German Fraulein National Team 2020 & beyond

Zdebel typically deployed as one half of a double 6 CM for Leverkusen, she's currently found herself allowed to play within a far more offensively advanced role for the u20's, but within a very very strange "total football" like mid-field system, where all 3 players will rotate between DM, CM, and AM...

So looking back at how her club started this new season within a changed 4-4-2 system, instead of their prior use of a 3-5-2, I'm wondering where Zdebel fits into her new coaches plans post WC, as I'm genuinely thinking her skill-set has been incorrectly utilised in her early career...

Small but physically robust, possessing nice technique when it comes to first touch, and the general ability to control the ball within tight spaces, I've never seen her on the Bundesliga's list of successful tacklers, or be someone who produces a particularly high numbers in the category of progressive passing.

Leaving me to speculate we might have seen Leverkusen incorrectly utilising Zdebel's skill-set. As two games into her u20 WC, she's easily this team best CM, even though this teams CM includes a talent like Sehitler...

 

Peter's past inability to establish a real system, means even after a full year of extra friendlies to make sure this tournament wasn't a disaster, this team still appears tactically naive when it comes to their defensive shape without the ball.

However... above 60% possession in the first two group games, this probably the biggest difference I've noticed about Peter's team right now, Vs the underwhelming bunker-ball counter attacking system used to qualify for the WC.

Zicai, and Baum on the wings, were never going to replace the quality of Alber, or Kett, yet they still remain highly effective within this team too, as the system allows them to remain strong width to generate dangers crosses into the oppositions penalty box.

Even if I really dislike how needlessly disorganized the wnt program is right now, where the junior teams are all using different systems, and find themselves completely disconnected to the identity of the senior team..., Peter has found a way to make this work.

So hey... as someone who felt Peter couldn't lead a u20 team beyond a WC group stage, I have to say regardless of the defensive issues, she's still managed to construct a team that I can 100% identify a clear style of play, that without various star names has continued to generate genuine offensive threat too...

Low goals yes... but it only fair I say... well done lol.

 

#4

 

This was the starting 11 Vs Nigeria.......
Baum ----------------- Steiner ------------------ Zicai
----------- Sehitler ---------------- Zdebel ------------
-------------------------- Janzen -----------------------
Schneider ----- Diehm ------- Veit ------ Gloning
The main issue I saw, being for all the improved possession stats, and the ability to move the ball to forwards more effectively, all 3 of Germany's CM within this 4-3-3 system posses skill-sets closer to AM's than the needed DM.

AM's playing as CM's, taking turns rotating into different roles, often leaving Diehm and Veit forced to defend quick opposition forwards in 1v1 duels. Peter will need to find another tactical strategy once they encounter an opponent with a genuinely effective attack of their own...

But again, it needs to be said if Peter had access to her full list of options, we could have seen something like this during the tournament...
Kett -------------------- Alber ------------------ Bender
----------- Zdebel ---------------- Sehitler --------------
------------------------ I.Acikgöz --------------------------
D.Acikgöz ----- Pucks ------- Diehm ------ Gloning

Which based on the evidence I've seen, a potential cheat code during this tournament of various absent stars lol... Making the one genuine disappointment probably the absence of Pucks, as the one area the senior team needs to see new names, is the one area she still remains one of the nations best young talents.

Bender and Zdebel the stand out names so far, still having many senior level talents ahead of them. Defensively Peter hasn't really provided the tactical platform to allow any of her defenders shine this tournament, having some of this feel like a potential missed opportunity for a new legit CB option to finally emerge.

 

... Does this look good....?

 

Chelsea was in the semifinal. Which of all these Americans nominated played Champions League? It's not a club award.

 

Janina Leitzig? Didn't an expert told us here that she should be Germany's No1 already?
My decision as No 3 goalkeeper would be Grohs.

 

Still only age 25, she'll make it eventually. I just incorrectly misjudged Bayern as a club, not realising we'd be entering the era of Straus-ball, where many domestic players would be benched, or allowed to leave.

Personally, I think Mahmutovic, and Leitzig the two GK's on this list who routinely make the most impressive saves.

But if we're looking at what international football requires from their GK's, the best option here would simply be the GK who can claim crosses confidently, and effectively recycle possession with good passing, while making routine saves look easy.

And in this scenario, it's would make most sense for Grohs to be selected for the wnt... as even if I'm not convinced she's better than Mahmutovic..., she's still the one playing regularly for her team.

 

Starting 2024/2025 season, the DFB will take part in a European round of matches for U23 women's national teams...

 

This means the u20's will now become an u23 side, and coached by current u20 coach Kathrin Peter...

This part here sticking out to me.... is reading the part where it's explained this restart of a u23, meant to help the continued development of talent, in the event the u20 doesn't qualify for a WC finals...


Intended to help players who are on the verge of joining the women's national team, a total of 10 nations said to be taking part in this U23 competition, including associations such as Spain, England, France, Sweden and Italy.

