A true classic and a highly interesting match is due to take place tonight (18:00 CEST), as Germany's U20s take on the Netherlands. It's the second game for new coach Frank Wormuth's side in the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup. Roughly 3,000 spectators are expected to be in attendance at the Scholz Arena in Aalen.
Two Schalke defenders in Marvin Friedrich and Thilo Kehrer are looking forward to the encounter. The two 19-year-olds have known each other for the past three years, and even lived together in Schalke's youth academy. DFB.de sat down with Friedrich and Kehrer to talk about the upcoming match with the Netherlands, their strengths and weaknesses and their own development.
DFB.de: You recorded a 1-0 victory over Turkey in the opening match of the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup. It was a good performance, but chance conversion was perhaps an area that could be improved on. How would you assess the game?
Marvin Friedrich: We should've won by many more against Turkey – that’s why we’ve increased our work rate in training regarding our attacking efforts. Maybe we can already show some improvements against the Netherlands.
Thilo Kehrer: We should've scored a second goal against Turkey, as this would've given us confidence in our own game and relieved the pressure. It would've helped us to play more freely in attack.
DFB.de: Both of you are defenders – were you able to give your team mates some pointers on how to take better advantage of their chances?
Kehrer: I think our strikers know exactly what they have to do better to improve their finishing. They are all good players. They have to make up their minds, chose a corner and finish off the attack.
DFB.de: The Netherlands suffered a 3-1 defeat to England in their first game. What do you know about your upcoming opponents?
A true classic and a highly interesting match is due to take place tonight (18:00 CEST), as Germany's U20s take on the Netherlands. It's the second game for new coach Frank Wormuth's side in the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup. Roughly 3,000 spectators are expected to be in attendance at the Scholz Arena in Aalen.
Two Schalke defenders in Marvin Friedrich and Thilo Kehrer are looking forward to the encounter. The two 19-year-olds have known each other for the past three years, and even lived together in Schalke's youth academy. DFB.de sat down with Friedrich and Kehrer to talk about the upcoming match with the Netherlands, their strengths and weaknesses and their own development.
DFB.de: You recorded a 1-0 victory over Turkey in the opening match of the Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup. It was a good performance, but chance conversion was perhaps an area that could be improved on. How would you assess the game?
Marvin Friedrich: We should've won by many more against Turkey – that’s why we’ve increased our work rate in training regarding our attacking efforts. Maybe we can already show some improvements against the Netherlands.
Thilo Kehrer: We should've scored a second goal against Turkey, as this would've given us confidence in our own game and relieved the pressure. It would've helped us to play more freely in attack.
DFB.de: Both of you are defenders – were you able to give your team mates some pointers on how to take better advantage of their chances?
Kehrer: I think our strikers know exactly what they have to do better to improve their finishing. They are all good players. They have to make up their minds, chose a corner and finish off the attack.
DFB.de: The Netherlands suffered a 3-1 defeat to England in their first game. What do you know about your upcoming opponents?
Friedrich: We studied them during a video analysis, and we are well prepared. The Netherlands play some technical football and have good players in their squad, but we also know what we are capable of and want to pull through with our game on the pitch.
DFB.de: You've known each other for three years due to your time at Schalke. Mr. Friedrich, how would you describe the strengths of your teammate?
Friedrich: Thilo can play various positions in defence – he’s very strong in the air. Last year he was the captain of the U19 national team, which says a lot.
Kehrer: (laughs) I'm probably going to have to answer the same question about him now, aren’t I?
DFB.de: That's correct.
Kehrer: Okay. Marvin's biggest strength is his build-up and accurate passing game. He also has a lot of quality in winning challenges. Those are very good qualities to have for a defender.
DFB.de: How much time do you spend with each other away from the pitch?
Kehrer: We saw each other every day and spent a lot of time together away from the pitch when we were living together in our boarding home during our time in Schalke's U19 team. We have since then moved out, but still see each other on a regular basis and are good friends.
DFB.de: Back to the sporting aspects. In what areas would you say you could still improve in?
Friedrich: You can always improve in all areas. I'm still young and want to work hard to improve. I like watching players like Sergio Ramos or Jérôme Boateng and how they approach the game. From my point of view, they are world-class defenders, and offer a lot a young player can copy and apply to his own game.
Kehrer: Marvin is absolutely right in what he just said. You get a lot of input as a young player if you train with the professionals. You learn for example how to position your body correctly in certain situations and just get to learn a lot of new things about your own game.
DFB.de: After these international games you will return to your club. What your goals at Schalke?
Friedrich: You definitely bring back confidence from the national team to your club. I want to keep working hard in training and put myself in the frame for more appearances at Schalke.
Kehrer: That's exactly what our goal has to be – to keep working hard and to put ourselves in the manager’s thoughts. If we give it everything we've got, we will reach our goals at club level and get our appearances.
