Germany's young guns ready to fire against China
June 7, 2019
"We don't have balls, but we know how to use them!" If the German public wasn't entirely aware of the impending start of the Women's World Cup in France this month, the team's viral promotional video certainly caught the country's attention.
Bold, confident, feisty and self-assured, the clip was an accurate reflection of the mood in the German camp in Rennes in north-western France after 15 months which have seen an upturn in fortunes for the Frauenteam.
After a disappointing quarterfinal exit from the European Championships in the Netherlands two years ago and an embarrassing last-place finish at the SheBelieves Cup in the United States in 2018, the inexperienced Steffie Jones was replaced by interim coach Horst Hrubesch, under whom the team secured World Cup qualification.
Permanent head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, who herself made 125 appearances for Germany and won four European Championships, took the reins last November and sees this tournament as an important stepping stones for a young squad which contains 15 World Cup debutants.
Changing of the guard
Less regular observers of the women's game in Germany will search the squad list in vain for stalwarts such as Simone Laudehr and Anja Mittag, and find in their place Lea Schüller (21), Giulia Gwinn (19) and Lena Oberdorf (17).
Star forward Dzsenifer Marozsan is still there, looking to add to her 32 goals in 90 appearances for her adopted nation in the country where she has won three consecutive Champions League titles with Lyon. But the 27-year-old has passed on her captain's duties to the equally experienced Alexandra Popp (28).
"Dzsenifer is really on form; it's obviously done her good that she's not captain anymore," said Ralf Kellermann, who led Wolfsburg's women's team to three leagues, four cups and two Champions League titles. "She takes responsibility in other ways."
The captaincy is in safe hands with "Poppi," who has undergone a transformation from number nine to influential all-rounder. Generally pulling the strings in midfield for VfL Wolfsburg, with whom she has just won a third consecutive league and cup double, Popp will lead from the front of Germany's 4-2-3-1 formation.
Read more: FIFA Women's World Cup: Why Germany has a unique football vocabulary
Pressure off
"Our younger players are already very well developed but they're still uninhibited and they don't worry about things," she has observed, adding that the lower expectations this time around have contributed to a relaxed atmosphere in the squad.
"It always used to be: Germany are already world champions," she said, referring to the county's back-to-back World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007. "But we don't have that pressure now and we can approach the tournament with the shackles off. It's no longer taken for granted that Germany are always on top."
Read more: Lea Schüller: The goals to lead Germany to glory
Kicker magazine might have splashed "Dreaming of a third star" across the front page of their World Cup special this week, but Voss-Tecklenburg's stated aim is merely a place among the top three European nations, which would guarantee qualification for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
But with a winnable group including minnows China and South Africa, and the possibility of not meeting holders USA, hosts France or hotly-tipped England until the final, there's no reason Germany shouldn't aim higher. For that, a winning start against the Chinese on Saturday is a must ahead of the bigger test against Spain in Valenciennes on Wednesday.
Come through that and the fans at home will have no choice but to sit up and take notice.