This makes me shake my head a little. Granted, I haven't seen this young lineup play together, but the absence of Grings and Pohlers stands out as a HUGE red flag. Germany squad Goalkeepers: Nadine Angerer (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam), Ursula Holl (SC 07 Bad Neuenahr), Silke Rottenberg (1. FFC Frankfurt). Defenders: Saskia Bartusiak (1. FFC Frankfurt), Sonja Fuss (FCR 2001 Duisburg), Ariane Hingst (Djurgårdens IF FF), Annike Krahn (FCR 2001 Duisburg), Sandra Minnert (SC 07 Bad Neuenahr), Babett Peter (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam), Kerstin Stegemann (SG Wattenscheid 09). Midfielders: Fatmire Bajramaj (FCR 2001 Duisburg), Melanie Behringer (SC Freiburg), Linda Bresonik (SG Essen-Schönebeck), Kerstin Garefrekes (1. FFC Frankfurt), Simone Laudehr (FCR 2001 Duisburg), Renate Lingor (1. FFC Frankfurt), Petra Wimbersky (1. FFC Frankfurt). Forwards: Anja Mittag (1. FFC Turbine Potsdam), Martina Müller (VfL Wolfsburg), Birgit Prinz (1. FFC Frankfurt), Sandra Smisek (1. FFC Frankfurt).
Neid has nominated Rottenberg because she's a great motivator and integral part of the NT. It's just good to have her around! I'm not a huge Pohlers fan, she's what is called a "Chancentod" (chance killer) and not too dangerous in front of the goal. I think Grings has the tendency to mouth off too much publicly-- ergo, no go China.
She was named to the squad, but I think it's still up in the air just how much she'll be playing. Angerer, as of today, is the No. 1 keeper. Personally, I think she made the cut because, you know, how could she not? It may be more of an "out of respect" type of dealie.
I haven't seen Conny play since Euro 2005, but she seemed hardly the chance killer. Did she have a terrible season at Potsdam this year? Interesting about Grings. I noticed Bresonik made the squad and wondered if the reason Inka was left off was due to that decision.
Hmm ... Grings/Bresonik drama? Could be. I wasn't too impressed with Conny in the 2005 but have hardly seen her play since.
Pohlers isn't the most mobile player on the field either. I saw her play for Atlanta Beat, and she was a good playmaker and read the game well, but not too athletic. Perhaps the german coach wanted a more dynamic team.
The Atlanta Beat was a long time ago, you can't really judge by what she did there. Since then, even in the WW 03, she has been a reliable component and pretty integral it seemed. I am surprised about this choice, but maybe there are some legitimate reasons behind it. Also, there are several new players that have impressed since then...maybe they just did better this year than she did?
Pohlers had a great year for her club in 2005 (a fair amount of it at Djurgården's expense), I think scoring over 50 goals or some ridiculous thing like that, and it seemed to me she did pretty well for herself on the national team in the Euro of that year (great goal against Norway). She had a bad season at Potsdam this year in part because some other good players who gave her lots of assists left, and she was on the bench most of the time after the big fight, after which she announced she was leaving. As is being discussed at the WWC 2007 News thread, the break-up of Potsdam apparently wasn't pretty and Coach Neid seems to be afraid that her mere presence will upset other Potsdam players who, I guess, she considers more important. No Grings on the team for similar (but better publicized) reasons. In my humble and not-particularly-well-informed opinion Coach Neid is making some mistakes here, on several levels-- I would not have guessed them to be so thin-skinned. As far as fitness goes, ever since the debacle of the Algarve this year, I think the Germans have all shaped up considerably. Word came down from On High that fitness is key, and they all seem to have fallen in line, especially the players on the cusp... who of course are no longer on the team.
I know that it's easy to let emotions run too high, but seeing how most of these women are either in their mid to late twenties, I don't understand why a compromise can't be reached. I am, however, saying this not knowing one damn thing about this "fight." I also believe that the Great Potsdom Exodus had to do with players having trouble with the coach, not each other--or at least this was how it was publicized in some online rags. I guess the truth could have been revealed by now, though. Okay, fight or no fight, I still can't wrap my head around a 20 year old being selected over the talent and experience of Pohlers. Unless she's completely gone off the deep end. Does anyone know her status at FFC Frankfurt? I keep checking, but no mention of her yet.
What I find somewhat odd is that I don't know what to expect from this team. Are they going out in the quarter finals or will they play the final? I think neither would surprise me.