Saturday April 10th 2021
Five hits against Australia
DFB team defies the corona shock
In the morning it is unclear whether the game can even start, in the afternoon the DFB women play as if there had been no excitement. The German national soccer team easily wins against Australia – despite the excitement about a positive corona test.
Despite the corona shock, the German soccer players passed their endurance test against the “Matildas” from Australia with flying colors. The considerably weakened selection of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg won the international match against the upcoming World Cup hosts around star striker Sam Kerr 5: 2 (1: 0).
Sjoeke Nüsken (11th), Kathrin Hendrich (48th), debutante Jule Brand (62nd), Laura Freilang (64th) and Linda Dallmann (90th + 1) met for the Olympic champion in Wiesbaden. Emily Gielnik (82nd / 90th + 2) scored the two Australian goals.
The national coach was satisfied and gained “a lot of positive insights. We have players who are behind, who found very good solutions in a very complicated situation today,” praised Voss-Tecklenburg. International debutante Brand was also relieved and happy. “I was nervous, but the goal a minute after being substituted on – that gave security,” said the 18-year-old from Hoffenheim. The team is 100 percent fit – “it works that way with the teamwork, even if the four were obviously missing”.
Corona alarm causes excitement
In the morning, a positive PCR test at Felicitas Rauch had caused an alarm in the DFB team. In addition to the defender, the trio Lena Oberdorf, Sara Doorsoun and Svenja Huth (all VfL Wolfsburg), classified as close contacts at dinner, had to be in quarantine.
Additional quick tests with the rest of the team turned out negative, the local authorities gave the green light for the encounter. “Felicitas is doing very well, she currently has no symptoms,” said team manager Maika Fischer on ARD. According to the DFB, further PCR and rapid tests are planned until the next international match on Tuesday (4 p.m. / ZDF) in Wiesbaden against Norway.
Focused and aggressive
Voss-Tecklenburg therefore had to work out an emergency plan in no time – although the regular staff Dzsenifer Marozsan, Melanie Leupolz and Klara Bühl were missing from the course anyway. Jana Feldkamp (SGS Essen) made her debut in the senior national team as a central defender.
But the not well-rehearsed starting eleven was remarkably unimpressed, focused and aggressive in front of the eyes of DFB President Fritz Keller against the world number seven. After a mistake by the indisposed Australian defense, midfielder Nüsken (Eintracht Frankfurt) scored her first international goal with a right-footed shot in her second mission.
15 months before the European Championships in England, Nüsken’s concubine Sara Däbritz pulled the strings as a haven of peace in the center. In the absence of the spared Alexandra Popp (bruised lower leg), the midfielder from Paris St. Germain led the DFB selection in her 75th international match as captain.
Defensively, the German team kept the Australians in check surprisingly well. The vaunted offensive around the dreaded Chelsea attacker Kerr did not create a scoring chance at the premiere of national coach Tony Gustavsson in the first half.
After the break, the DFB selection, which had recently lost 2-1 to the European champions Netherlands, continued to increase. Right-back Hendrich raised from close range after Däbritz crossed from the baseline. Two minutes after being substituted on, the subsequently nominated Brand (TSG Hoffenheim) closed off ice cold and shortly afterwards prepared the 4-0 on their dream debut.
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