German Fraulein National Team 2020 & beyond

Germany will need to improve MASSIVELY if it wants to win a WC next year. England aren't impressive, and neither are Germany, when you think about having to beat USA, while trying to keep key AFC and various UEFA rivals at bay.

This Euro's fantastic for MVT with the knowledge of this team being so damn young. It should see this new young generation of Germany have a major role in aiding the older girls finally re-establish the wnt's position among the worlds elite; but to win a WC.... nope, not without a lot more tactical growth, and individual maturity.

 

I think what Germany showcased at the Euro's, bodes well for further improvement come the next world cup. But the defense, and the mid-field, still need a lot more adjustments being made before we see this side come close to it's full potential.

Think... MVT seeing options like Marozsan, Leupolz, Nüsken, Hagel, all having another season to impress, it should finally remove a still ineffective option like Dallmann from the squad...; but progressing things tactically still requires a lot more time investment.

 

Improving player analysis even further, to really understand how her CM's used positionally. Factors like Nüsken actually being a better passing pivot/DM than Oberdorf, Lattwein/Lohmann being better box to box CM's/#8's than Däbritz, with Marozsan, Magull, likely competing for the CAM role again, it's very obvious MVT still has a lot of work to do when it comes to this aspect of her team selection.

If Bühl, Popp, Huth, all legit 1st choice forwards. Gwinn, Hendrich, Hegering, all legit 1st choice defenders. Even if Magull would have a fine tournament, I still only identify Oberdorf's Euro performance establishing her as Germany's 1st choice mid-fielder...

 

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Like the impressive previous matches viewing numbers suggested, close to 18 Million people would watch the Euro final on ARD (64.8 percent market share), breaking the previous record of 17 Million (59.3 percent market share) set during the home world cup quarter final defeat Vs Japan.

Even if the end result a frustrating defeat, it appears the huge levels of attention for this team, finally brought wider attention on how the DFB need to be doing more with the resources it has.

As usual, talk will need to actually be reflected in action; but right now... it appears DFB leadership have been put on notice lol, with DFB and the DFL even being mentioned in formulating new efforts to improve the league accessibility/coverage...

 

Imagine the reception if they'd won...

 

The latest U20 WWC squad was also announced... https://www.dfb.de/u-20-frauen/team-und-trainer/?no_cache=1
and I see it contains Mattner (very impressive Austrian recruit..), and Fröhlich, fresh from their recent U-19 Euro exploits a few weeks prior.

No Küver, and with Brand part if the senior team, it means Corley the most prominent name in this squad too. But either way, with Covid throwing everything out of the usual cycle, the former core of U-17 Euro winners almost appear an unknown quantity now lol...

 

Germany had 6 games in 24 days (England 26 days). At the World Cup it would be 7 games in 28-31 days for Germany. It`s definitely necessary to have more than 11 good players to win the World Cup.

 

Yeah it’s kinda poetic that Germany’s downfall was on a deadball situation because that was pointed out as a weakness already in the 1st game against Denmark

I think Batfink has already said that you just need a core of 14-15 players, which Germany definitely has

 

What's really odd to me, is seeing Germany facing a much more athletic/dynamic France in the semi's, where it would genuinely feel like a final at times, with the officials allowing both teams to produce a very open and physical encounter, where we could all see an obvious flow established to each teams attempts to take control of proceedings.

However, at every point Germany looked like finding their flow/rhythm Vs England, the officials would just slow the game down repeatedly, in the most frustrating ways possible, as MVT didn't appear to know how to adjust her teams style/tactics to accommodate the ref's desire to restrict what Germany had done best throughout these Euro's

 

Yes... this was something I kept highlighting throughout the tournament; even being particularly critical about the subs use Vs Finland, as it suggested to me MVT didn't really appear to posses a clear view towards the use of key substitute options.

Simply finding something that would finally unlock her teams potential mere days before the tournaments opening match, I don't think MVT had enough time to also create a genuine vision of how to correctly adjust her teams play style, beyond what she now felt her best 11 starters.

While England's use of the same few players would allow them to effectively adjust what they do... Germany had a lot of really good players, that would always appear to randomly take part in matches without an obvious plan/order. (Just look at how MVT would erratically use legit game changers like Lattwein, Lohmann, and Waßmuth)

 

I feel like England's first goal a blatant result of Germany not being allowed to press in their typical style. All tournament the defensive shape shown to be very capable of effectively dealing with direct long balls behind the CB's, the officials constant halting of Germany's high press against England, actually provided England's CM's with far more time than would ever normally be afforded to opposing teams.

I mean, just look at Germany's typical defensive shape against everyone else, and then look at how they were scared to even breath on the English women late in the match... Of course Germany's defending on corners/FK's not 100% either, but I feel like it's hard to criticize a defense in this area too, when they wouldn't concede their first goals until the final...

