Deutsche Welle (English edition)
Germany announce themselves as one of Europe's best
With few competitive matches scheduled before next year's Euros, Germany's friendly victory over Norway in Wiesbaden demonstrates they are prepared to contend next summer.
Germany 3-1 Norway, Brita
Arena
(Freigang 8', Dallmann 17', Krumbiegel 62' — Reiten 4')
If Saturday’s thumping of Australia was a lesson in how well Germany can respond to the unknown, Tuesday's win over Norway was an exercise in familiarity.
This was Germany's 42nd en
counter with Norway, more than against any other nation. And though today's friendly lacked the stakes of some of those
duels, which include the 1995 World Cup final and four European Championship finals, the performance from Martina Voss
Tecklenburg's side marks them as clear contenders for next year's Euros.
"Though it is a long way away, the team is on a good path and is coming together well. I see us as among the tournament's favorites, especially if we can maximize our potential," said coach Voss-Tecklenburg after the game.
With no matches currently scheduled for the rest of the year, Germany's opportunities to perfect Voss-Tecklenburg's system are limited. Yet the past two victories prove that no matter who is on the pitch, Germany can execute her match plan in stunning fashion.
"We’ve developed well since the 2019 World Cup," captain Alexandra Popp told "ZDF" after the match. "We have grown together and gained confidence. We’re going to keep pushing forward and our focus is already on the Euros."
Attacking spirit
"[Just like against Australia], we want to stay in control, play our game, and above all, push forward," said Voss-Tecklenburg before the match. Despite an early miscue from Leonie Maier helping Norway to take the lead, the hosts shifted gears and did precisely what their boss had hoped for.
Germany showed off the wellrounded strengths that make them one of the best teams in Europe. Frankfurt striker Laura Freigang, the second-highest scorer in the Bundesliga, continues to carry her sterling club form to the international stage.
Germany's second goal was the best of the day though, and proof of how good this team is. The intelligent Laura Freigang latched onto a fantastic through ball from Sara Däbritz, flicked it back to Tabea Waßmuth, who set up a charging Linda Dallmann for a thunderous finish. The lightning-fast ball movement set off a flurry of German celebrations and took the wind from Norway's sails.
While Germany’s performance in front of Norway's net resoundingly answered questions posed of their finishing in their recent loss to the Netherlands, their other areas of play have also improved.
The last two games have shown this is a defensive unit that can frustrate strikers. The midfield, when not cutting deep into Norway's half with a certain swagger about them, forced the visitors into hopeful balls lobbed from deep.
The occasional individual error remains though, much to Voss-Tecklenburg's frustration.
"We did see today that we can be a bit cleaner technically when we are put under pressure. [These giveaways] end up costing us a lot of energy," she said.
Youth ready to deliver
Given just how young their squad is, the last week has been really impressive for Germany. Not only does the quality of the depth on show bode well for the future of this team, but this young group is also putting real pressure on more established stars.
It’s unclear just how many matches Germany will get in prior to next summer's Euros, but the familiarity they demonstrated with Voss-Tecklenburg's system in April shows they can deservedly count themselves among the favorites.