With a lot of will and perseverance, the DFB team defeated the USA in the first friendly. The second game should also end successfully, but national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg will test many other players. The world champions are in the midst of a minor crisis and have been warned.
With the evening view of the glowing skyline of New York City, the German soccer players swore to one last energy performance. At the end of the furious year at the European Championships, the runners-up European champions want to set another exclamation mark against the world champions in the Red Bull Arena on Sunday (11 p.m./sportschau.de).
“We will try again to demand everything from the USA and it will be the same the other way around,” said national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. In the best case, superstar Megan Rapinoe and Co. should be beaten with their own weapons, as they did in the 2: 1 (0: 0) in the first endurance test three days before: with a lot of speed, great mentality and strong jokers. The two encounters serve as preparation for the World Cup from July 20 to August 20, 2023 in Australia and New Zealand. There, Germany meets Morocco, Colombia and South Korea in the preliminary round.
Voss-Tecklenburg announced with a view to controlling the load that he would field a changed starting XI in the New York Red Bulls stadium from Major League Soccer (MLS). With regard to the hot year-end sprint with the clubs, she had specially nominated a squad of 26 for the US trip. “Now it’s important to bring in the players who haven’t played from the start. They’re all interested in this game and the atmosphere,” assured the 54-year-old. It is unclear whether the substitute goalkeepers Almuth Schult (Angel City FC) or Ann-Katrin Berger (FC Chelsea) will have a chance to replace the regular goalkeeper Merle Frohms (VfL Wolfsburg). Melissa Kössler from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Janina Minge from SC Freiburg could make their debut in the DFB selection.
However, the US girls are dying for revenge at the next valuable location determination for the World Cup title hunt next summer in Australia and New Zealand. “Everyone will try to learn their lessons from the first game,” warned the national coach. Especially since her counterpart, US national coach Vlatko Andonovski, is criticized more than ever. For the first time since 1993 (!), the record world champion suffered three defeats in a row. With a view to the mission of defending the title in eight months, the alarm bells are ringing after the setbacks at European champions England (1: 2) and in Spain (0: 2).
“The rest of the world is also fit and mentally more robust. That was always our advantage. But now it’s disappearing,” said former world footballer Carli Lloyd via Twitter critically from football retirement. It hurt all the more that the impressive home series broke after 71 games without defeat.
And so the US football fans who are used to success have to admit that the two-time world champion and eight-time European champion Germany has re-established itself at the top of the world this year. “We noticed that many saw our first game and are full of respect,” said Voss-Tecklenburg.
