Steffiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Points (Road to WWC 2019)[R]

I think you should have seen more of the game before making such assertions about the credibility of this victory, as the 2nd half I witnessed looked anything but impressive if you take away the individual brilliance of Däbritz...

HA! All the best chances they created came through Schüller, Petermann, Huth, sporadically combining together, with Germany only wining the match due to Däbritz's individual quality.

So how does this team having an extra goal scoring CAM, not benefit or improve the attack over 90mins where Faißt at LW was nowhere to be seen..?

I mean leaving out the fact Leupolz was terrible again, with Germany's CM being completely overrun during the 2nd half, the only difference between defeat and victory here was ONE player's ability to produce two special moments.

 

Right direction...? Could you please elaborate on this, as I'm pretty sure Germany's current wnt using a flat 4-4-2 without a credible system of play, looks pretty similar to the same mess everybody's already witnessed with the teams decline through both Jones and Neid..

I'll definitely agree beating Canada away from home isn't easy, and is a pretty damn good result given the nature of this current squad missing a few key players too.

But I have to repeat what I've said before, and remind you that Germany could have easily lost this match if it wasn't for two very special moments from Däbritz, in a warm up match prior to Germany facing a tactically astute Iceland side that's convincingly beat them once, and could easily do it again if underestimated.

 

Demann’s gonna be a regular of this future team while Babett Schlecht won’t

 

It was a friendly, probably designed as a pre WC qualifying warm up for the real test coming in Iceland.

And this is why I question the nature of what I witnessed, as the coaches decisions meant nobody cultivated anything that could have been helpful against an opponent who completely exposed this teams awful mid-field once, and could easily do it all over again if Germany not prepared correctly a second time.

So is winning nice.. yes. But wining in the style this team did vs Canada, blurred the lines of success a little, considering the teams bigger concerns (exposed Central Mid-field) facing Iceland in their last encounter.

 

Yes, she looked really uncomfortable, not showcasing any real sense of confident composure on the ball, with sequences of panic defining her 1v1 defending too.

But given the lack of time Hendrich, Wedemeyer, or Elsig has seen next to Demann, do you honestly believe Doorsoun will be dropped now..?

But does Marozsan start the next match partnering Popp, and if so would this be in the attack, or the mid-field...

Hrubesch talks about the last match supposedly testing inexperienced players, but going on his past 3 formations now, with everybody fully aware Popp and Marozsan are coming back into this team, does this happen...
Maier ------ Doursoon ----- Demann --------- Faißt
Huth -------- Popp ---------- Marozsan ----- Däbritz
-------------- Schüller ---------- Magull ----------------

 

Considering her awful performance yesterday, I’d easily drop her against Iceland for Hendrich.

4-2-3-1, Popp and Gössling playing in the midfield with Huth, Marozsan and Däbritz playing in front of them and Schüller on top

 

finally got to watch the full game; AGAIN, very impressive win considering;
they where a bit unfamiliar with playing on turf(hence, several slips & different/wrong bounces the ball took).
they were openly mugged in broad daylight thanks due to the one sided ref who I think should be disbarred with what she allowed. But then again, the Canadians are known for their 'BRUTE' play.

(keeping this all in one post), Horst did play a diamond midfield; it was Magull at AM, Leupolz at DM, when Magull came off for the CB, Wedermeyer, the previous DM,, Dabritz got switched to AM. This proved to be a big difference as unfortunately Magull at AM for more than half the game couldn't SPARK much offence.

you mentioned something, two great individual moments by Dabritz. While there's nothing wrong with a little individualism(to go along with teamwork), I think your forgetting it was Turrid Knaak that scored the game winning goal just seconds after she came & if I remember, that you wrote shouldn't be on the NT! To be sure, Magull took a good shot with the direct kick, but it Labbe's deflection that bounced off the goal post(that Knaak took advantage of) & Petermann(another one of your non favorites) that got the foul called(a great achievement considering the miserable ref in this game)

consider too that the CA coach played a 3 back, sacrificing a defender to pack his midfield as he thought wrongly that Germany was coming straight up., instead Horst made his team come up the sides & had them attack more aggressively than either Neid or Jones would of done(though thts why he went with two fwds)

lone DM, can often be a thankless job, that's why I didn't think Leupolz was all that bad, she kept coming back to thwart CA's straight up the mid, attacks(it was 1-0 when she left).& got the the ball up to Magull(sigh, if only Dallmann started).. Demann did well at CB & also when late in the game she was switched to DM. Doorsoun made an serious error in the 1st half when the on coming Sinclaire deflected the ball into a near goal. Doorsoun needs to work on clearing the ball, but she hustle's for the ball better than anyone, I think that's why Horst likes her so much.

and finally the worst defender by far.................yep, once again lil Leo! I counted four times when an CA took er 1v1, and flew right by her! The girl can't DEFEND! What on earth to you see in her???

