positions. But the pressure of having to deliver no longer blocked Freigang, at least against Switzerland. In her 33rd international match, she seemed relieved, especially after her first goal. Freigang is currently the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga and the captain has scored ten times in ten games for second-placed Frankfurt. The only reason she wasn’t able to show up in the 4-3 win against England and the 1-2 win against Australia was due to an infection. Freigang could get her next chance on Monday evening against Italy. She has now reminded everyone that she is already in the national team.
