Horst Hrubesch forces DFB women into the underdog role
Because Denmark lost to Iceland, a meagre draw in Wales was enough for the DFB women. Interim coach Horst Hrubesch's team can continue to dream of the Olympics. The 72-year-old coach grumbles briefly and then looks ahead: to a future as outsiders.
After surviving the nail-biter, Horst Hrubesch quickly looked ahead to Monday's draw. "I'd love it if I could get France, then we'll probably have two chances to qualify," said the interim national coach after the more than meagre 0-0 draw in Wales, which was enough for the German women's soccer team to make it to the final round of the Olympic qualifiers.
What Hrubesch was alluding to: The four group winners of the A-League will meet in the semi-finals of the Nations League in February. If the French women reach the final, third place will also be enough for one of the two open Olympic tickets. This is because France are already qualified for Paris 2024 as hosts, with world champions Spain and the Netherlands also in the mix alongside Germany.
"There's still a lot to do"
Hrubesch reiterated on Tuesday evening in Swansea that he will remain on board until then. "That's the plan," said the 72-year-old, but also criticized the European Championship runners-up's weakest performance under his leadership: "That wasn't our standard, and certainly not mine." Four days earlier, they had managed a convincing 3-0 win over Denmark.
Hrubesch also thanked Iceland for the fact that the point was enough to progress. The Danes, who had previously been level on points with the DFB team, surprisingly lost their final home game against the Icelanders 0:1, with the late winning goal scored by an acquaintance from the Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen's Karolina Vilhjalmsdottir scored in the 77th minute.
Hrubesch admitted that his team would not be considered favorites for the Final Four after the World Cup debacle and ongoing fluctuations in performance. "But the positive thing is that we're still in the game. That was the goal." Kathrin Hendrich took a similar view. "We're happy that we've progressed, but we also know that there's still a lot to do," the defender told ARD.
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Despite the disappointing performance against Wales, Hrubesch remains hopeful about the DFB women's chances in the Olympic games 2024 in Paris. He expressed his wish for a group with France, as third place in the semi-finals could secure an Olympic ticket, given that France, Spain, and the Netherlands, along with host France, are already qualified.
Soccer legend Horst Hrubesch, despite forcing the DFB women into the underdog role, acknowledges the positive aspect of still being in contention for the Olympic qualifiers. As Kathrin Hendrich, the defender, echoed, "We're happy that we've progressed, but we also know that there's still a lot to do."
Source: www.ntv.de
