The start of Olympic qualifying was messed up
Unsettled DFB team remains deep in crisis
September 22, 2023, 7:54 p.m
Things are no longer going well for the German footballers: the debacle at the World Cup a few weeks ago is now followed by a false start in the Nations League. There are only occasional decent performances against Denmark. Participation in the Olympics is in danger.
The national coach is missing, the crisis remains: 50 days after their World Cup disaster, the German footballers made a false start to their Olympic qualification. Without the ill Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, the unsettled and harmless DFB selection lost 0-2 (0-1) in Denmark and is under immense pressure in the Nations League. Amalie Vangsgaard (23rd/64th) scored both goals against the vice-European champions, who were temporarily coached by Britta Carlson. The next tricky duel with Iceland awaits in Bochum on Tuesday (6.15 p.m./ZDF). In the new UEFA competition, the two European tickets for the 2024 Olympics in Paris are at stake, and winning the group is a must. The third opponent is Wales.
“Denmark is a top team. We have to give it our all and work our way in,” said Carlson on ARD before kick-off. In front of 4,210 fans in Viborg, she relied on the usual 4-3-3 system with captain Alexandra Popp at the front, which had been unsuccessfully changed in the 1-1 draw against South Korea in the historic World Cup preliminary round exit in Australia.
Gwinn’s mistake initiates the decision
Lina Magull set the first tone in a hectic opening phase, finishing for the first time after 30 seconds. After that, however, there were increasing problems with the German selection, the uncertainty could not be overlooked, there was a lack of clear ideas and movement without the ball. Giulia Gwinn had to wait until the break for her longed-for comeback. The 24-year-old from FC Bayern returned to the DFB team around a year after her second cruciate ligament tear. Hoffenheim’s Sarai Linder started in the position on the right of the defensive line, where Svenja Huth was missing after the birth of her son.
The shaky German defense, a constant construction site at the World Cup, had to be wide awake against the fast Danish switching. The new Munich player Pernille Harder repeatedly demanded the ball and sent Vangsgaard for the opening goal, who prevailed with robust effort against left-back Felicitas Rauch and finished carefully.
Carlson brought in Gwinn and Jule Brand as fresh players for the right side, and the DFB team generated more pressure again. Headers from the hard-working Sydney Lohmann (54′) and Popp (56′) narrowly missed the goal. But then Gwinn played poorly into the center under pressure, and Vangsgaard took advantage of the disorganized defense again. The circumstances had made the delicate restart mission even more difficult. The DFB announced two weeks ago that the national coach, who had come under criticism, would miss the September international matches due to illness. The World Cup reappraisal is therefore not yet fully completed.