After a win against England, a draw against France and a narrow defeat to the USA, Steffi Jones and her side have finished second at the SheBelieves Cup. Germany’s final position was determined after France’s surprised 3-0 victory over the hosts. England finished third ahead of World Cup winners USA.
The tournament served as an important test ahead of the European Championship, which takes place between the 16th July and 6th August in the Netherlands. In an interview with DFB.de, the 44-year-old head coach discusses what she learned from the recent test, the Germany squad, her captain and the journey to the EUROs.
DFB.de: Steffi Jones, how are you feeling as you head back to Germany?
Steffi Jones: It was a good tournament for me, especially because I could see how the team carried out the job we asked of them and how they grew from game to game. That is very important for a coach. Obviously it’s a shame that we lost the first game against USA and drew the second, despite having so many chances. That’s why the win against England to wrap things up was so important because we finally rewarded ourselves.
DFB.de: You travelled to USA with the aim of getting a feel for where you stand. How do you feel about the team now?
Jones: We played against three of the best teams in the world. The tournament was full of high-quality teams, France won and World Cup winners USA came fourth. Every game was played at a very high level. Now I can say that the team is on a good path. We demonstrated our good possession over long periods, we linked up well and grew defensively from match to match. You could tell that we felt more comfortable as the tournament went on and our play become more and more fluid.
DFB.de: What things do you still need to work on ahead of the EUROs?
Jones: We want to be more commanding on the pitch, in defence too, and be more clinical in attack. We need to score goals in order win important matches, that was clear to see against France.
DFB.de: What distinguishes your team?
Jones: I see so much quality in this team. The team has already grown together so much, every player is there for their teammates. They all have bring so much passion and joy to the job. They are hungry and know exactly what they want.
DFB.de: How happy are you with some of the newer players in the squad?
Jones: I wanted to give lots of players match practice at the SheBelieves Cup and to play them from the start. And I think they did very well. We can build on that. We will have a big squad before the EUROs and we’ll challenge the younger players further.
DFB.de: Anja Mittag played her 152nd international match against England and scored her 50th goal. How important is the Olympics winner, World Cup winner and European champions for the team?
Jones: It’s very important to have experienced players like that, who know exactly how to deal with certain situations. Anja Mittag is an absolute team player, she’s very good for the team, has a very positive aura and great humour. She comes with a good mood, is modest and scores decisive goals. She’s one of the most important players.
DFB.de: It was also the first tournament with your new captain.
Jones: Dzsenifer Marozsan played three very strong matches. She put in a real shift and took on a lot of responsibility. She had a lot of players on her heels, because everyone knows how good she is. But she always found a solution and she created a lot of attacks. She’s a real leader, both on and off the pitch.
DFB.de: What are your plans between now and the EUROs?
Jones: We will take the time to review the tournament performance. We’re already very far along with preparations for the European Championship. On 9th April we have another match against Canada in Erfurt. In July the real preparation begun and on 4th July we play our final match before the tournament starts. That’s when we will have the final squad. Between then we will of course be watching the DFB Cup, the Champions League and the Allianz Frauen Bundesliga to follow the development of our players.
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After a win against England, a draw against France and a narrow defeat to the USA, Steffi Jones and her side have finished second at the SheBelieves Cup. Germany’s final position was determined after France’s surprised 3-0 victory over the hosts. England finished third ahead of World Cup winners USA.
The tournament served as an important test ahead of the European Championship, which takes place between the 16th July and 6th August in the Netherlands. In an interview with DFB.de, the 44-year-old head coach discusses what she learned from the recent test, the Germany squad, her captain and the journey to the EUROs.
DFB.de: Steffi Jones, how are you feeling as you head back to Germany?
Steffi Jones: It was a good tournament for me, especially because I could see how the team carried out the job we asked of them and how they grew from game to game. That is very important for a coach. Obviously it’s a shame that we lost the first game against USA and drew the second, despite having so many chances. That’s why the win against England to wrap things up was so important because we finally rewarded ourselves.
DFB.de: You travelled to USA with the aim of getting a feel for where you stand. How do you feel about the team now?
Jones: We played against three of the best teams in the world. The tournament was full of high-quality teams, France won and World Cup winners USA came fourth. Every game was played at a very high level. Now I can say that the team is on a good path. We demonstrated our good possession over long periods, we linked up well and grew defensively from match to match. You could tell that we felt more comfortable as the tournament went on and our play become more and more fluid.
DFB.de: What things do you still need to work on ahead of the EUROs?
Jones: We want to be more commanding on the pitch, in defence too, and be more clinical in attack. We need to score goals in order win important matches, that was clear to see against France.
DFB.de: What distinguishes your team?
Jones: I see so much quality in this team. The team has already grown together so much, every player is there for their teammates. They all have bring so much passion and joy to the job. They are hungry and know exactly what they want.
DFB.de: How happy are you with some of the newer players in the squad?
Jones: I wanted to give lots of players match practice at the SheBelieves Cup and to play them from the start. And I think they did very well. We can build on that. We will have a big squad before the EUROs and we’ll challenge the younger players further.
DFB.de: Anja Mittag played her 152nd international match against England and scored her 50th goal. How important is the Olympics winner, World Cup winner and European champions for the team?
Jones: It’s very important to have experienced players like that, who know exactly how to deal with certain situations. Anja Mittag is an absolute team player, she’s very good for the team, has a very positive aura and great humour. She comes with a good mood, is modest and scores decisive goals. She’s one of the most important players.
DFB.de: It was also the first tournament with your new captain.
Jones: Dzsenifer Marozsan played three very strong matches. She put in a real shift and took on a lot of responsibility. She had a lot of players on her heels, because everyone knows how good she is. But she always found a solution and she created a lot of attacks. She’s a real leader, both on and off the pitch.
DFB.de: What are your plans between now and the EUROs?
Jones: We will take the time to review the tournament performance. We’re already very far along with preparations for the European Championship. On 9th April we have another match against Canada in Erfurt. In July the real preparation begun and on 4th July we play our final match before the tournament starts. That’s when we will have the final squad. Between then we will of course be watching the DFB Cup, the Champions League and the Allianz Frauen Bundesliga to follow the development of our players.
