Big team, big expectations: DFB women against world champions USA

The DFB women around national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg have already arrived in the United States to face two endurance tests there: The German team meets on November 11 (from 1 a.m. CET) at the stadium DRV PNK from Fort Lauderdale / Florida and November 13 (from 23:00 CET) in the Red Bull Arena in Harrison / New Jersey against world number ones. Despite the late hour, both games can be seen live in the stream.

The trip to the USA does not come at the best time. Due to the corona pandemic, the matches have been postponed several times and now take place in an important national phase of the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup. Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg are also challenged in the Champions League. For players, the showdown against a strong opponent becomes a double test of endurance.

The two meetings with top opponents should not only mark the end of a successful international year with the European Championship in England, but also provide important information regarding the 2023 World Cup in Australia / Nova Scotia. Zeeland.

In Florida, a severe weather warning caused a nasty surprise. Tropical storm « Nicole » made landfall there and the women of the DFB had to postpone their last training until the afternoon. Friday night’s game should be able to go ahead as normal, Team USA said.

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has named a large team for the trip to the United States so that she can use as many players as possible during the grueling phase. She has to do without a few experienced players anyway, such as Marina Hegering ((Site notre bureau spécialisé) injury), Dzsenifer Marozsan (torn cruciate ligament), Sara Däbritz (ankle injury) and Giulia Gwinn (torn cruciate ligament). Tabea Waßmuth, Sydney Lohmann and striker Lea Schüller canceled for health reasons.

Janina Minge, 23, from SC Freiburg, will be there for the first time. Defender Carolin Simon from FC Bayern Munich and Joelle Wedemeyer from VfL Wolfsburg as well as midfielder Paulina Krumbiegel from TSG Hoffenheim also return to the squad. For Lea Schüller, the national coach has now appointed Melissa Kössler from TSG Hoffenheim for the first time. After the opening training session in the USA, Voss-Tecklenburg said of the two debutants Minge and Kössler: « But it’s clear that the new players don’t have the same prerequisites because we can’t use practice time perfectly due to the tight schedule of the games.Whether the two will be used is still open.

Merle Frohms will definitely be in goal in the first game, as the national coach had already announced. For the second game, the casting is still open. Almuth Schult, who has also been playing in league operations in the United States since this season, is also in discussion. « Almuth let us know that she wants to feel safe and fit enough when she plays. That’s why we haven’t assessed it conclusively yet, » the national coach said.

Above all, mentally, the USA bring enormous strength to the field. The players around Megan Rapinoe, who are great role models for young players like Jule Brand in particular, will also face Germany with a lot of confidence. “You need that mental stability to perform in the final. The United States can be a model for us in this regard,” says Voss-Tecklenburg. More recently, however, the United States lost to Spain and England and will want to catch up against Germany.

For German players, meetings with the reigning world champions are very special, after all it is not often that the two nations meet. Out of a total of 35 games, Germany have only won four games so far. Linda Dallmann says of the difficult tasks: « That’s the level we have to measure up to in view of the World Cup. You really can’t have a friendly match at a higher level. » She and her teammates are aware of the enormous experience and physical strength of the United States.

National coach Voss-Tecklenburg also watched her opponents’ last two games. She says, “They initiated the upheaval and are currently trying things out a bit. The pillar does not seem to have been found yet. She is delighted to see how things will develop in the team, which will face the German team with young and fast players.

Both DFB women’s matches against USA can be seen in the free live stream, despite the late hour. The match on Friday November 11 will be broadcast on ZDF in the stream from 1am (CET). The second encounter, on Sunday, November 13, can be seen in the ARD stream from 11 p.m. (CET).