For her World-class player, Hrubesch wants to 'pray a night'
Can Lena Oberdorf fly with the German team to the Olympics? Her teammates are worried about her after her substitution in the game against Austria. National coach Horst Hrubesch is even relying on stronger forces.
Outside, 43,953 fans are "completely let go," celebrating a sovereign 4:0 win for the German women's team against Austria in the Hannoveraner Arena to the sounds of Peter Schilling's "Major Tom," which also hovers through the arena. After the surprisingly disappointing 0:3 loss in Iceland on Friday, there was a make-up on the field. The anticipation for the Olympics, which begin on the coming Thursday, is rising. But in there, the mood is different, it is troubled despite the success.
Even help is being called for from above. "I'm ready to pray a night that nothing serious happens, that we get her to the Olympics," says national coach Horst Hrubesch at the press conference about Lena Oberdorf. Giulia Gwinn stands in the Mixed Zone with a serious expression and says: "The joy isn't coming out quite as much." She is deeply engrossed in thoughts about her teammate.
The 22-year-old midfielder apparently suffered a more serious knee injury in the EM-qualifying game, which was already a routine task for the already qualified Germans. Oberdorf was successful in the duel with Barbara Dunst, who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt, but took something at her knee. Immediately after the confrontation, she went to the ground. Several teammates signaled for the medics.
"She screamed in pain. She thought something had popped," says defender Kathrin Hendrich. After treatment on the field, Oberdorf could only hobble to the trainers, she couldn't put weight on her right leg. "I was right next to her, it didn't sound good the way she reacted on the field," says Gwinn, who plays with Oberdorf not only in the DFB team but also at FC Bayern. "It's never nice to see someone suffering." The outside defender had to cope with her 25 years old with two cruciate ligament ruptures herself and is accordingly affected: "Especially when it's about the knee, there are no positive news."
With a brace she can stand
Meanwhile, national coach Horst Hrubesch hopes for less drama. "She was first taken care of and Munich was informed," he says after the game. "We don't exactly know what that is and I also don't want to speculate." A core scan is therefore scheduled for Wednesday. Oberdorf received a brace and can stand with it.
An absence of Oberdorf in France would "damage us greatly, she is an important factor," says Hrubesch. The Munich native is a world-class player, a top performer in the defensive midfield position for the German team. "She was an important factor for us in the game," says Hrubesch, who can't stand to see such injuries. "There I had pain in my face."
Even before the ultimately disastrous World Cup a year ago, Oberdorf had been struggling with an injury and was not match-fit for the tournament in Australia. This forced the then national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg to rebuild her team. Because more and more players were getting injured, the defense had become a construction site.
For the case of another failure, "we will have to make it up", said Hrubesch. At the Olympic soccer tournament, he can only field 18 players, but four players can be called up as substitutes who can replace an injured player in the team. If the substitute heals during the tournament, she can also return to the team.
Against Austria, Oberdorf came into the game in the 71st minute. The 23-year-old plays offensively at FC Chelsea and has scored 13 goals and made 4 assists in 38 league games and is fully integrated in London. However, at her former club Eintracht Frankfurt, she was mostly used as a number six or even as a central defender, so she can play that position. The squad, despite the small number of players, is reportedly put together by the national coach in such a way that all positions are either two- or even three-deep. They can therefore not only react to injuries but are also able to react and change the game during a match.
Hrubesch still wants six more games - up to the final
This was also the case against the stiffest game in Iceland. After the disappointing 0:3 loss, things went better in all respects against Austria. More determined, quicker, more enjoyable to watch. In the 11th minute, Klara Buhl opened the scoring, Jule Brand scored in the 39th minute to make it 2:0, Lea Schuller made it 3:0 in the 52nd minute, and Buhl scored again in stoppage time for a 4:0 final score. A ball that was just behind the line a short while ago was not counted by referee Shona Shukrula, there is no video referee in the women's EM qualification. The missed goal did not dampen the mood, with Laola and "completely detached" the DFB women left for France. It is hoped that Lena Oberdorf will also board the plane in Frankfurt am Main on Sunday to travel to Marseille.
The DFB team starts its Olympic mission on Thursday - the soccer tournament starts a day before the opening ceremony - with the game against Australia. In the further games, it's against the USA and Sambia. After the group stage, the quarterfinals are directly ahead. Hrubesch had fun during his second stint with the DFB women and has a wish: "I hope the last six games will still run smoothly." Then he would have reached the final before his tenure as interim national coach comes to an end.
Before Christian Wück takes over as new women's national coach, the focus is now on Munich. The players want to travel to France with Lena Oberdorf. "We will press our thumbs and send all our strength to her," said Gwinn.
Lena Oberdorf's potential absence from the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris due to her knee injury is a concern for both her teammates and national coach Horst Hrubesch. Despite the German women's team's 4:0 win against Austria, Oberdorf's injury cast a shadow over the celebration, with teammate Giulia Gwinn expressing her concerns. Oberdorf is a critical player for the team, having made significant contributions in the defensive midfield position.
