Olympic Games beckon: "Very special match" for DFB women
Sara Däbritz has stirred up the emotions once again ahead of what feels like the final match for the Paris ticket. "The Olympic Games that I was able to experience with the national team are always in my heart. They are unforgettable, indescribable," enthused the 28-year-old about the triumph of the German women's soccer team in Rio de Janeiro in 2016: "Perhaps precisely because we won gold."
Däbritz would like to have an Olympic summer like that again in 2024. Whether the DFB team of interim national coach Horst Hrubesch can even take part in the tournament - the Nations League clash against Denmark this Friday (20:30/ZDF) in Rostock will be one of the deciding factors.
The runners-up in the European Championships cannot yet secure their place at the Olympics against their neighbors - but they can definitely lose out. "Of course we know that it's a very special game," said Däbritz, who plays for Olympique Lyon.
Only first place counts
Only as group winners can the German women's soccer team, who travel to Wales on December 5 to conclude the preliminary round, play for one of the two European Olympic places in the final four-team Nations League tournament at the end of February. In the event of a tie, the direct comparison and then the goal difference will decide.
The Germans lost the first leg in Denmark 0:2, which is why the DFB team (9 points) can only win with at least two goals difference against the group leaders Denmark (12) - then they would take the lead before the last matchday and have the urgently needed group victory in their own hands.
However, nobody in the German team wants to tense up in view of the treacherous starting position. "We have to play our game," said Svenja Huth, who is also hoping for "joy of playing", "fun" and "an early goal". That would undoubtedly make the difficult mission easier.
"It's worth fighting for"
Like Däbritz and Alexandra Popp, Huth was part of the gold team in Rio. Back then, Hrubesch won silver with the men's U21 team. "It really is a different event. It's worth fighting for. It's worth giving everything for. I hope that we can experience this as a team," said Däbritz. In order to keep the chance alive, the German game will have to be a lot different to the first leg, which co-coach Britta Carlson was still in charge of.
"We helped out a lot when we conceded both goals," analyzed Hrubesch, who is hardly worried about the two-goal deficit: "When I play games, I want to decide them clearly. If I can score goals, I score them," said the 72-year-old. "We want to dominate the game right from the start." As in the recent performances against Wales (5:1) and Iceland (2:0). "Satisfactory," said Hrubesch: "But we all agreed afterwards that we have to do more and can do more."
Schüller and Oberdorf will be missing
Bayern goalscorer Lea Schüller and center Lena Oberdorf from VfL Wolfsburg will be missing. Munich's playmaker Pernille Harder is also missing as a key player for the Danish side. "We know that we are capable of beating Denmark. We don't need to do any miracles now and deviate from things we've practised over the years," announced goalkeeper Merle Frohms confidently.
The German players did not qualify for the 2021 Olympics due to their failure at the 2019 World Cup, but Hrubesch wants them to do it again this time. Däbritz and Huth recalled 2018, when the HSV legend had already led the German team to a decisive qualifying victory in Iceland. At that time, it was a question of participation in the World Cup.
The "pressure situation" had therefore existed before, said Däbritz. "Of course, that also helps in games like this, this experience, but also this calmness, so that you don't get into a rush," said Huth. So that the dream of the Olympics can live on - especially after the World Cup debacle in Australia this summer. Otherwise, the DFB women would not have another major tournament appearance until the 2025 European Championships in Switzerland.
The upcoming Nations League clash against Denmark is crucial for the DFB women's national team, as they aim to secure a place in the Olympic Games. Sara Däbritz, who plays for Olympique Lyon, acknowledged, "Of course we know that it's a very special game."
Despite their 0-2 loss in the first leg, Hrubesch's team is determined to dominate the game from the start. Däbritz reinforced this sentiment, stating, "We want to win with at least two goal difference, then we would take the lead before the last matchday and have the urgently needed group victory in our own hands."
Source: www.dpa.com
