DFB women against the Netherlands: strong in front, susceptible to the back

Except for Sjoeke Nüsken, Rebecca Knaak and Ann-Katrin Berger, everyone really had to know. And even for these three players of the German national team, who no longer (left) spend their everyday life in the Bundesliga, a letter of apology only applies to a limited extent. Because in preparation for her first opponent of this football year, the name Lineth Beerensteyn may have often occurred in the sentences of the coaching team. The striker is well known for her pace and her risk of scoring anyway. In the Bundesliga, she has hit VfL Wolfsburg twelve times this season, so she is currently the best goal scorer with Frankfurt’s Laura Freiang. In addition, on Friday evening, Beersteyn wore the non -leaning, brightly color -colored home jersey of the Netherlands – and yet she was able to escape.

The first time the move started with a long ball, skilfully placed in the run of the lurking berrynous. She ran off, Knaak did not come after, and Beerensteyn watched DFB goalkeeper Berger, despite the sprint speed, before shot the ball through her legs. A pass was enough to play the German defensive. The sound was set after 13 minutes. The second time it was too easy again. The Dutch women came to a flank undisturbed in the 66th minute, Beerensteyn was just as undisturbed in the penalty area behind Giulia Gwinn and steering it against the berner direction of Berger to the 2-2 final score in the long corner. This should “not happen,” criticized national coach Christian Wück later in the ARD: “The girls are far too lax on the woman.”

Now Beerensteyn has not sent the Germans into a small crisis with her goals in this Nation’s League game at the start of the new international year. Because the DFB team also brought the ball into the goal twice in the 2-2 (1: 1) in the Rat publishing stadium of Breda. But an assumption was confirmed: that the defensive behavior and the defense as such would also focus on, the chain of four was often a problem area anyway. The national team is a bit like the Federal Republic: in the generation change there is sometimes a shortage of skilled workers, and in this case it cannot be collected by migration, at most by expats.

The casting for the squad places for the European Championship in Switzerland goes into the decisive phase

The location was immediately tense in the first appearance under Wück, in which after four games without pressure to perform (two victories, two defeats), unexpectedly than expected. The previous defense chief Marina Hegering can no longer ensure stability, captain Alexandra Popp is missing as a universal emergency helper, both have resigned, but the Germans have been able to get used to this. Now in the central defense, the veterans Sara Doorsoun (33, Eintracht Frankfurt) and Kathrin Hendrich (32, VfL Wolfsburg) were also at short notice. But if Wück prefers to speak of challenges instead of construction sites, the positive could also be seen in this situation.

On the right side, the new captain Gwinn (outside) and her deputy Janina Minge were able to test her interaction on the right side. On the left, Sarai Linder was given the opportunity to advertise himself. The casting for the squad places for the European Championship in Switzerland (July 2 to July 27) finally goes into the decisive phase. And in the second central defender position, Rebecca Knaak returned nine years after their last DFB nomination. The defender of Manchester City (Expat!) Wück had convinced Wück with her left foot, her duel strength and her header. The 28-year-old was noted that she first had to be in this environment again. National coach Wück therefore saw mitigating circumstances in 0: 1 – “It is simply difficult against a berrynstey” – and rather criticized the creation of the goal scene: “We are unable to prevent this pass with three or four players.”

The 51-year-old may have noted many things that displeased him and what he wants to change against Austria in Nuremberg for the second Nation’s League game on Tuesday (6.15 p.m.). From passivity to a lack of assignment to lack of stability. It was previously clear that it would need ideas and the lowest possible error rate against game and offensive Dutchman with various outstanding footballers. Wück had predicted that Oranje would put pressure on the first minute with a high, aggressive pressing. That’s how it went. “The learning effect is there, but we would have liked to avoid it,” said Wück.

The DFB women barely came behind in the first few minutes and then not really through after the opponents withdraw a little. This visibly excited the national coach on the side of the side and also led to an intensive team discussion during a break in treatment. Gwinn and her teammates were not creative enough in the game structure. It was also bitter for the Germans: When they changed it and were about to win the game for themselves, they didn’t. “We just have to learn to use our momentum,” said the captain.

As a small greeting to Alexandra Popp, Lea Schüller – who now runs with Popps rear number 11 – was growing into the goal at 1: 1 (45.+1) after a flank by Klara Bühl. Shortly after a great combination by Jule Brand and Sjoeke Nüsken (50th), Schüller missed the 2-1 lead in the meantime, again after a flank from Bühl, but almost the third goal. The interaction of the two players of FC Bayern stood symbolically for something he liked. “We have the shooters and the header. It has to be a trademark of this team, we have to train, ”he said. “This is a weapon for us.”

Wait a minute, determined (header) degrees from German internationals, that seems familiar. But of course it doesn’t hurt if the European Championships in Switzerland were played like the European Championships in England 2022.