Update
Hrubesch team against record winners
DFB women make it into a tough group at the Olympics
March 21, 2024, 1:00 a.m
The DFB women’s team has to mobilize all its strength in the preliminary round of the Olympic football tournament. Tough opponents await coach Horst Hrubesch’s team. These include record winners USA and fourth-placed Australia.
Germany’s soccer women will play in the preliminary round at the Olympic Games in Paris against record winners USA, Australia as well as Zambia and Morocco. That was the result of the draw in Paris in the evening. The selection of outgoing national coach Horst Hrubesch will then play their first game on July 25th in Marseille against the previous World Cup hosts and fourth-placed Australia. Whether Zambia or Morocco will make it into German preliminary group B will not be decided until April.
“I’m actually very happy with the draw,” said the 72-year-old, despite the big names. “This has to be a group that is also feasible for us.” He emphasized: “The way it went, with Zambia or Morocco as the third game, that actually fits in quite well.” After the Olympic Games, he will hand over his position to the world champion coach of the U17 juniors, Christian Wück.
The German team qualified for the Olympics as third in the Nations League. In the second game on July 28th again in Marseille, the USA is the opponent. The final group game will take place on July 31st in St. Etienne against the representatives from Africa. Hrubesch is particularly happy about having the first two games in the same city. “The advantage is that we are even lucky enough to play the first two games in Marseille. This means we don’t have to travel so much and can stay right there,” said the 1980 European champion, who coached the German men in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 Janeiro led them to the final against Brazil and won silver with them.
World champions Spain also faced a difficult group. In their Olympic debut, the title holders in Group C will first face former world champions Japan as well as Brazil and the winner of the elimination game between Nigeria and South Africa. Tokyo Olympic champions Canada will face hosts France, New Zealand and Colombia in Group A.
DFB men are missing from the tournament
In the men’s tournament, hosts France will face the USA in their opening game, 40 years after their 1984 Olympic victory in Los Angeles. Other opponents in Group A are New Zealand and the winner of a knockout game between representatives from Asia and Africa. Tournament co-favorites Argentina will face Morocco, Ukraine and an Asian team in Group B, which will be determined at the U23 Asia Cup in May.
Tokyo Olympic champions Brazil, like the German team, did not qualify. The U21s of the German Football Association were already eliminated in the preliminary round of the European Championship, but should have reached the quarter-finals. This means that the DFB team will be missing from the Olympic Games for the first time since 2012.