It's just unfortunate for MVT, her team weren't allowed to press England as they normally would other opponents. Which would eventually result in England's CM's, having the extra time/space to play use a very basic maneuver to get between Germany's CB's; this something previously only a superior Spanish mid-field, with a higher technical skill ceiling, was able to accomplish against MVT's side.

 

LOL... Blame the officials! We all witnessed Germany facing a physical high tempo local rival encounter with Austria.... no issues. We witnessed Germany facing another physical high tempo encounter with France... again, no issue. Then they meet England in the final, and all of a sudden, physical high tempo football is a problem lol...

Anyone paying attention to this tournament knew England's style needed a lot of possession to be at their most effective, but were set to face a German side with a superior CM, the most effective forward, and the most efficient high press in the tournament.

So yeah... after seeing their struggles with Spain, I think the grand nature of the event would nudge the officials to subconsciously wilt towards the desires of the hosts.... And honestly, knowing the lengths men's football will still go to select the elite of the elite refs for tournament finals, in retrospect... it should have been damn obvious, the concerns with past erratic officiating in this tournament, would have some kind of influence over the final.

 

I was more shocked Germany didn't see Hegering effective at scoring from dead-ball scenario's... As a very strong heading presence, she'd miss more than one clear chance against England, where she was basically a solid toe connection away from reproducing England's eventual winning goal.

 

Think.... Nüsken becomes an option again, Marozsan, Leupolz both return, alongside Lohmann, Lattwein, Waßmuth, Brand, Schüller, all being the current strongest sub options for MVT. That's at least 8 legit players she can add to her main core 11. Meaning MVT has at least 19 players here, to construct a strong 14-15 player wnt squad..

I know a player like Dallmann will have fans defend her WC hopes, but if Germany want to compete for the WC again, a player like Dallmann only ever proven herself ineffective as an elite creator/scorer, at summit of club/wnt football. So when I look at MVT's WC options, I feel like this her obvious 14 strongest core right now...
Bühl/Brand ------- Popp/Schüller -------- Huth/Waßmuth
--------------------------- Magull ----------------------------------
------ Oberdorf ------------ Lohmann/Däbritz/Lattwein ----
LB? -------- Hendrich ----------- Hegering -------- Gwinn
----------------------------- GK? -----------------------------------
with Marozsan, Nüsken, Leupolz 100% strong WC candidates, who could easily be considered upgrades to someone like Dallmann, and still claim themselves to be better or equal to MVT's top Euro performers.

 

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Remove Earps... nonsense lol. But besides the Renard... did they miss anyone else..?

 

As far as I`m concerned, Popp can stay on the bench or even better...I would send her to a year long holiday around the world and just show up to the world cup next year. Her greatest strength is also her greatest weakness. She gives 200 % every game and when the summer tournament comes around she is either hurt or powered out. It will probably be her last chance to win a world cup and fullfill the promise that started at the 2010 U20 World Cup.

 

Thank god we haven`t demanded this for a decade

 

Very good point lol. But Popp being part of a stacked Wolfsburg squad next season, might be the best thing for her then; as Pajor, Popp, Bremer, Waßmuth, all likely to rotate between the #9 role, with there being less reason for Popp to play in a CM role anymore too.
Brand/Blomqvist/SJJ ------ Pajor/Bremer/Popp ------ Huth/Waßmuth
-------------------------------------- Roord/Starke -------------------------------------
--------------------- Lattwein -------------------------- Oberdorf/Demann ------------------
Rauch/Wolter -- Janssen/Hegering -- Hendrich/Agrez -- Wedemeyer/Wilms
---------------------------------- Froms/Kiedrzynek/Weiß ------------------------------------
She'll want to play as much as possible, but unlike previous years, Wolfsburg might not need Popp to sacrifice herself as much, which should keep her more fresh for wnt duties come the WC...

 

I feel she was literally a smooth warm up session away, from leading this team towards a 9th Euro victory; where she was also very likely to produce another world class performance, that solidified her a position as top scorer/POTT too...

So yes... it was great finally witnessing the senior team with the unlocked true potential of Popp as a forward. But like you, I also know aged 31, this likely her generations final run to get their hands on a WWC title too...

It makes me wonder seeing Popp, Hegering, Huth, finally excel for the senior side, if Marozsan wasn't also meant to peak for the first time in a senior team jersey during these Euro's too...

 

Something broke within the DFB when Neid randomly given the keys to the entire wnt program during the build up to the 2011 WWC on home soil.

So we'll see how real people are about fixing things, as I'm sure we've heard a lot of this before, only to see things instead get worse, as a novice Jones given the senior teams head coaching role, while the junior teams allowed to decline with zero stability too...

Like you say, after a decade of what felt like a malaise, they need to be serious in action now, not words.