The dream? To become a full international, to run out for Germany and to compete for major honours. That's the aim of many young footballers. Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos and Mario Götze have all gone down this road and progressed through the DFB's youth teams. Now it's the turn of the new generation to emerge as the U19 and U20 sides compete at the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup in Württemberg from the 6th to the 13th October. "Rising stars" is the tournament's slogan, and with good reason: it can signal the start of a successful career in the Germany shirt.
International fixtures against England, Holland and the USA guarantee to offer excitement. Hansi Flick, DFB sporting director, is looking forward to the tournament. "It offers the opportunity to the U19s and U20s to gain international experience at a high level of competition," said Flick. "Testing yourself against other countries helps the players to develop. We want to see where we stand and what we still need to work on. We're looking forward to the match-ups in Württemberg. Together, we'll be good hosts."
U19s start in Stuttgart against the USA
The U19s will play three matches in total. On the 6th October, the team will begin the tournament in Stuttgart, meeting the USA in the Stadion auf der Waldau. They will then face Mexico on the 9th October in the Großaspach Arena, before playing against Scotland three days later in Reutlingen. Each game will kick off at 18:00 CEST. "We'll use the tournament to see where we're at," said Marcus Sorg, manager of the Germany U19 side. "The players need to develop and prove themselves against top international teams."
The European U19 Championship takes place next summer in Germany. "After the game in Holland, we're playing exclusively at home," Sorg added. "Through this, we're trying to simulate the character of the competition." The Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup is therefore a type of dress rehearsal.
U20s await clash with England in Heidenheim
The U20 side are also taking part in the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup. As with the team one year their junior, they play three games, all kicking off at 18:00 CEST. They open their campaign against Turkey in Ulm on the 7th October, before playing Holland in Aalen on the 10th and England in Heidenheim on the 13th. "There's a lot of potential in the team," said Frank Wormuth, manager of the U20 side. "We want to perfect our footballing philosophy and use the chance to show ourselves in a good light in front of a large crown against some high-quality opponents.
The Mercedes-Benz is not just a dress rehearsal on the pitch, but also a chance to test out the organisation of the tournament. The European U19 Championship will take place in Germany from the 11th to the 25th July 2016, also featuring the stadia in Baden-Württemberg. The upcoming tournament will therefore be a test run for the competition next summer. The European U19 Championship should lead to a fantastic football atmosphere in Germany, and may produce some stars for the future.
