Touchdown 18:16 local time - slightly behind schedule, the DFB Women completed a ten-hour flight and arrived in Orlando on Monday evening. The luggage allowance was just about large enough for the amount of excitement and anticipation manager Silvia Neid and her team carried with them ahead of the SheBelievesCup, the first game of which for Germany will be on Thursday (17:00 local time/23:00 CET) against France. It’s the rematch of the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal which Germany won. Also participating in this high-class tournament are hosts, World Champions and Olympic gold medallists USA, as well as third-placed finishers at the World Cup, England.
The target for the U.S. tour is clear: "We want to put good performances in on the pitch. We don’t want to hide - we want to see where everyone is at," explains Saskia Bartusiak and added: "We’re looking forward to the games against these top opponents." After their dinner, the captain completed the obligatory routine medical check with her teammates. Then it was bedtime, as today, preparation ahead of the first game is on the schedule. Following an early-morning jog, the first two training sessions will commence on the pitch.
Annike Krahn is also looking forward to the SheBelievesCup: "It’s a real highlight right at the start of the international year. At the same time, it’s a really important test of where we stand. It’s important for us to start the year against such strong teams."
Neid: "Our opponents will test every aspect of our game"
Once again, Silvia Neid is having to make do without several players. There were seven individual withdrawals in total before the tournament. Melanie Leupolz, Bianca Schmidt, Jennifer Cramer, Pauline Bremer and Felicitas Rauch are all out with injuries. While Simone Laudehr was unable to travel with the team due to an exam, Lena Lotzen only recently returned to German champions Bayern München’s team training. Kathrin Hendrich will also return home from the trip next Monday for an exam.
Silvia Neid isn’t complaining, instead she is looking at the situation as a challenge. “The teams that are here will test every aspect of our game. Above all, fixtures of this calibre will allow our players develop in every department.”
After the opening match against France, the team will face England in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday (16:45 local time/23:45 CET). The tournament will end on Thursday, 10th March in Boca Raton, Florida, where Germany will face off against the USA (19:45 local time/01:45 CET).