Weak DFB women scramble into the Olympic qualifiers
A first half to forget and no goals after the break either: despite a poor performance, the DFB women can continue to dream of the Olympics. They have Iceland to thank for this, as they beat Denmark in the Nations League parallel match.
After a nail-biting game and thanks to the help of Iceland, the German women's soccer team just about kept their Olympic chances for Paris 2024 alive - and can continue to rely on interim national coach Horst Hrubesch. A disappointing 0-0 draw against Wales in Swansea in the evening was enough for the DFB women to win their Nations League group, as rivals Denmark surprisingly lost 1-0 to Iceland. Hrubesch will also be back on the bench for the final tournament from February 21 to 28, as he confirmed after the final whistle: "That's the plan, that I'll still be there."
Then the team around captain Alexandra Popp, which was weak this time, will fight for the two remaining European Olympic tickets. Possible opponents are world champions Spain and France. The nervous runners-up in the European Championships were unable to build on their strong 3-0 win over Denmark last Friday at any stage. In the fourth game under Hrubesch, the 72-year-old missed out on a win for the first time.
The HSV idol underlined with his starting eleven that he is continuing to ignite the competition: Leverkusen's Elisa Senß, who made her DFB debut in Rostock, played from the start, as did Hoffenheim's Paulina Krumbiegel for the otherwise set Giulia Gwinn and Jule Brand, who has been given little consideration of late. Sara Doorsoun replaced the suspended Marina Hegering in central defense.
"Wasn't our ambition"
Although the German women had easily won the first leg 5:1, they got off to a very sloppy start at the Liberty Stadium, losing the ball a lot. Goalkeeper Merle Frohms was lucky after a quarter of an hour when Rachel Rowe's ball first hit the post and then her back before ending up in the net. The very weak first half was reminiscent of the performances at the botched World Cup in Australia in the summer. Sarai Linder missed with a shot just over the crossbar (41') - there was not much more in the attack around Popp.
After the break, Hrubesch brought on two new players in Munich's Gwinn and Linda Dallmann. Although the DFB Women stepped up the pressure somewhat, they continued to struggle enormously. Senß almost made it 1-0 in the 55th minute, however, when goalkeeper Olivia Clark deflected her lob around the post.
Popp was hardly used as a striker. In addition, the Wolfsburg player received a knock to the head from Sophie Ingle and went into the final phase with a slight injury. With a win, regardless of the score, the German team would have secured group victory without any outside help. "The fact that we played like that today was not our ambition. In the end, we also have to thank Iceland," said Hrubesch after the game.
The interim national coach and his players are now hoping to face France in the semi-finals, which will be drawn by UEFA on Monday. This constellation would offer the DFB women a second chance in the event of defeat: As Olympic hosts, the French are seeded for Paris. If they reach the final of the final tournament, the third-placed team would also be at the Summer Games. Apart from France, only two other European teams will receive an Olympic ticket. The German women missed out on the Games in Tokyo, but won gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Read also:
- St. Pauli wins after goalkeeper laugh number
- Flensburg takes euro opponents apart
- Horst Hrubesch continues as national coach for the time being
- Why is it important to remove lead from water pipes? Doctor explains
- The DFB-women's soccer team, aiming for the Olympic games 2024 in Paris, received a boost from Iceland's victory over Denmark in the Nations League, securing their spot in the top of their group despite a draw against Wales.
- As Europe prepares for the Olympic qualifiers, the women's soccer team from Denmark might be an unexpected opposition for the 'dfb-women' in their quest to secure one of the two remaining European tickets for the Olympic games.
- In preparation for the Olympic games 2024 in Paris, and still relying on Horst Hrubesch as their interim coach, the German women's soccer team, or 'dfb-women', will face strong opponents in the form of world champions Spain and host nation France.
Source: www.ntv.de