 

Yes Maier didn't have a very good game, I'll admit that but she's still my first choice for the RB position, worth noticing that I don't think she should be anywhere near playing LB. I don't know what's happened with her, looks like she's declined or just lost her form... used to be lethal and strong on that right side for Germany

 

Yes football's about winning, but doesn't hide the fact that Germany won purely based on brilliance by Sara Däbritz

I mean, there's no chemistry out there and it doesn't look like they even know how to keep possession when they truly need so, because they lose the ball all the fricking time. I mean, I'd love to see Germany win the WC as a Germany fan, but unless a total change, Germany will go out early

What's even more weird to me is how neither Jones or Hrubesch have played the best players available in positions they are familiar with lol

 

Turf takes a little time to get used to/or at least it's harder to play a strong passing game. That's why you see either Canada or the Scandinavians play a more physical game/sine a lot of their games or practices take place in indoor turf fields during their winters)

while Dabritz had the best goal of the game, she started at first a DM(in place of Leupolz). it was her unnecessary foul at an dangerous area, that Canada would indirectly score from the free kick

(with 5 allowed), I know this will irk batfink even more, but was it co incidence or not, that Horst started his five fastest/most athletic players(Huth (Hendrich, Faisst, Leupolz & Schuller)???

I would of personally favored Dallmann over Magull at AM, but otherwise enjoyed Horst tactics(move up field through the flanks/high press) instead of the first control the midfield tactics of the last two previous coaches

,

 

Right now though I only know that I want Kristin Demann or Alexandra Popp to captain Germany and they'll play CB and CM respectively
the other positions out there are up to grab

 

I like Demann to start too at CB. In the diamond mid(that Horst used last game vs CA) there is no CM, there's only a DM & AM. Dabritz looked at AM, buy you also got Dallmann & Maro who could play that spot, but I would nix Magull after her lukewarm performance last game.

Popp can at times look world class, but at other times very erratic; from everything I read, there was no reason for Popp to pick up a red card in the CL final, which turned out to be WOB's downfall, after leading the game. That's got to be scary for Horst.
I still expect Popp to start at fwd vs Iceland; she's got the best header game on the squad, especially useful if Iceland bunkers, but I would sub her the moment she picks up a yellow.

 

Germany goes back to #2 on the woso world rankings
https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/women/index.html

thanks, Horst, we've couldn't of done it without you!

 

there could be a couple of silver linings to take away from 'the upset of the century'

1) I felt Germany sort of neglected it's women's programs ever since they won the men's WC in 2014. Now most likely more will pay attention as sort of trying to get redemption. Hopefully this means more money being poured into both club & country, & bigger crowds at woso games. We've seen similar circumstances happen with the likes of the England, Netherlands & Italy where woso has caught their fancy after their men's NT flopped.

2) LOW-ism is dead(or whatever you want to call it; total football, dbf manual, eccedra). It's time to take soccer into another direction/ not just Jurgen Klopp(gegen pressing & counter attacking) but as I previous mentioned, Horst Hrubesch even has the right idea by letting the players show their individual brilliance, rather than the obvious failure of 'attack by numbers' of last nite where Himmel became the #1 target person as well as Neuer coming off his line to join the fray. That even an non athletic teams like South Korea & Mexico can look good since so much space was provided because of the out of position defenders, reminded me of how Iceland beat Jones at their last meeting as well

 

I’m not very confident that Die Mannschaft’s failure will profit the women’s team very much
What they need is the WC title
which these days are way out of reach...

 

Horst is at least switching the style to KLOPP-isn(hard pressing & quick counters)

I fear MTV will bring them right back to the
Horrors of LoW-ism

 

Marozsan out for weeks
Which might be good for this team under these circumstances...?