Germany's back-to-back wins won't have struck fear in the hearts of tournament favorites, but they have all-but secured a spot in the knockout stages. Their rebuild is showing signs of great promise in its early stages.
Image: Getty Images/M. Hitij
Advertisement
Despite sitting second in the FIFA World Rankings, Germany began their World Cup campaign in France largely unburdened by the weight of expectation thanks to a youthful squad and a new vision.
Now with two wins from two in Group B, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's side has already demonstrated the iron will of battle-hardened tournament veterans. The narrative is changing.
Sara Däbritz capitalized on a moment of complacency from Spain's most experienced player, captain Marta Torrejon, who in failing to clear allowed the 24-year-old to slide home her third goal in World Cup group stage games.
"I speculated on the fact I could still get there and just went in on the slide. That it went in was incredible," Däbritz told reporters after the game.
"We talked about the fact we may only get one moment in the game," Voss-Tecklenburg said afterwards. "We knew that it would be very difficult to play against Spain, a very strong opponent. It was a very fast game. It was not always easy for us. We were not always very compact."
Unblemished record
A tactical tweak at halftime that limited Spain's threat from vertical long balls was synonymous with the learning curve the Germany women's team finds themselves on. With Voss-Tecklenburg bringing a wealth of knowledge and personal motivation to the table, Germany are having to absorb and adapt in equal measure.
While their performances against China and Spain won't have been enough to strike fear in the hearts of any of the tournament favorites, Germany are on a very promising path.
The similarities between the victories didn't stop at the score line. Giulia Gwinn (19) grabbed the headlines with her match-winner against China, while against Spain fellow teenagers Lena Oberdorf (17) and substitute Klara Bühl (18) rose to the challenge.
In both encounters, Germany had to survive a few scares, but with the fine margins falling their way in both, they were able to grind out positive results.
"At the end of the day, what matters is the end result," said Voss-Tecklenburg. "It's a very difficult group. The first two matches were difficult and now we have six points."
Seven months into Voss-Tecklenburg's tenure, Germany are still unbeaten, picking up six wins from a possible seven.
"In the long term, we want to reestablish ourselves at the top of the game," Voss-Tecklenburg told DW before the tournament started."It's a great challenge. International women's football has developed hugely. There are far more teams playing at the top level today. Twelve years ago, things were different. We have to face that fact and work our way through the process."
So far, Germany are working their way through this tournament. Their perfect record so far in France is not just laying the foundations for a successful run in the tournament, but a future that could live up to previous golden generations.
The top players at the Women's World Cup
Which players are going to make their mark at the Women's World Cup? Who could emerge as a new superstar at the tournament? There are a host of talented players at the tournament. DW has picked 12 to watch out for.
Image: picture-alliance/Citypress24/S. Chamid
Lieke Martens (Netherlands)
The star of the Netherlands' home win at the Euros two years ago, Martens is already one of the best players in the world. The 26-year-old, who plays for Barcelona, has been nicknamed "Messi's little sister" because of her style of play. The Dutch superstar is an excellent dribbler, finisher and often controls the tempo of the game. In 2017, she was named the Best FIFA Women's player.
Image: picture-alliance/Citypress24/S. Chamid
Christine Sinclair (Canada)
Canada's most capped player and top goal scorer will be playing in her fifth World Cup in France this summer. Despite being 36 years old, Sinclair remains the most important player in the team. Since making her debut aged 19, Sinclair has gone on to make a remarkable 282 appearances and score an unbelievable 181 goals for her country.
Image: picture-alliance/empics
Wendie Renard (France)
Wendie Renard (l.) is at the heart of both Olympique Lyon and France. The central defender has won the French league title with Lyon an incredible 13 consecutive times, and has won the Champions League six times. Renard is one of the best defenders in the world and will be an integral part of France's attempt to win a World Cup title on home turf.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand
Lucy Bronze (England)
Lucy Bronze is one of the best footballers in the world and will definitely be a key player for England at the 2019 Women's World Cup. Bronze, whose full name is Lucia Roberta Tough "Lucy" Bronze, has won a host of honors at club level. For England, she finished third at the 2015 World Cup and was a semifinalist at the 2017 Euros. This year, the Lyon defender is keen to go one or two steps better.
Image: Getty Images/N. Baker
Irene Paredes (Spain)
Fast, strong in the tackle and dominant in the air, Paredes is a force to be reckoned with. The central defender, who has played for Paris Saint-Germain since 2016, is also handy in front of goal. Paredes scored four goals for Spain during World Cup qualifying, putting her top of her team's scoring charts. Paredes is a top defender and will face Germany in the group stage.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/J. Breton
Marta (Brazil)
"Fight against prejudices, a lack of support, against everyone that says you can't do it," Marta Vieira da Silva wrote in The Players' Tribune. The 33-year-old is a six-time Best FIFA Women's Player of the year. For many, the Brazilian striker, who plays her club football for Orlando Pride, is still one of the best in the world. There's no doubt she's a legend in the women's game.
Image: Getty Images
Carli Lloyd (USA)
The striker is perhaps the best player under pressure in the world. She scored the goals that won the United States the gold medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. In the last World Cup Final in 2015, she scored a hat trick in the USA's 5-2 win over Japan. Her numbers are astounding: 273 caps, 110 goals and 52 assists. And in 2015 and 2016 she was the Best FIFA Women's player of the year.
Image: Getty Images/P. Vilela
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
Oshoala's talent blossomed in 2014 at the Under-20 World Cup. Oshoala lost the final with Nigeria, but won the Golden Ball for the best player and the Golden Shoe for the top goal scorer (7). Her stock has since risen further and now she plays her club football for Barcelona. She has twice won the African Cup of Nations and has been named Africa's Female Football of the year three times.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Kisbenedek
Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany)
Germany's No. 10 is the perfect playmaker: a strong dribbler, dangerous in front of goal and good at set pieces. Marozsan is one of the most decorated footballers in Germany. The 27-year-old has won the Champions League four times. In 2013 she won the Euros, and three years later she secured Olympic gold. Now Marozsan wants to win the World Cup with Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/GES/T. Eisenhuth
Amandine Henry (France)
Almost every attacking move goes through midfielder Amandine Henry (right.), regardless of whether she's playing for her club Olympique Lyon or France. Henry is excellent at winning the ball back and quickly transitioning from defense to attack. The way in which the 29-year-old reads the game is just one of the reasons she's considered one of the best in the world.
Image: Reuters/V. Ogirenko
Samantha Kerr (Australia)
Samantha Kerr holds the record for most goals (50) scored in the National Women's Soccer League (USA). At the age of 15, she made her debut in Australia's women's team. Since then she has led the "Matildas", to the No. 6 spot in the FIFA world rankings and the tournament in France this summer. She celebrates every one of her goals with a somersault - a sight Aussie fans hope to see a lot of.
Image: Getty Images/G. Denholm
Saki Kumagai (Japan)
Kumagai has won six French league titles with Olympique Lyon, as well as four straight Champions League trophies. The captain of Japan led her country to glory at the 2018 Asian Cup. Kumagai has been captain since 2018, but has been taking on responsibility since the 2011 World Cup against the USA, when the defender scored the winning penalty. The 28-year-old already has over 100 caps for Japan.
