DFB Women - Next Herculean task for Hrubesch at the final tournament
After a poor 0-0 draw in Wales, the German women's soccer team will go into the Olympic qualifiers for Paris 2024 as outsiders.
"I would agree that we are not the favorites," said interim national coach Horst Hrubesch in Swansea. The 72-year-old will also be on the bench for the DFB women at the Nations League final tournament in February, as he confirmed at the press conference: "That's the plan, that I'll still be there."
Hrubesch and the team around captain Alexandra Popp had to tremble mightily. If they had won, the runners-up in the European Championships would certainly have been group winners. In the end, however, they had to rely on the support of Iceland, who surprisingly beat Denmark 1:0. The German team will now fight for the two remaining European Olympic tickets.
Possible opponents in the semi-finals of the final tournament, which will be drawn on Monday, are world champions Spain, France and the Netherlands, who ousted European champions England from the top of Group 1. The DFB team is now hoping to face France: the Olympic hosts are seeded for Paris. If they reach the final, third place would also be enough to qualify.
"Was not our ambition"
The nervous runners-up in the European Championships were unable to build on their strong 3-0 win over Denmark last Friday in Rostock. In their fourth game under Hrubesch, they missed out on a win for the first time and showed great weaknesses four months after their World Cup preliminary round exit in Australia.
"The way we played today was not what we expected. In the end, we also have to thank Iceland," said Hrubesch after the game, finding clear words: "We did what we didn't really want to do: We let the game slip out of our hands and were just chasing in the first half." The HSV idol had initially only committed himself publicly to taking charge of the four group games in the Nations League. It remains to be seen whether he would also sit on the bench at the Summer Games if he qualifies for the Olympics.
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- Despite the loss against Wales, the German women's national soccer team still has a chance to qualify for the Olympic final tournament in Paris 2024, entering as outsiders.
- Horst Hrubesch, the interim coach of the German women's national team, acknowledged that they are not the favorites, following a draw in Swansea.
- Iceland's surprise victory over Denmark in the same group provided critical support for the German team's Olympic qualification efforts.
- Should the German women's team progress beyond the semi-finals of the Nations League, they can secure an Olympic spot in Paris with either a win or a third-place finish.
- The DFB women's team will be aiming to face France in the semi-finals, as the Olympic hosts are seeded for Paris and a win against them would guarantee qualification.
- Despite their strong performance in the European Championships, the German women's team struggled in their fourth game under Hrubesch, falling to a 0-0 draw against Wales.
- The 72-year-old Horst Hrubesch, known for his time as an HSV idol, had initially committed to managing the four group games in the Nations League but remains a possibility for the Olympic Summer Games.
- Qualification for the Cycling Olympics in Great Britain's Swansea could present a significant challenge for the German women's soccer team, as they aim to bounce back from their European and Nations League setbacks.
- Germany's Women's National Team will be up against strong opposition at the final tournament, including world champions Spain, France, and the Netherlands, who ousted English European champions from the top of their group.
Source: www.stern.de