All players born on or after January 1, 2002 can take part. In addition, a maximum of five players who are older can also take part in each match.

This was supposedly an idea born from Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and England, with
Künzer the one pushing to make sure Germany part of this surprise rebirth of an old idea.

.Künzer feels these matches another step towards the goal of permanently re-establishing Germany's back among the worlds top teams again...

 

Germany will host France in its first match on October 24th, followed by the away match in Italy on October 28th.

Spain and Belgium are also part Germany's group, with matches being played in two groups of five teams, until February 2025.

England, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden will compete in Group B.

 

So... do we get a scenario where Alber, Kett, end up being part of the u23's lol... But these would be some of the potential age appropriate names that we could see when this competition starts.

Kett/Alber -------------------------- Weidauer/Wamser ----------------------- Mahmoud/Elmazi
------------------ Corely -------------------------------------------------- Fudalla ----------------------
-------------------------------------------- Piljic/I.Acıkgoz -------------------------------------------
D.Acıkgoz/Hahn ----- Kuver/Stegemann -------- Pucks/Landenberger ----- Sterner/Gudorf
---------------------------------------- Mahmutovic/Winkler -------------------------------------------

Names like Gräwe, and Kowalski, in my opinion are headed straight into the senior team. I think we might see a good level of quality within this tournament if every nation treats it relatively seriously.

 

U20 on the best way to throw away first place: 0:1 against South Korea and Nigeria lead 3:0.

 

Group winner and now against a third placed team(Canada or Argentina the most likely options).

 

Peter's luck won't hold much longer now, as Germany lose their first match of the tournament, but still manage end up remaining in first place thanks to a +1 goal difference...


Seeing Künzer nervously watching from the stands in Colombia, also giving more insight into why she pushed to have Germany's wnt get their u23's into the new tournament starting soon...

I actually like a lot of the talent within this u20 cycle, but find it ridiculous seeing Künzer taking so many precautionary measures to help isolate the senior away from Neid's quota system...

Peter an incredibly mediocre coach, will not only continue leading the u19's, the u20's, but also set to be in control of the u23's. it's crazy thinking Künzer is watching this with the belief she might not be seeing many more u20 German wnt's taking part at FIFA finals.

 

Defensively very poor, but offensively competent, one of the biggest surprises I've seen with this team is probably the legitimately impressive displays of a surprisingly more dynamic box to box Zdebel.

Not really a CAM, but also clearly not a DM, Zdebel has been able to showcase a more all round skill-set rarely witnessed playing for her club, that for me has her stand out more than Sehitler right now...

 

South Korea vs Germany
https://www.plus.fifa.com/de/player...atalogId=1ff30cda-fc86-4cc7-980a-b69b5345e703

 

Argentina is the opponent after a 1:0 win against Costa Rica (who had a free kick shot against the bar at 90+9)..

 

Looking at the limited match data I can find on this u20 WC team, I'm seeing information that has Sehitler currently placed as Germany's best best mid-fielder....; which is confusing to my eye test, as Zdebel's general play often appears to be at a higher level of quality than any other mid-fielder on this team...

Without individual defensive data, Sehitler as a CM not only leading this team in successful dribbles made, she's also managed to lead all this teams mid-fielders in accurate passes made (Zdebel placed #2).

I might have to apologise to Sehitler lol... as no surprise Veit leads this team for most inaccurate passes, it is however a surprise to me seeing Zdebel placed as the teams mid-fielder with the most amount of inaccurate passes lol...

Style Vs effectiveness.... Zdebel's risk averse style looks great, it's actually Sehitler's true nature as am elite CAM that still elevates her above the teams other CM's in pure effectiveness.

 

Playing Argentina next in the last 16, with Germany's defending being terrible (no effective high pressing system in place, using a high defensive line...), they'll need to create more chances, and score goals if they hope to continue taking part in this tournament.

Making it interesting to see how Zdebel - Sehitler continue to look within a system that asks them to play all 3 CM roles, when data suggests they're still defined by very clear strengths and weaknesses...

 

USA (3:2 aet against Mexico) is possible quarterfinal opponent.

 

Hmmmm, if Germany can escape another defensive horror show, and can create enough chances to score the goals to take them to the next round, their potential next opponents would be USA...


I still don't know why Diehm isn't being used within a DM Pivot role, allowing real defenders like Schneider or Axtmann to take over at CB..

But realistically, expecting Peter to lead the u20 this far was probably all anybody could hope for, as she struggles to demonstrate any real ability to create a well defined system that all her players can follow.

If Bender plays Vs Argentina, I think Germany's chances of victory go significantly higher. But I don't know how far any team can expect to go, conceding the chances this team has allowed so far.

Meaning I hope they win... but if Peter not exposed today Vs Argentina, it's most certainly happening Vs USA lol. As the true firepower necessary to offset the poor defensive shape of this team, currently injured, or sat on the bench of their Bundesliga team...