Germany against France: a very German work victory

Nobody likes spoilers. In the case of the German national soccer team of women, however, one has to attest: the conflict of game is very excellent for the team of national coach Christian Wück because it brings virtues with them who are often lost to German football. Standing qualities, for example.

Because actually you had to say goodbye to the European Championship against France from the European Championships against France after 13 minutes so as not to get into the great separation pain in the end. Then the German defender Kathrin Hendrich drew her opponent Griedge Mbock Bathy so braked on her hair braid that the French woman was slowed down in the German penalty area. In the penalty catalog of football, the hair is just as forbidden zone as the offside, but it is noticed more sharply. So Hendrich rightly saw the red card, France hit the ground with a penalty and the German mood was on the ground.

It was such a blatant dropout from Hendrich that the question rightly asked what should be possible. They had accompanied the individual mistakes of the Germans in the group phase, and it was clear early in the tournament that important missing pillars of the team such as Lena Oberdorf or Giulia Gwinn could not be replaced. The signs could have been better off from the 14th minute of the game against France, because the German opponents were the individually stronger team. Faster, technically better, more creative. A lesson had to be made to turn the game. And the lesson came.

Wück sacrificed his creative central midfield to strengthen the decimated defensive. From then on, little went forward, but the Germans played so merciless that they took the fun of the game to play. Many small and large fouls noticed the favorites noticeably. That was one thing.

The other was individual players who grew a little more in a team that grew beyond themselves. Above all, the goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who held strongly during the regular season and even more in the penalty shootout (and even converted a penalty). Or Sjoeke Nüsken, who initially headed the 1-1 equalizer in order to later kick a penalty half-heartedly that the French keeper had no problems with it. It would have been 2-1 for Germany and maybe the winning goal. Outnumbered. But it could have been the next dark German moment of the game if the team would have lost in the end. So Nüsken later took the ball again in the penalty shootout and converted so much as if she had learned everything from her shot up 911.

Jule Brand also played a strong game. If it became dangerous in front of the French goal, then usually through their speed runs. She took out the penalty, the nutken shot. That she would have preferred to search for the game in one situation or another instead of going to the dribbling? Gift. The series of special players could be continued as desired. They all revealed something that is actually always taken to argue in football when the arguments are missing: mentality. In this game, the mentality was actually the argument.

Mentality, physicality, a strong goalkeeper and a victory in the penalty shootout. That sounds very much like German football.

But with all the legitimate euphoria about the deserved victory, it must also be said: These German virtues alone will hardly be enough in the further course of the tournament. Because they do not hide the fact that there is still room for improvement in the DFB team. Spain is waiting in the semi -finals. It would be a good moment to unpack the playful in addition to the combative qualities.