The Germany women’s national team ended the calendar year with a 4-0 win against France. 26-year old goalkeeper Almuth Schult spoke to DFB.de in an interview about the past year, the challenges up ahead and the development of the team.
DFB.de: Schult, what grade would you give the team for 2017?
Almuth Schult: C.
DFB.de: So, satisfactory. Why is that?
Schult: We have been playing well in our World Cup qualifiers and still have everything under control. We also put in good performances against France and USA in the SheBelieves Cup. I cannot give us a higher grade because we fell short of expectations at the European Championships and have not been playing consistently enough in our World Cup qualifiers.
DFB.de: Do you have an explanation for the team’s weaker performances?
Schult: Teams are rarely always consistent and we have not been playing consistently enough this year, but we have been putting on some excellent performances. We have to work out why we are not getting good results consistently and work on that.
DFB.de: What do you think the problem is?
Schult: It will take us a while to work that out. We have a lot of new players in the squad and a lot of those are young with a lack of experience on an international level. We have only had around half a year or so to get used to that. We need to give ourselves time to develop as a team. It is a shame that we did not click together instantly, but like I said already, we can take a lot of positives from how we have performed together so far.
DFB.de: You certainly ended the year on a positive note with a 4-0 win against France. How important was this for the team?
Schult: Very important, for each and every one of us. We were being criticised by the media but we were also all disappointed with our performances as a team. It was especially difficult to deal with losing a qualifier for the first time in decades. For this reason, the win against France was extremely important because it allowed us to finish the year on a high.
DFB.de: Despite finishing the year on a positive note, is there still a lot to do?
Schult: There is always a lot to do. We can always be improving and we have a lot of challenges ahead. Other nations are working meticulously ahead of the World Cup which was not the case ten years ago. The standard of football has got better in countries like England or Spain and clubs in Italy are becoming even more focused. Football is constantly developing as a sport especially because it is always at the forefront of media attention on TV or on the internet. We have to be a part of this development process. In order to do so, we must continue to develop and improve our younger squad players.
DFB.de: You will not face Iceland, your strongest group opponent, again in World Cup qualification until next September. Does this match already feel close?
Schult: Kind of. At the moment, I am competing in three competitions with my club VfL Wolfsburg. But if you think ahead and want to qualify for a Champions League final for example, you have to think carefully about the other matches beforehand. We may be able to reach the World Cup final, but equally, you have to be prepared for the matches that get you there. Therefore, I am already thinking about the Iceland match but I am also thinking about the other important matches I have to play before then.
DFB.de: The international football year begins in March with the She Believes Cup in America. What are you looking forward to in 2018?
Schult: Honestly, I have not really thought about 2018, but I am really looking forward to playing important matches for VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League, Bundesliga and the DFB Cup. I hope that with Germany we can take the positives from the win against France and prove to everyone that win was not a one-off.
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The Germany women’s national team ended the calendar year with a 4-0 win against France. 26-year old goalkeeper Almuth Schult spoke to DFB.de in an interview about the past year, the challenges up ahead and the development of the team.
DFB.de: Schult, what grade would you give the team for 2017?
Almuth Schult: C.
DFB.de: So, satisfactory. Why is that?
Schult: We have been playing well in our World Cup qualifiers and still have everything under control. We also put in good performances against France and USA in the SheBelieves Cup. I cannot give us a higher grade because we fell short of expectations at the European Championships and have not been playing consistently enough in our World Cup qualifiers.
DFB.de: Do you have an explanation for the team’s weaker performances?
Schult: Teams are rarely always consistent and we have not been playing consistently enough this year, but we have been putting on some excellent performances. We have to work out why we are not getting good results consistently and work on that.
DFB.de: What do you think the problem is?
Schult: It will take us a while to work that out. We have a lot of new players in the squad and a lot of those are young with a lack of experience on an international level. We have only had around half a year or so to get used to that. We need to give ourselves time to develop as a team. It is a shame that we did not click together instantly, but like I said already, we can take a lot of positives from how we have performed together so far.
DFB.de: You certainly ended the year on a positive note with a 4-0 win against France. How important was this for the team?
Schult: Very important, for each and every one of us. We were being criticised by the media but we were also all disappointed with our performances as a team. It was especially difficult to deal with losing a qualifier for the first time in decades. For this reason, the win against France was extremely important because it allowed us to finish the year on a high.
DFB.de: Despite finishing the year on a positive note, is there still a lot to do?
Schult: There is always a lot to do. We can always be improving and we have a lot of challenges ahead. Other nations are working meticulously ahead of the World Cup which was not the case ten years ago. The standard of football has got better in countries like England or Spain and clubs in Italy are becoming even more focused. Football is constantly developing as a sport especially because it is always at the forefront of media attention on TV or on the internet. We have to be a part of this development process. In order to do so, we must continue to develop and improve our younger squad players.
DFB.de: You will not face Iceland, your strongest group opponent, again in World Cup qualification until next September. Does this match already feel close?
Schult: Kind of. At the moment, I am competing in three competitions with my club VfL Wolfsburg. But if you think ahead and want to qualify for a Champions League final for example, you have to think carefully about the other matches beforehand. We may be able to reach the World Cup final, but equally, you have to be prepared for the matches that get you there. Therefore, I am already thinking about the Iceland match but I am also thinking about the other important matches I have to play before then.
DFB.de: The international football year begins in March with the She Believes Cup in America. What are you looking forward to in 2018?
Schult: Honestly, I have not really thought about 2018, but I am really looking forward to playing important matches for VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League, Bundesliga and the DFB Cup. I hope that with Germany we can take the positives from the win against France and prove to everyone that win was not a one-off.
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