Kathrin Hendrich did not just play the entire match in last Friday’s 4-0 win over Russia for the new-look national side, the Frankfurt midfielder also scored her first goal in a Germany shirt. She and her team face hosts Hungary on Tuesday in their last qualifier for the European Championships. The 24-year-old speaks to DFB.de about the atmosphere in the dressing room and her expectations for the side.
DFB.de: How would you describe the atmosphere in the team?
Hendrich: Obviously it was a bit unusual at first because there were a lot of new faces. And that wasn’t just the case for the squad but also for the backroom staff. But the players and the staff are all very sociable, so it works nicely. They have integrated quickly, and the atmosphere is good.
DFB.de: You started on the right of a midfield diamond in the match against Russia. In the second half, you dropped back into central defence. Which position do you enjoy more?
Hendrich: That is difficult to say. I have also played out wide quite a bit in the past. Fundamentally, I feel most comfortable in the centre of the park. But I am glad about every minute that I get to play, so in the end I don’t really mind which it is.
DFB.de: The 4-4-2 formation worked really well in the first half.
Hendrich: Yes, we all have a rough idea about how to play in that system. Especially in the first half, we did it really well and were playing some good football. There were one or two errors in communication, but that’s understandable. It was definitely a good start.
DFB.de: You didn’t just start the game, but you also scored the opening goal. How did that happen exactly?
Kathrin Hendrich did not just play the entire match in last Friday’s 4-0 win over Russia for the new-look national side, the Frankfurt midfielder also scored her first goal in a Germany shirt. She and her team face hosts Hungary on Tuesday in their last qualifier for the European Championships. The 24-year-old speaks to DFB.de about the atmosphere in the dressing room and her expectations for the side.
DFB.de: How would you describe the atmosphere in the team?
Hendrich: Obviously it was a bit unusual at first because there were a lot of new faces. And that wasn’t just the case for the squad but also for the backroom staff. But the players and the staff are all very sociable, so it works nicely. They have integrated quickly, and the atmosphere is good.
DFB.de: You started on the right of a midfield diamond in the match against Russia. In the second half, you dropped back into central defence. Which position do you enjoy more?
Hendrich: That is difficult to say. I have also played out wide quite a bit in the past. Fundamentally, I feel most comfortable in the centre of the park. But I am glad about every minute that I get to play, so in the end I don’t really mind which it is.
DFB.de: The 4-4-2 formation worked really well in the first half.
Hendrich: Yes, we all have a rough idea about how to play in that system. Especially in the first half, we did it really well and were playing some good football. There were one or two errors in communication, but that’s understandable. It was definitely a good start.
DFB.de: You didn’t just start the game, but you also scored the opening goal. How did that happen exactly?
Hendrich: It didn’t really sink in at the time. Only when everyone came to celebrate with me did I fully realise what had happened. It was a great feeling.
DFB.de: What’s the team’s approach for the Hungary match?
Hendrich: We want to take the same level of focus as we did into the game against Russia and learn from the mistakes that we made in the second half. We want to keep things tight at the back, keep another clean sheet, play some good passing football, keep moving a lot off the ball, and of course score a few goals.
